Customer Reviews

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

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3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I'm investigating careers in the legal field, and I got this from a friend of mine. The book is honestly written and straightforward. However, it must be approached for what it is: a first-job perspective from a 26-27 year old student, fresh out of a grueling 7 or 8 years of law school and academia in general, with no real-world job experience and some highly idealistic preconceptions of how things should work. He gets a job in a top-flight high paying law firm in NYC (apparently, a Hollywoodesque big-time scenario for a lot of young lawyers) and documents his work experiences, interaction with fellow workers, and life in general in an engaging journal-entry style. This is definitely a one-sitting read.

I think it's a valuable read for anyone interested in a law career, especially if interested in working for a firm. It documents one scenario from a junior associate's perspective who worked for one large firm in NYC. From Keates' standpoint, I have come to understand that while the salary and perks might be initially very appealing, the job experience can be horrifying.

I completely disagree with the reviewer who thinks this is a "be-all, end-all" decision-making reference for law school (if reading this book scares you away from practicing law in entirety, maybe you shouldn't be approaching law school in the first place). Keates helped me to think about one possible work scenario out of hundreds that a law degree might make possible, and I'm grateful for the knowledge. If you're a 3rd year law student and your goal is to become a JA and make $90,000 your first year at a big law firm, maybe you should read this.

Also recommended is Susan Estrich's How To Get Into Law School (ISBN 1594480354), which discusses not only the approaches to get into law school but career paths and law practice in general.

I would never even consider going to law school after reading this book. The excerpts from the author's diary enable readers to see through the veneer of prestige associated with large-firm law practices and understand what life is really like at a top law firm. For years, I've been hearing that lawyers are often highly dissatisfied with their jobs and lives, despite the high salaries and professional prestige. Until I read this book, though, no one could effectively articulate the specific reasons WHY lawyers tend to be so unhappy (other than the long hours they often work). This book finally fills that void by slowly building the case, chapter by chapter, against life in a large law firm. Through his diary entries, Keates does a fantastic job of describing not only why he is professionally and personally dissatisfied, but also HOW his dissatisfaction affects him over time.

It's a very well written book, sincere, honest and profound, with accurate research to back up the conclusions made by the author. Unfortunately, it tells the truth about legal profession, the truth most people are not ready to hear. I would recommend it to anyone making a choice to pursue legal career. It will definitely help you to make an informed choice.

Having practiced law for several years, the material in this book rang true. Many of the insights in this book will come as little surprise to new attorneys or law students, but overall, this book should be given points for style. It packs a lot of information into a couple hundred concise pages. . .

This book does a great job of informing people in high school, college, and anyone else thinking about going to law school what practicing law in a prestigious law firm is actually like. The book is an easy read because each chapter begins with an entry from the author's journal, and then focuses on a particular aspect of a large-firm legal practice. The journal entries provide startlingly personal and realistic insights into a top lawyer's lifestyle, while the chapters describe what lawyers really do on a daily basis. The book effectively offers the information that people need in order to make an informed decision about whether to go to law school.

This guide provides a revealing inside view of life at a major law firm. Also recommend the Vault Reports Guide to America's Top 50 Law Firms, a similarly good eye-opener at life inside elite law firms.

For those outside of law and for those curious about the grueling reality of "fast track" careers, this is a good read.

Keates takes the reader through a series of diary entries from his first year as an associate in a law firm. Each entry is accompanied by a useful background discussion.

"Caution" can be an eye-opener for corporate lawyers-to-be.