If you work in BigLaw, you already expect weekends to be part of the job. But you find that not all weekend work is created equal. In this episode, I walk through the difference between healthy, role-appropriate weekend demands and the kind of constant disruption that signals deeper management and culture problems inside a firm. I explain the three traits that define normal weekend work: a real reason tied to client reality, a clearly scoped task, and a true endpoint. We then unpack what dysfunctional weekend work looks like in practice, including poor planning disguised as urgency, perpetual low-grade emergencies, and being kept mentally on call even when no real deadline exists.

I break down how these patterns show up differently in transactional versus litigation practices and why weekend culture is one of the strongest predictors of burnout and reactive exits. Finally, I share concrete strategies for setting boundaries that actually work in BigLaw by shaping timelines, preempting chaos earlier in the week, and using seniority to delegate rather than absorb endless work.

At a Glance 01:20 Why the real issue isn't working weekends but how and how often 02:09 The three traits that define normal weekend work in BigLaw 02:41 Why real deadlines feel different from anxiety-driven urgency 03:10 How scoped tasks and clear endpoints protect your time and sanity 04:03 How poor planning gets passed down as "emergencies" 05:16 What perpetual urgency without deadlines actually signals 05:46 When firms stop buying labor and start renting your nervous system 06:13 Why constant weekend work becomes a structural problem 06:38 How weekend chaos at senior levels signals stagnation, not growth 07:11 How transactional and litigation practices show dysfunction differently 08:25 Why weekend culture predicts burnout and rushed exits 09:35 The clear difference between purposeful intensity and endless chaos 10:24 Why the goal isn't fewer weekends but fewer bad weekends 10:51 How structured availability reshapes expectations without backlash 11:21 How anticipatory communication prevents most weekend emergencies 12:22 Why reliability during real crises earns boundary credibility 12:53 How delegation becomes the senior lawyer's real boundary tool 13:17 How to read firm reactions to boundaries as cultural data

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By the time you reach mid-level or senior associate status, the Cravath Scale often stops feeling like a promise and more like a moving target. In this episode, I break down what the scale actually governs, what it never covered, and how discretion quietly replaces transparency as you become more experienced. I explain why base salary uniformity masks wide variation in bonuses, timing, and opportunity, and how firms use the language of "market" and "culture" to justify outcomes that feel inconsistent year to year and group to group. We walk through concrete bonus scenarios, how hour thresholds quietly drift upward, and why performance reviews are comparative rather than absolute.

I also unpack the role of discretionary and special bonuses, including when they signal genuine investment versus when they function as golden handcuffs. Finally, I explain why salary compression at the senior level is structural, not accidental, and how to assess whether staying on scale still makes sense given your responsibilities, leverage, and future prospects.

At a Glance 01:20 Why the Cravath Scale feels predictable early and flexible later 02:37 What the scale actually standardizes and what it never promised 03:35 How discretion replaces transparency for mid- and senior-level associates 04:02 Why bonuses are the first place cracks appear 04:32 How billable hour thresholds quietly move beyond the stated minimum 05:43 Why performance ratings are comparative, not absolute 06:31 How practice group and firm overlays affect identical profiles differently 07:53 How firms "shade around" the scale without openly breaking from it 09:41 When bonuses become forward-looking signals, not rewards 10:42 How to tell reward bonuses from golden handcuffs 12:22 Why senior-level salary compression is structural 13:22 Why waiting without clarity is no longer neutral 14:16 How comp reveals if the firm sees a future partner or a long-term senior associate 14:47 How to assess your effective compensation and leverage over time 15:47 The real question long-tenured associates need to ask themselves

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Being told you ready for partnership creates expectations that are hard to unlearn. In this episode, I walk through what it really means when you are encouraged, guided, and perhaps even implicitly promised by firm leadership, only to be told at the end of the cycle that you did not make partner. This is not just a professional disappointment. It often feels like a betrayal of an assumed agreement, especially when you followed the roadmap you were given and told if you followed that this was your year.

I explain why this situation is far more common in BigLaw than firms admit, including how headcount, internal politics, profitability pressures, and decision-making power can quietly override performance. I unpack why encouragement is not the same as influence, why firms often avoid hard truths during partnership conversations, and how vague feedback keeps lawyers stuck in uncertainty. I also outline how to approach post-decision conversations strategically, what questions actually surface usable information, and how to distinguish between fixable gaps, moving goalposts, and structural ceilings in determining whether you actually make partnership at your firm.

