What Are the Unwritten Rules of Law Firm Life?
In a Slaw post today, blogger Dan Michaluk started listing, in no particular order, “The Dos, Don’ts and Truths of Law Firm Life.” Two of his rules:
Rule #685 Don’t hang a picture of yourself wearing a bathing suit in your office.
Rule #441 If you’re under 50 and using a fountain pen you’re trying too hard.
Bruce Carton at Legal Blog Watch quickly joined in. Two of his rules:
Rule #29 Do not send out any e-mail to “All Users” unless the building is on fire.
Rule #242 Put the bow ties away until you reach the age of 50 (or unless you grew up on Nantucket).
Then Ashby Jones at Wall Street Journal Law Blog took the bait. His rules:
Rule #207 Refrain on cufflinks unless and until you make partner. After that, use them exceptionally sparingly.
Rule #815 Don’t tell your romantic partner/spouse that colleague Jenny or Jimmy is your “work boy/girlfriend.” Even if Jenny/Jimmy is totally harmless, it’s annoying and plants insidious seeds of wonder.
We at the ABA Journal offer a couple more:
Rule #34 Don’t post and tag photos of your wasted co-workers at the firm Christmas party on Facebook.
Rule #456 Don’t fist-bump in the hallway.
Our question to you should be obvious: Fill out the list by describing your law firm rules, as many appear to still be unwritten.
Answer in the comments below.
Read last week’s question: What Was Your Starting Salary at Your First Law Job?
Featured Answers:
Posted by no name: “In 1964 I started working for a solo practitioner in NYC at $100/week. The going rate on Wall Street was $7,500. It jumped to $15,000 in 1968.”
Posted by J. Bull: “$26,000 a year as a prosecutor in Fort Lauderdale in 2000. When I opened my first paycheck, my wife started to cry. Three months later, I was working as a securities attorney in Boca Raton for $40,000.”
