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I'm liking this pale, jangly necklace from Target, of all places. While it doesn't look like much in this picture, I loved it when I saw it a week or so ago on style blogger Jessica Quirk — and for $16, how can you go wrong? Target Faceted Ball Necklace (L-2)Sales of note for 11.5.24
- Nordstrom – Fall sale, up to 50% off!
- Ann Taylor – Extra 40% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 25% off with your GAP Inc. credit card
- Bloomingdales is offering gift cards ($20-$1200) when you spend between $100-$4000+. The promotion ends 11/10, and the gift cards expire 12/24.
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Fall clearance event, up to 85% off
- J.Crew – 40% off fall favorites; prices as marked
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 60% off clearance
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – New sale, up to 50% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Buy one, get one – 50% off everything!
- White House Black Market – Holiday style event, take 25% off your entire purchase
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
hoola hoopa
This is the kind of necklace that I always seem to need to complete an outfit but never buy. hmm…
Tax question:
2014 is the first year my husband is working 100% on contract. He has previously done very small amounts on contract but been primarily on salary. We have been putting aside our historic tax rate into a savings account in preparation for tax filing, but someone (not expert) told him that he’ll be fined if he does not pay taxes quarterly. Is that true?
He’s not an LLC, self-employed, etc. He’s working for the same firm as he has for years as a salaried employing, but now is working for them as a contract employee.
We’ve done some research ourselves and couldn’t see that was true, but we’re unsure of ourselves. I know there are some tax experts here, so I’m hoping someone can confirm or deny that we need to be paying his income tax quarterly instead of annually. Thanks!
Ellen
Yes, you need to pay estimated taxe’s unless his pay is getting witheld, which if he is an independent contractor, it is NOT, since he is NOT an employee. There is a form for this. 1040-ES. Read this. The IRS guy that wanted to date me just texted me this. YAY!!
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Form-1040-ES,-Estimated-Tax-for-Individuals-1
Anonymous
Wow – I’m kinda amazed that Ellen has moved towards providing legit advice and answers.
HSAL
She’s probably excited about all the positive talk she got during the weekend thread.
Diana Barry
Ditto! OP, you need to file and pay estimated tax, just as ELLEN says. :)
Bonnie
Never thought we’d get legitimate advice from Ellen.
Ashley
I have read some good advice from Ellen in the past.
This is a whole new level, but still, her heart is in the right place.
ZBK
Wow, both brilliant and beautiful! Who knew all that came in one package!
Once the tuchis is taken care of she will be unstoppable!
Celia
1040 ES is the form. I highly recommend writing a check with the appropriate payment coupons. Write your SSN and 1040 ES and tax year on the memo line. Copy check and coupon. You can still do the 1st payment, even though it was due earlier this month.
Anonymous
He is a self-employed independent contractor and owes estimated tax quarterly. Listen to Ellen for she is wise.
Mpls
Go to the IRS website, read Publication 505, the section on estimated taxes. Yes, you could end up owing a penalty on unpaid quarterly estimated payment. I thought it used to be that you got a pass on your first year, based on…something, but reading through Pub 505 I don’t see that distinction. There are some exceptions that let you out of the penalty, but read through to see if they apply. If in doubt, find yourself a tax professional (H&R Block doesn’t count).
Mpls
Wait – I’m re-reading again. Is he a W-2 employee of a staffing agency (contract employee) or an independent contractor (gets a 1099 at the end of the year)?
If he’s the former (still getting withholding taken out of his checks) then, no, you don’t have to pay estimated taxes. If he’s the later, then yes, he is self-employed (as an independent contractor, not a contract employee) and should be watching his quarterly income to be making payments. But those are two very different statuses to be in, so be sure you know which one you are in.
Now, the first quarter just ended in March, so you could still make the payments ( if you need to, see the Publication) and have a minimal penalty. But definitely figure it out before the end of June (2nd quarter).
hoola hoopa
He’ll be getting a 1099, thank you for pointing out the difference.
Senior Attorney
The rule used to be (don’t know if it’s changed) that if you were adequately withheld for the previous year, you wouldn’t be penalized for under-withholding.
