<p>how does biglaw view candidates who are religious? people always say how associates at biglaw always get their vacations cancelled, but what about a day you take off for a holiday that can’t exactly be rescheduled. </p>
<p>and what about orthodox jews who cant work friday nights/saturdays? how willing is an nyc biglaw firm willing to hire people like that. does anyone with experience know?</p>
<p>There are several Orthodox Jews (and religious people of other faiths) at my T14 school. My guess is that there are even more at law schools in bigger cities. From my observation, they tend to do as well in the job market as less-observant people with similar grades. </p>
<p>There’s probably an assumption by employers that they will work longer hours during the week to “make up for” being unavailable on Shabbat and holidays, and that they will be willing to pitch in and work if needed on Christian holidays (Sunday, Xmas, etc.) when other employees are not.</p>
<p>There are plenty of observant Jews practicing in BIGLAW firms in NYC. I’ve worked with many, and they are never prohibited from doing all of the things that they need to do in order to practice their faith. They leave early on Fridays to be home before sundown (which can be quite early on winter Fridays in NYC), and they do not work nor take calls on Saturdays until sundown. I have less experience with other very religious groups, but I imagine that the formal treatment of those attorneys would be similar.</p>
<p>I do know that, informally at least, there can sometimes be some resentment when others have to pick up the slack. Often, though, this resentment is greatly mitigated when the observant attorneys jump right back into the mix on Saturday night, working straight through Sunday (remember, we are talking about BIGLAW here). September and October can be difficult when there are so many Jewish holidays so close together, each one requiring an absence of the observant attorneys. Again, though, plenty make it work for them.</p>
<p>That said, many of the observant Jewish lawyers in BIGLAW that I know, at least the ones who stick around and make partner, are often in practice areas that require a bit less in terms of all-nighters and unpredictability. For example, you will often find many observant Jewish BIGLAW attorneys working in the tax departments of law firms. </p>
<p>Moreover, it is certainly possible to be religious and to be a BIGLAW attorney.</p>
<p>Don’t forget, there are also laws against discrimination on the basis of religion, and employers must make reasonable accommodations for religious observance. Big law firms know all about these.</p>