At a Glance 01:20 What it means to be "in consideration" for partnership 02:08 Why doing exactly what you were told would mean partnership can still mean "no" 03:01 Why missing partnership feels like a broken narrative, not just rejection 04:23 How reliance on firm guidance costs lawyers optionality and time 05:29 Why encouragement is not the same as decision-making power 06:18 How firms avoid hard truths through vague feedback 07:21 How to prepare for partnership conversations without burning bridges 07:48 Why post-decision meetings are about information, not catharsis 08:16 The exact process questions that surface real explanations 09:09 How to determine whether issues are fixable or structural 10:21 What a fixable partnership gap actually looks like in practice 11:25 How to recognize when the goalposts are always moving 12:20 What it means to hit a structural ceiling in the firm that may block partnership 14:26 Why quietly exploring external options is rational, not disloyal 16:11 How to reframe not making partner as information, not failure

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Junior associates in BigLaw often ask for more client exposure early in their careers, but what they really need most is a clearer understanding of how clients actually operate and make decisions. In this episode, I speak with Lynda Galligan and Josh Klatzkin, both members of Goodwin's management and executive committees, and co-chairs of the firm's Business Law Department, about why the firm's early client immersion program for junior associates addresses this key development and training issue.

Lynda and Josh explain how traditional BigLaw training can delay meaningful client exposure, why business undersanding is assumed rather than a differentiator, and how understanding of a client's business needs and concerns must be learned. We also discuss how Goodwin's structured training program makes early immersion viable, what clients gain from working with junior lawyers, and how early exposure reshapes the way associates approach client relationships throughout their careers.

At a Glance 01:20 Why junior associates ask for more hands-on client experience 02:17 Why traditional BigLaw training can delay better understanding of what juniors need to know about working with clients 02:52 How Goodwin's client immersion program differs from the usual secondments 03:24 Why empathy is a core legal skill that law school cannot teach 06:30 The role of intensive first-year training in preparing juniors for client work 07:31 Why doing excellent legal work is the baseline, not a competitive advantage 08:08 What associates learn by seeing clients as people with careers and pressures 09:52 Why consistent early training matters more than ad hoc learning 11:02 How immersion opportunities are identified and matched 13:35 The criteria clients must meet to participate in the program 15:39 Why clients repeatedly request junior associates after trying the program 16:26 What happens when immersion leads to in-house offers 18:16 How immersion strengthens firm-client relationships in unexpected ways 21:52 Addressing associate concerns about missing firm relationship-building 24:42 How partners evaluate the value of early client immersion 26:27 Why firms may need to rethink associate training more broadly 29:06 How early client exposure builds confidence long before partnership is in view

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Reach Lynda Galligan:

https://www.goodwinlaw.com/en/people/g/galligan-lynda LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynda-galligan-41ab058/

Reach Josh Klatzkin:

https://www.goodwinlaw.com/en/people/k/klatzkin-joshua LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-klatzkin-a186022/

Interested in doing 1-2-1 coaching with Laura Terrell? Or learning more about her work coaching and consulting? Here are ways to reach out to her:

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Show notes: https://www.lauraterrell.com/podcast

hear this question constantly: do you actually have to be a rainmaker to succeed in BigLaw? The short answer is no, but the longer, more important answer is that success depends on whether your firm truly rewards lawyers who help win, grow, and retain clients without personally originating them.

In this episode, I break down what that looks like in practice. I explain why firms that rely on a handful of star originators are more vulnerable over time, and also why many firms say they value collaboration and the contrbutions of many to major firm clients but quietly reward something very different. I walk through how non-originating lawyers can become force multipliers by expanding existing clients, owning client problems instead of just matters, and positioning themselves as essential to client growth rather than execution alone. I also explain how to diagnose whether your firm will actually promote and reward this type of lawyer by looking at promotion histories, credit allocation practices, compensation structures, and who really holds power inside the firm. This episode is about clarity: understanding what success looks like at your firm before you invest years playing the wrong game.

At a Glance 01:20 Why rainmaking dominates BigLaw conversations and why firms still need more than originators 02:39 Why firms dependent on a few rainmakers become vulnerable over time 03:17 How non-rainmakers succeed by acting as force multipliers inside client relationships 03:43 Growing existing clients instead of chasing cold starts 04:22 Becoming the lawyer rainmakers cannot afford to exclude 05:07 Owning client problems, not just discrete matters 06:12 Building internal political capital through client expansion 06:40 Why "supporting" a client is the wrong way to describe your role 07:25 How to articulate leadership and revenue impact without origination credit 07:52 How to assess whether your firm really values non-originating partners 08:16 What to look for in recent partner promotions 09:20 Credit allocation, shared origination, and what collaboration actually looks like 10:42 Warning signs that your firm has a structural ceiling for non-originators 12:26 The non-equity partner tier and what it really means at your firm 13:12 Who holds real power over comp, promotion, and clients 14:07 The core diagnostic question every lawyer should ask about partnership success

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As the calendar turns, I see the same pattern repeat inside large law firms. We talk about fresh starts, priorities, and strategy, but most people carry the exact same work habits, assumptions, and risks into the new year. And yet the beginning of the calendar year when you can slow the system down just enough to make some key but deliberate decisions before urgency takes over. This episode is not a motivational reset or a list of aspirational goals, but rather some practical actions that can give BigLaw lawyers and business professionals more control over how the year unfolds.

