Proceed With Caution: A Diary of the First Year At One Of America's Largest, Most Prestigious Law Firms [Hardcover]

Nichols / Seloc (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0159001811 | ISBN-13: 978-0159001813 | Publication Date: April 25, 1997

The author takes you behind the scenes to show you what it's really like to be a junior associate at a huge law firm.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 164 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Legal & Professional Publications, Inc. (April 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0159001811
• ISBN-13: 978-0159001813
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #469,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars enough complaining -- find a new job, June 24, 2001

By 

Carol C. "ccjello" (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Proceed With Caution: A Diary of the First Year At One Of America's Largest, Most Prestigious Law Firms (Hardcover)

The appendix in the back of this book, titled "Starting Salaries for New Associates at the 250 Largest Law Firms in America" explains it all -- it's difficult for the top-performing law students, often saddled with thousands of dollars of student loan debt, to pass up the signing bonuses, six-figure salaries, and tremendous prestige of big-city large-firm practice, especially when the salaries are often triple or quadruple what one could earn in the public service or government law. Keates is somewhat aware of the drawbacks of big firm practice, yet like many given the opportunity, he goes for the "brass ring" anyway. It doesn't take long for Keates to discover that he hates his job -- and this diary details the path by which his disillusionment about the glamour of the law is dispelled. He quickly discovers that big firm practice can be a 24/7 commitment, being on the hook to fickle partners, fickle clients, and fickle judges, all of which can be extremely stressful. Keates discusses the incidence of depression in lawyers, how one in ten lawyers thinks of suicide at least monthly. The solution to Keates' situation is apparent early on -- move on, find a different job in the law, change fields completely, but that would take the courage to give up the security of the huge paycheck, the Porsche 944, the prestige.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars He's no Scott Turow, September 14, 2000

By 

A reader (Midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Proceed With Caution: A Diary of the First Year At One Of America's Largest, Most Prestigious Law Firms (Hardcover)

This book was a disappointment. I've only been a law student for a month, and most of what he said I've already learned. I think it'd be good for outsiders to understand what goes on, but most law students should already know that the big firms are slavedrivers. "Double Billing" is a much better, much more readable book dealing with the same topic. Keates is an intellectual, and at times he does a good job teaching (even if his audience should already be aware of the facts) and at times he does a good job writing, but he doesn't seem to be able to combine the two. The book gets dull. I would have to recommend "One L" or "Double Billing" for people interested in the same topic.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Notes from a lawyer, January 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Proceed With Caution: A Diary of the First Year At One Of America's Largest, Most Prestigious Law Firms (Hardcover)

I read the Keates book in a single sitting. As some one who has worked in the law, but not in a big firm, I found his description of big firm life quite captivating. I agree with the first reviewer that, at points, Keates explains the law, rather than his experiences of his firm; but this will help his book reach the large segment of the public who are not lawyers. Where Keates excells is in integrating his experience at the big firm with broader sociological literature about large firm practice. The combination provides law students, prospective law students and the general public with a sense of why SOME lawyers leave the law. Here lies my biggest problem with the book. Keates too often confuses experiences common to all lawyers with the specific experiences of big firm lawyers. This is evident when Keates speaks of wanting to leave "the law." When he is complaining about the adversarial nature of law, he is convincing. When, however, he is complaining about long hours, lack of autonomy, or defending corporations, his attack on "the law" is too broad. Only 25-30% of all lawyers work in large firms. The rest are solo practitioners, government lawyers, public interest lawyers etc. While Keates has every right to drop out of the law entirely (to become a finanical consultant) but he should have reminded his readers that there were other escapes from big firm life that did not involve leaving the law.