Also, keep in mind he will need to pay self-employment tax (i.e. both halves of his Social Security tax) so just setting aside enough for the plain old income taxes at his usual rate probably won’t be enough.
hoola hoopa
…So, thank you Ellen? That feels weird to say.
Thank you all! I knew you ladies would have the correct information and links.
Ellen
Kat, you are SO right and so styleish for pointeing this out for us! There is a Target near us here in Pitsburgh! I think I will go right over and get one! Yay! I hope there is one left for me b/c it is onley $16 YAY!!!!!
I got a call from Sam. I thought he would have found another person but he say’s I am “TOP SHELF”. I am not sure what that mean’s but he seem’s very anxius to get together with me when I get back to NYC. He said he is afraid he will LOOSE me here to some other guy in Pitsburgh. I doubt it. So many guy’s have beard’s that I thought I was in the HOLY land! FOOEY! We are to meet at 2nd Ave deli when I get back! DOUBEL YAY!!!!
Brit
Ellen, so many have beards because our beloved Pens are in the playoffs. A playoff beard is a sign of true team love – you should try to snag a good ‘burgh guy while you’re here!
TO Lawyer
Hockey fans are good catches ;)
Anon99
Ellen is not actually in Pittsburgh – there is no deli on 2nd Ave. Cover Blown.
ExecAssist
She said when she gets back to NYC. Why am I participating in this? Lol.
L
I have to say, I’m not loving Nordstrom lately. There, I said it. I’m plus sized and you used to be able to search their plus sized section for suiting options (just like any other major retailer). Now, you have “work” as an option and half the stuff there isn’t appropriate enough for a work BBQ, let alone an office. Sorry for the rant.
zora
I agree, I am not plus sized, but I hate their “Work” category, it is BS.
L
I chatted their customer service rep and complained nicely. Not only is it really ridiculous, but the options are insulting. Track pants to work? Chiffon evening pants? A tube skirt? The few suiting separate options they do have, you can’t tell if the color is consistent, unless it’s just one of the few “off” colors. Can’t a girl get a black pantsuit? Why must they make it SO HARD?!?
zora
it defeats the entire purpose of even having categories!!!
Seattle Freeze
Having worked in the same building as Nordstrom’s corporate offices, I can assure you that all of the items L calls out in the “Work” category would in fact be worn to work by Nordstrom staff :)
hoola hoopa
My shopping buddy is plus sized, and I do agree that Nordstroms is lacking in that area. I buy a significant portion of my clothing there and she accomplice to much of it, but I don’t think we’ve ever bought a single thing for her.
Rosalita
I bought something on sale at Nordstrom.com that needed tailoring. I took it into my local Nordstrom for their free tailoring. Turns out it’s only free if you have a Nordstrom card or bought something at full price. That was annoying.
Orangerie
Hemming on full priced pants & jeans is the only thing Nordstrom has ever advertised as free. Regular tailoring, even on non-sale items, is not free.
If you have a Nordstrom card, you get at least $100/year in tailoring credits (more if you spend over a certain amount annually).
Real estate newbie
Threadjack from a real estate newbie:
I’m currently renting and not actively looking to buy a place, but in perusing Zillow I found a listing in my neighborhood that I am extremely interested in. Extremely. Assuming it is still available, what should my course of action be? Schedule a showing of the property first, and if I’m interested, find a buyer’s agent straightaway? Shop around for mortgages and get prequalified before seeing the property? Find a buyer’s agent before seeing the property? I’m a bit confused as to what the order of things should be if I’m not interested in engaging in an all-out search for a place to buy, but am interested in one specific place and would like to act quickly.
Also, to answer an anticipated question in advance, I’m not interested in an all-0ut search at this point because my #1 priority is my current neighborhood, and there are very few properties meeting my criteria in my current price range in this neighborhood. Which is why I was excited to see this one on the market! Not getting hopes up, of course.
Wildkitten
What city are you in?
Real estate newbie
I’m in Washington, D.C.
Wildkitten
I like Graham – especially if you work in government: http://www.wheredoyoudwell.com/blog/please-welcome-graham-grossman.php (you may not need to know about the down payment assistance programs if you are biglaw!).