I walk through specific decisions that experienced professionals tend to avoid because they require uncomfortable honesty, including: auditing where your time actually went, naming which relationships really matter and which pose risk, deciding what work you are no longer willing to do, and defining what success looks like this year instead of defaulting to growth at all costs. I also talk candidly about replaceability, utilization ceilings, lateral vulnerability, and why clarity around evaluation and compensation mechanics must happen earlier than most people think. If you choose only two or three of these actions and do them well, you can reduce surprises and actively shape the year ahead rather than simply reacting to it.

At a Glance 1:20 With a new year, why most BigLaw professionals don't actually change how they operate 02:12 Audit where your time and effort were actually spent last year 03:53 Name your five most important relationships and identify the riskiest one 05:16 Decide what work you are no longer willing to do this year 06:43 Set a personal utilization floor and a sustainable ceiling 08:24 Do an honest assessment of how replaceable you really are internally 10:09 Look at lateral movement and lateral vulnerability around you 11:01 Get clear on when evaluation, compensation, credit, and bonus decisions will be made (and how) 12:34 Define what success means for you this year 13:23 Choose one or two relationships to deepen deliberately 14:47 Let go of a skill you keep forcing that isn't compounding for you 16:14 Why choosing just two or three of these actions can change how the year unfolds

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As the year closes, I'm focusing in this episode on BigLaw goals for associates without resorting to platitudes, firm retreat slogans, or vague resolutions that quietly collapse by February. After years as an equity partner in BigLaw, I've seen that the associates who actually move forward are not the ones making dramatic promises to work less, do everything better, or reinvent themselves overnight. Instead, the associates who most often make progress are the ones who focus on taking smaller, actionable steps in specific, visible ways that compound inside a system that is in many ways beyond their control.

In this episode, I walk through what that looks like in practice. We talk about why goals built around staffing, hours, or personality change usually fail, and what BigLaw actually rewards instead: reducing friction for partners, exercising judgment, managing up, and being predictable and reliable in ways that matter. I explain concrete behaviors partners notice when evaluating and promoting associates, including how you frame decisions, communicate risk and timing, and signal judgment without overstepping. This is about learning how to operate more effectively inside BigLaw as it exists, not as we wish it did.

At a Glance 00:00 Why BigLaw goal-setting can feel hollow and frustrating - even cringey 01:19 Why extreme "everything must change" thinking misses what actually moves careers 02:40 Why goals tied to things you don't control quietly set you up to fail 03:40 The compounding advantage of getting slightly better in visible ways 04:08 Reducing friction: how partners actually experience working with you 04:29 Anticipation and judgment versus stopping exactly at the four corners of the assignment 05:57 Managing up by framing decisions instead of asking open-ended questions 06:44 Predictability, early flags, and why silence is riskier than bad news 08:00 How BigLaw gives you positive feedback without ever saying "good job" 09:17 Why choosing one key incremental improvement beats trying to fix everything 10:06 The practical bottom line for building momentum year over year

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If you are a senior associate staring at year seven, eight, or nine and trying to decode whether you are "behind," I want you to hear this clearly: your timeline is not controlled by your work ethic or your reviews.

In this episode, I break down why partnership timing is driven by structural economics inside your firm, not individual merit. We walk through the forces that actually move or stop the process, including practice group capacity, leverage ratios, PEP pressure, capital constraints, succession bottlenecks, client portability, and internal power dynamics.

I also give realistic timing ranges for Am Law 100 versus Am Law 200 firms, explain why non-equity partnership has become a much longer and often permanent tier, and outline what truly accelerates movement toward equity: client dependency and demonstrated revenue that the firm believes it must protect.

Finally, I take apart the myths that quietly sabotage senior associates, like assuming seniority triggers review, assuming class-year promotions move in waves, and assuming non-equity is automatically a short bridge to equity. If you want to make smart career decisions in BigLaw, you cannot plan around a "clock." You plan around the system you are in and the conditions required for the firm to say yes.

