Curious to know what different people do all day at their 9-5? We’re investigating job titles and diving deeper into day-to-day tasks to get the low-down on exactly what those roles really entail. Not sure how much to ask for your raise? Wondering what a VP in finance does in the afternoon? We’re uncovering the details behind jobs, along with the salaries and tasks that come with them, to help you figure out what you’re interested in. Below, read about how a woman working in law spends her day.
Age: 26
City: Chicago
Industry: Legal
Job Title: Associate Attorney
Years of Experience: 1
Salary: $70k
What does your job title mean?
I am a first-year attorney at small/mid-sized defense litigation law firm. We represent companies and individuals who are being sued. When a lawsuit is filed, it follows a certain trajectory and there are things that need to be done in a particular order. Each case I have is at a different point, so I have to make sure I’m taking the appropriate steps and doing all the things to move the case along and represent my client’s interests. My job involves talking to clients and other attorneys, researching and analyzing case law, reviewing documents, writing motions, briefs, memorandums, and going to court. On any given day, I could be doing all of those things.
What is your morning routine?
I have to be at work between 7-7:30am, so I try to wake up between 6 and 6:30am. If I’ve been good I’ll have packed my lunch and picked out an outfit the night before, and my morning goes by smoothly. If not, (which is more often than not lol), I’ll be scrambling to find an outfit and grab a snack. I love skincare and doing my makeup, so I try to make time for both every morning. My skincare routine involves spot treatment (thanks adult acne), eye cream, vitamin c serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. My makeup routine ranges depending on time. Some days it’ll just be concealer and some lip color, other days it’ll be a full face with eyes, highlight, blush, bronzer, and sometimes I’ll go barefaced.
At 9am I am…
I’ve already been at work for a few hours now and have already done a quick news read and made a to-do list. If I haven’t made coffee at home, I’ll run out for a cup. Otherwise, by now I’m either at court since a lot of court calls are in the morning or I’m working on something for a case, like answering questions from opposing counsel (also known as written discovery), doing research, etc. When I’m at court, I’ll step up in front of the judge to give him or her an update on any given case. I’ll also speak to the other side’s attorney regarding deadlines or strategies.
At 11am I am…
Trying to finish up my morning assignment. I make multiple to-do lists, for short-term and long-term tasks. I’ll review those after finishing an assignment to see where I’m at with a case and if I am on track to meet my deadlines.
What does lunch normally look like for you?
Most days I’ll do lunch with one my co-workers who also happens to be my best friend from law school. We joke that we host each other for lunch in our offices. Some days when I’m really busy, I’ll just eat quickly in my office. But I try to not do any work as I eat. Even when I’m eating alone, I’ll close my office door and just scroll through Instagram or read while I eat for 15 minutes, to give myself a quick mental break from work.
At 1pm I am…
Back to work, but since I’m probably hitting an afternoon slump I’ll try to work on things that have farther out deadlines or I’ll review medical records or documents, that is a little bit more passive work. I also make phone calls to clients at this time because talking to others helps wake me up.
At 3pm I am… 
Depending on how my morning went, I could be finishing up a project or starting a new one. It’s up to me to prioritize what work I do in what order. I’ll go check in with the partners I’m working with to update them on my cases or ask them questions. I may also snack on something at this point if I think I’ll be working late.
At 5pm I am… 
If it’s a good work day where I can leave by 5:30pm, I’ll be wrapping up my work, getting to a good stopping point. On days I have to stay late, I’m still in full focus mode furiously typing away to try to get done as soon as possible.
When does a workday end for you? 
Some days I leave by 5:30pm and during bad weeks I’ll be at the office until 9pm. Litigation ebbs and flows so you’ll have a series of good weeks and then a trial will hit and you become swamped.
What do you do after work?
I have a pretty big family and friend circle so a lot of my evenings are spent doing dinners or activities with them. On most days though, I go home and decompress for a little bit by watching tv, reading a book, or playing with my little nephews. I’ll do dinner and then work again for an hour or two until bed.
What do you do before bed?
I’ll go to bed between 11 to midnight, but I’m always aiming for a 10pm bedtime. One of these days it’ll happen. On most days I’m pretty exhausted so I’ll scroll through Instagram or read until I fall asleep, usually between 15-20 minutes. I have an extensive nighttime skincare routine that I do on most nights, but I have to admit there have been many times I’ll pass out after rubbing a makeup remover wipe across my face.
Is there anything about your job that you would like people to know?
Defense litigation work involves billable hours, which means you have to work a certain number of hours in a year and you have to keep track of everything you do and how long it takes, which is just a long explanation to say that if you want to be a lawyer, you will have to work…a lot. I’m the type of person that likes working hard and working on challenging things, so my job satisfies that for me.
 
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