DCR
I would go see it with Redfin. I like them and there is not a big commitment if your don’t like the place. But if it’s such a good deal, I’m wondering if it was priced for a bidding war.
Anon
If you see it without an agent, the seller may not have to pay a commission to the buyer’s agent, which could help you if you know what you’re doing with respect to negotiations and contracts.
TOS
If you will easily qualify for the mortgage, see the property. Find out what is influencing the sale and price, if you can. If it’s the quality of the property, slow down. I would amend the offer by half the estimated seller’s commission.
And if this isn’t the property for you, you’re now in the next mode of preparing for when your ideal property comes up.
DC Wonkette
Having just gone through this…
At this point, I would contact the listing agent and ask to take a look at the place. If you like it, then immediately contact a loan officer and get pre-approved for a loan. Even if you are just a casual looker, I recommend having a pre-approval letter on file that you can use if you decide to make an offer. Given how competitive the market is right now, it helps to have everything lined up in advance. Good luck!
Lynnet
Just wanted to note that, unless you have something wonky going on with your finances, getting pre-qual letter shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to half an hour. It’s not a big process.
rosie
In DC, things go really fast (like offer before open house, offer in the evening of the open house, etc.). Does the place have an open house scheduled? That’s probably a good first step to just check out the property, although if you are really serious, getting in before the open house can be important.
If you like it, you need to make attractive offers that show you’re serious (prequal letter, higher amount as deposit, etc.). It can be helpful to have an agent that knows the market to help you put together an attractive offer quickly. On the other hand, the seller will pay the fee, so it might be attractive not to have to pay the buyer’s agent fee, but I would not do that unless you know your stuff. Note, you can just get one without committing to get the mortgage through that lender (assuming we are talking about the same letter), although you’ll want to be able to line up your financing fairly quickly, so it might be worth shopping around a bit now.
rosie
And by “one” I mean the mortgage prequal letter.
Anastasia
Yeah, I’m also in DC, and from personal experience I can say that you should definitely get in before the open house, and present an offer before the open house. Even then, the seller’s agent may delay responding to you until after the open house so he can have more offers to choose from. If you put an expiration on your offer, you could prevent him from doing this, but he may just not respond to the offer at all.
If you’re not going to work with a buyer’s agent, I would carefully look at comps in the neighborhood… literally everything in my neighborhood was going to at or above list price when I bought, and there were 3 other offers out our place when we submitted ours. You may not be competitive if you offer less, but you want to know whether you’re getting a fair deal too, obviously.
I agree that it would be a good idea to have a pre-approval letter on file just in case (you will need to update it periodically), but our buyer’s agent advised us to get a separate letter for each property we put an offer on, since it can hurt your bargaining position to be pre-approved for significantly more than you’re offering.
Good luck, DC real estate is not for the faint of heart!
Bargain hunter
+1. Listings in many areas of DC these days are under contract prior to an open house, so moving fast and being as ready as possible to make an offer are really important. I’d contact a mortgage broker to get a prequal letter (doesn’t have to be the mortgage broker you ultimately use, and these typically don’t cost anything to get), and I’d also think hard about which contingencies you’re willing to give up (e.g., financing, inspection) if it seems like the house will sell quickly or go into a multiple offer situation. For those reasons, as pointed out above, it can be really helpful to work with a realtor familiar with the neighborhood so you know what you’ll need to include to have a competitive offer. And for what it’s worth, I’ve never had to sign any sort of representation agreement to work with a realtor, so I’d be wary of those. Realtors can also hook you up with mortgage brokers willing to give you prequal letters without any commitment. I’d just be up front with the realtor about your situation so that there’s no confusion.
Lynnet
Any mortgage broker should give you a pre-qual letter without a commitment. If a lender asks for a commitment that should be a huge red flag.
rosie
We did sign an agreement with our realtor when we were buying. I think the terms were basically that for some period of time (maybe 30 days) we wouldn’t go look at places with another realtor & she would represent us if we bought during that period. We could still go to open houses and look on our own, of course, and I actually found our place on Redfin myself, but we could not have done it without her (both narrowed our search or gotten everything together for the offer).
