How to Survive... Large Law Firms

• April 24, 2026

Rob Yates, Managing Consultant, BRG, speaks with Emily Palmer, Partner, McDermott Will & Schulte, Hassan Shaikh, Associate, Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC, and Tyler Dysart, Associate, King & Spalding LLP, about how to survive and thrive at large law firms. They discuss what drew them to health law and the large law firm setting, the pros and cons of life at a large law firm, what a typical day is like and workload volume, and the skillsets that are crucial to success. They also delve into how junior attorneys can navigate the complex hierarchical teams that are prevalent at large law firms, the challenges that new attorneys face in this setting and how they can approach delegating, how to develop subject matter expertise and grow a network, how billable hour expectations impact development and well‑being, and what they wish they had known during their first year. From AHLA’s Early Career Professionals Council.