At a Glance 00:00 Why partnership timing creates anxiety for senior associates 01:20 The hard truth: there is no universal partnership clock, only a limited-seat business model 02:58 The structural drivers that actually control timing: capacity, leverage, PEP, capital, succession, portability, and internal power 03:31 Why excellence alone does not create a partner seat 04:02 Realistic timelines: Am Law 100 versus Am Law 200 ranges for non-equity and equity 05:34 Why non-equity is often no longer a short path to equity 06:04 What truly moves the process: client dependency, not hours or "indispensable service" to other partners 06:39 The quiet equity credibility thresholds and why you can be deferred repeatedly below them 07:06 Why lateral paths can promote faster than internal BigLaw timelines 08:03 Why the same firm still has different clocks across different practices 08:53 Myth 1: hitting a year range means you will automatically be up for partner 10:18 Myth 2: if others in your class year are promoted, you should be too 11:41 Myth 3: non-equity is a stepping stone to equity, as long as you build a book 12:20 The moving goalposts: equity thresholds rising, and why conversion is not automatic 13:29 Myth 4: if you are good enough, the firm will speed it up 14:55 The rough odds: who makes non-equity and who makes equity internally 15:30 The practical posture: how to operate if you are serious about partnership 16:24 The most damaging mistake: planning on an orderly, certain process that is designed to be slow and protective

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Mid-career partners can begin quietly wondering whether they should stay where they are or explore a move. This isn't driven by crisis or failure. It's driven by subtle shifts, such as declining energy for a platform that once fit well, strategy drift inside the firm, client relationships that feel different, or internal politics that have grown wearisome. Yet most partners stall making a decision because they don't want to make the wrong call and the ambiguity keeps them stuck.

In today's episode, I walk through the five stages I see that partners typically move through when confronting the stay-or-go question: detecting early signals without overreacting, running a true cost-benefit audit, separating fact from extreme thinking about portability, pressure-testing the market and assumptions, and exploring parallel stay and go plans.

I share the specific diagnostics I suggest partners consider, the risks partners often underestimate, the structural problems that rarely improve with time v. the irritations that can usually be changed, and how to evaluate the potential options through financial, client-continuity, and cultural-stability filters. If you're a partner feeling the need to examine your place in your practice or platform, this episode helps you approach that crossroads with clarity, data, and control.

At a Glance 00:00 Why mid-career partners begin questioning whether to stay or go 02:44 Stage 1: Quiet doubt and the early signals partners tend to overlook 03:54 A three-question diagnostic for evaluating how to initially frame what may be going on 05:39 Stage 2: The cost-benefit audit and quantifying what staying v. going actually buys you 07:18 How politics, write-offs, and strategic stagnation erode partner value 08:42 Distinguishing temporary irritations from structural misalignment 10:10 Stage 3: Counterfactuals and why partners get stuck in best-case and worst-case assumptions 10:55 Reality-checking which clients would follow you and which would not 11:24 How to quietly stress-test the market without signaling intent 12:37 Stage 4: The real risks of leaving: portability, client transfer, compensation, and culture 14:19 Identifying what must change for you to stay, and how to design parallel stay and go plans 15:35 The three filters for evaluating any move: financial survivability, client continuity, and cultural stability 16:25 Stage 5: Why this decision can feel like an identity crisis and how to regain agency

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After years as a partner inside global law firms, I've seen one stage of a BigLaw career quietly determine everything that comes after it. It isn't the first year, when everyone expects some struggle and a lot of learning. And it isn't partnership, when you've reached that tier and are now working to build your book of business and establish your role in that space. The most dangerous stage is the mid to senior associate years.

Years four through seven are where many lawyers stall without realizing it. They're billing hard, getting strong reviews, and hearing they're "doing great." But behind the scenes, their future is already taking shape. In this episode, I break down the shifts most associates never see coming: when technical excellence stops being enough, when your reputation gets fixed without your input, and when firm economics matter more than compliments.

I walk through why at this stage judgment matters more than output, how client readiness is built long before partnership, and why waiting to become strategic often means you've missed your chance to demonstrate what your firm needs to see. If you believe good work alone will carry your career, this episode explains why that mindset can quietly derail it, and what you should be doing now instead.

At a Glance 00:01 Why years four through seven matter most 02:50 When execution gives way to judgment 05:24 How reputations form without you 07:45 Why client work can't wait 10:04 How firm economics affect you early 12:02 How political capital can determine survival 13:59 Defining your value before others do 15:36 Managing matters and people 17:01 When non-billable work counts 18:10 The signals firms send before decisions 19:10 Becoming more than a technician

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