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SJ Berwin was 'wrong' to ask summer student to do an all-nighter

Some of the comments on here are beyond idiotic. A friend of mine who was at the firm at the time told me she was in floods of tears. That doesn't sound like someone who was there willingly, does it? And yes, plenty of people at law firms work all nighters regularly. But that doesn't mean it is automatically part of the job. There are many more excellent lawyers around the country who don't work beyond tea time. That does not make them less deserving of their salaries. Many of these comments just fuel the whole 'it's more than a job' cult that firms rely on to squeeze as much value from juniors and as high as possible fees from clients in order to pad their PEP. The thing is, being a lawyer is Just. A. Job. I think it's worth reminding a lot of people that on a regular basis. This kind of behaviour towards someone who had no idea what she was letting herself in for is unacceptable, and the fact that it's happened to one or two people before her does not in any way excuse it.

27-Jul-2011

11:45 am