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Overworked Freshfields trainee commits suicide
Freshfields are well known to overwork their trainees.
One of them has finally done something after having to work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article1381567.ece
"As a lawyer at one of the “magic circle” of leading corporate legal firms, Matthew Courtney was expected to work 16 hours a day, seven days a week.
He hoped that his efforts would eventually be rewarded with a partnership – and a £1 million salary.
But weeks after Mr Courtney, 27, and other associate lawyers at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer spoke to senior partners about their long hours and stress, he was found dead at Tate Modern, The Times has learnt.
He had gone alone to the art gallery after work on Friday and died instantly after plunging from a stairwell leading to the seventh-floor restaurant at 11.30pm.
The death of the Oxford-educated lawyer, the only child of the World Cup football referee George Courtney, has highlighted concerns about the stress suffered by City workers"
One of them has finally done something after having to work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article1381567.ece
"As a lawyer at one of the “magic circle” of leading corporate legal firms, Matthew Courtney was expected to work 16 hours a day, seven days a week.
He hoped that his efforts would eventually be rewarded with a partnership – and a £1 million salary.
But weeks after Mr Courtney, 27, and other associate lawyers at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer spoke to senior partners about their long hours and stress, he was found dead at Tate Modern, The Times has learnt.
He had gone alone to the art gallery after work on Friday and died instantly after plunging from a stairwell leading to the seventh-floor restaurant at 11.30pm.
The death of the Oxford-educated lawyer, the only child of the World Cup football referee George Courtney, has highlighted concerns about the stress suffered by City workers"
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Absolutely shocking. I'm not sure how common 16 hr days all the time are though...
Lewisy-boy
Absolutely shocking. I'm not sure how common 16 hr days all the time are though...
Those firms are money hungry shylocks that suck every bit of marrow out of the souls of their trainees.
I've heard it is quite true because my family had an interest in a much smaller scale firm and sometimes people gave up and came to us for an easier life. It is very sad what happened. I doubt I could manage his workload and be that happy.
Laura_BCL
I've heard it is quite true because my family had an interest in a much smaller scale firm and sometimes people gave up and came to us for an easier life. It is very sad what happened. I doubt I could manage his workload and be that happy.
I know one lawyer who became an alcoholic after 6 years in one of those firms.
He left when he reached the 15 drinks a day stage, got his life sorted out and now works in a suburban practice for less money but a lot more happiness.
All you ever see reported/hear about are the extremes. If it was really that bad why are so many people still there?
The story is a tragedy, but seriously, it's hardly common.
The story is a tragedy, but seriously, it's hardly common.
Lewisy-boy
All you ever see reported/hear about are the extremes. If it was really that bad why are so many people still there?
1. The love of money.
2. Few other career pathways once you have done law and the LPC.
3. Internal/external pressures
4. Fear of being branded a failure.
You know, the same reasons that people do law.
I wish they wouldn't over-hype these things. It just means I have to go through another "are you sure this is what you want to to do" style inquisition from mum 
.
You can easily switch careers that's rubbish.
It's peoples own fault if they don't get out. I wouldn't stay for any of the reasons you said there.
.You can easily switch careers that's rubbish.
It's peoples own fault if they don't get out. I wouldn't stay for any of the reasons you said there.
Lewisy-boy
You can easily switch careers that's rubbish.
Not really.
Once you adopt a lifestyle in keeping with a high income, you are trapped.
Do you pull the kids out of Westminster because you want to change jobs to one that pays less ? Can be very hard.
You don't have to accept less money. City lawyers have a number of career possibilities available to them beyond their current practice. Many go into banking and funds, many take up directorships, many go into consultancy and you'd be surprised how many have their own small business interests on the side.
Exactly... I mean moving career pretty near the start, not once you're already a partner with a family or whatever. If you get that far and you don't like it, it's your own damn fault.
Lewisy-boy
I wish they wouldn't over-hype these things. It just means I have to go through another "are you sure this is what you want to to do" style inquisition from mum .
You can easily switch careers that's rubbish.
It's peoples own fault if they don't get out. I wouldn't stay for any of the reasons you said there.
.You can easily switch careers that's rubbish.
It's peoples own fault if they don't get out. I wouldn't stay for any of the reasons you said there.
Sounds familiar!! (The mother bit) If your female it can be even worse, what about time for having children etc. She has some point but I could do without it.
Laura_BCL
what about time for having children etc.
Breeding is easy to do.
Just make sure that you do it before you turn 40.
fundamentally, do you have an intention to go into law?
Lewisy-boy
fundamentally, do you have an intention to go into law?
Many people have an intention to go into law without realising how much of a slog it really is. They may be attracted by the money, and they may be attracted by an interest in the law, but either way they then get caught up this lifestyle which they feel pressured to continue because either they have a family to support, or they enjoy the kudos of being a city lawyer and would be worried that they would be deemed a failure if they stopped, having done so well and got so far. So it's not as black and white as Lewis makes it out to be.
Good intentions and actually being able to follow through on these are two different things.
This is very sad and has certainly put me off applying to Freshfields for anything in the future, be it as a vac scheme or if I do decide I should become a solicitor rather than a barrister. I knew that working at the magic circle firms was intense, but 16 hours a day is inhumane.
Do you seriously think I'm that ignorant of the reality?
Freshfields hours will be no different to other firms. 16 hours is excessive. The guy was probably so keen to please his superiors that he brought half that work on himself by volunteering for stuff. That's the reality that they don't say in the article. It's also possible that he had other stuff going on. These articles conveniently cherry pick facts to make it seem dodgy.
Admittedly, he probably was working long hours, but he knew what he was getting into when he went to the City. You can't seriously suggest a man of his clear intelligence was tha tnaive.
Freshfields hours will be no different to other firms. 16 hours is excessive. The guy was probably so keen to please his superiors that he brought half that work on himself by volunteering for stuff. That's the reality that they don't say in the article. It's also possible that he had other stuff going on. These articles conveniently cherry pick facts to make it seem dodgy.
Admittedly, he probably was working long hours, but he knew what he was getting into when he went to the City. You can't seriously suggest a man of his clear intelligence was tha tnaive.
Send him out to get overworked by Freshfields then! So long as there is enough to fall back on in the case of a divorce 
Lewisy-boy
fundamentally, do you have an intention to go into law?
No.
I would certainly strangle any annoying clients I came across.
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