To be fair, Harvey Specter would probably get lost in the PATH as well
The author of this piece is almost-but-not-quite a SNAIL. Significant other of a law student. Former student journalist trying to relive past glories in a non-awkward I’m-showing-up-to-the-end-of-year-masthead-party kind of way.
Day 1 of in-firms:
5:03 am
Getting a case of the “in-firm day sympathy nerves” and now I can’t sleep. Instead of counting sheep, I’m trying to commit the names of all the big Toronto full-service firms to memory. I wonder if law students have also ever found this to be oddly therapeutic.
7:15 am
It’s a rainy morning and the first round of in-firms are about to start. “It took a while, but I finally know my way around the PATH. I’m barely going to have to go outside today,” my S.O. says to me. Fully suited up, she strides confidently out the door.
1:22 pm
Happy to receive a text update from the S.O. after an intense morning of second-round interviews. It’s just a stream of expletives punctuated by exclamation marks, but I’m still happy. S.O. must be lost in the PATH again.
7:45 pm
Missed arm day at the gym, but partly made up for it hauling a 10-pound tub of valerian tea home from David’s. #InFirmWeekGains
10:31 pm
Pro law S.O. Tip #1: After a long and stressful first day of interviews, it’s finally time to get a little steamy. A steamer is the Law S.O.’s friend during in-firm week. Steam the wrinkles out of your S.O.’s suit in the evenings while they write their 47 thank-you emails for the day. Do a good job and you just might find one of those personalized thank-you emails in YOUR inbox. 😉
Day 2 of in-firms:
5:06 am
Blakes, Goodmans, Davies, Torys, Stikeman, McCarthys, Os… Oslows? Oslens?? OS?? This is no longer therapeutic…
11:40 am
Note to self: Gauge interest in Law School S.O. official support group. Could meet quarterly to share suit steaming tips, war stories etc.
4:34 pm
Had to explain to the team at the office why I just jumped up from my desk and shouted “OSLER! It’s Osler!”
11:45 pm
Pro law S.O. Tip #2: If you leave the valerian tea steeping longer than the 7 minutes it “recommends” on the instructions, you’ll get a pretty decent buzz.
Day 3 of in-firms:
8:45 am
Sifting through the sea of business cards on the coffee table attempting to find my keys. Consider suggesting including cardstock quality in S.O.’s “One True Firm” evaluation criteria.
2:34 pm
Googling “valerian tea dependency signs symptoms.”
4:58 pm
Reassuring S.O. that dropping one piece of steak on the floor during the first-night dinner likely isn’t a reason to disqualify someone from the process entirely. Quietly Google “bad table manners disbarred Ontario” and quickly scan the first two pages of results.
5:00 pm
CELEBRATION TIME! Time to pop the bubbly while remembering to somberly pour a bit out for those who didn’t get a call. Flooded with warm feelings only slightly dampened by the looming spectre of exam season. Wonder if S.O. will still be repeating “P’s get degrees” by December…
