Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Firm history

Today, I went to court with the other associate and got some firm history.  Apparently, he has only been there since May, after being laid off from his previous firm.  Also, I am the FOURTH associate they've been through in the past year.

Associate #1 had been with the firm for a long time, but had a falling out with my boss.  Associate #2 stayed for a couple of months before leaving for undisclosed reasons.  Associate #3 got fired for missing court appearances.

Now, I'm no expert in human resources, but I feel like that's an awful lot of associates to go through in less than one year.  I feel like it adds credence to my belief that this is a somewhat difficult place to work.

4 comments:

  1. Your concerns are certainly valid, that is a lot of associates for a small firm in one year. But I think the story beyond the numbers paints a better picture. Specifically -

    1: Only 1 associate was fired. And, frankly, missing court appearances (emphasis on the multiple) is a pretty good reason to fire someone. To be sure, I've missed a few court appearances from time to time, but I was able to handle it well. I would either call the court to speak with the judge's clerk and/or call opposing counsel to see if he could seek a continuance. The vast majority of judges (particularly at the trial court level) and attorneys are practical. I never had a problem getting a court date pushed back, although I didn't make a habit of it either.

    2: The first associate was with the firm for a long time, which is a good sign. You said he had a falling out with the boss. Without knowing anything about your firm (but knowing something about small firms), I'm willing to bet the associate sought a pay raise for his loyalty, didn't get it, and felt he got shafted. It happens, but doesn't necessarily mean the firm is a bad place to work.

    3: The middle associate left for unspecified reasons, which could have been anything. If I had to guess, that person probably found a better position but didn't want to tell the boss that because he would be justifiably pissed that she or he left so soon after being hired. But the point is, the associate could have left for any reason, and not necessarily a bad reason.

    Just trying to look at the glass being half full.

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  2. Stop whining, this is a lot better than your last place. At least you can say you are a lawyer. stick it out and in a year you can start looking to move somewhere better.

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  3. new solo working my ass off to surviveDecember 11, 2010 at 12:20 AM

    I like your blog. I like your narrative. Its like watching a story unfold and kinda resonates.. because you show us things as opposed to telling us your viewpoints/political commentaries etc. Hope the tone of this blog remains the same, it touches your heart just the way it is

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  4. Critical anonymous posters drive me mad!

    Anyway, chin up! Sounds like there's hope for some good blog fodder, at the least. Hope this week has gone better than last!

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