Also, I heard one suggestion that you bring an inspector with you to see the place so you can waive inspection in your offer. There’s also different kinds of inspection contingencies that a realtor can explain to you.
Lynnet
It’s normal to sign a commitment with your real estate broker (your real estate agent) not with your mortgage broker (lender).
rosie
Yeah, I was addressing the other part of Bargain Hunter’s comment that she never had to sign a representation agreement to work with a realtor.
CountC
Some states require written agreements when a real estate agent is working with a buyer. Not sure about DC, but VA does require it.
Bargain hunter
Interesting – thanks for pointing that out. DC must not require it, because I haven’t been asked to do it, but it’s good to know that it’s a requirement in other places.
CountC
I would get a prequal letter and schedule a showing asap. I would also ask friends for a recommendation for a buyer’s agent. If you are only interested in one property, tell the agent that. You can enter into a representation agreement for a specific property if you prefer to do it that way. Even if you enter into a representation agreement for a specific property, the buyer’s agent can set up a search for you for exactly what you are looking for and limit it to your neighborhood. Zillow and Trulia are not always up-to-date and a buyer’s agent can give you access to properties in your neighborhood that are coming soon and not yet listed.
CountC
I will add that any agent can do these things for you, but I had buyer’s agent on the brain.
Anonymous
I’m not in DC, but am shopping for a house, and in my experience, Zillow is very slow at updating property statuses when something is under contract. So my first step would be to check realtor.com to see it still listed as “Active” or whether it is under contract (Realtor.com is more up-to-date than Zillow). Then I would contact the listing agent to confirm that it is indeed still available, and if so, to request a showing. I would also be inclined to get a buyer’s agent unless you are really experienced in contract negotiations.
LizNYC
Trulia might also be helpful in this.
Anonymous
Redfin is in my experience the only site that has up to date under contract statuses on listings. I don’t think Redfin covers DC though.
DCR
Redfin does cover DC and has the best data. It’s also super easy to search, if you want to keep looking around.
Pregnancy-related threadjack - follow up
Hi ladies, I’m the one that wrote in last week terribly worried about my ultrasound, and met with kindness, reassurance, advice and tough love from a number of you. I can’t thank you enough. I was overwhelmed, once again, by the compassion of the women (and maybe men) on this site.
Just wanted to let you know that I had the follow up, and everything is great. Baby is healthy and fine.
But you helped make this last 6 days between the first ultrasound not just bearable, but optimistic, even. Thank you again.
Anastasia
Thanks for the update — I’m glad it was good news!
KLG
Same :)
CHJ
+1000!
CKB
Yay! So glad everything is OK!
OCAssociate
What a relief – I’m so happy for you!
NbyNW
Happy for the good news.
Pregnancy-related threadjack - follow up
You’re all truly wonderful. Thank you so much! :)
Another tax question
Hey ladies, if you can point to any relevant rules online or what kind of advisor I need to contact, will be very helpful.
My father and I have a joint US bank account, he is outside US and not yet a US resident for tax purposes. My parents will be immigrating to US in a few months to a year (in final stage of their green card processing). If they wire transfer their money (savings from their job) from a bank outside US to this joint account in the US right now, will I need to pay any sort of taxes or file anything with IRS? I am US resident for tax purposes and this is not a gift amount that I will withdraw, it is their money that will remain in their own joint account. I already asked the bank, said they cannot advice on any tax rules. I just want to make sure everything is legal and I won’t be stuck with a huge tax bill (total amount is in 200-300K range).
TIA for any advice or pointers on where to look.
Diana Barry
No, no problem. It would only become a gift when you withdraw it from that account.
Anon
CPA here. I see no issue with this.
Rosalita
You should probably develop a relationship with a local CPA if you’re around this much money. It would be worth the money.
Lynnet
I have my first ever annual performance review in an hour or so. Most of the feedback I received in my evaluation is that I’m too forceful in expressing my opinions for such a young attorney. I’ve been aware of this as an issue for a while and have been working on being less forceful, so I was surprised that this remained an problem. Other than that, my evaluation mostly tracked my self-evaluation.
Any tips for what to expect/say/do?
Thank you!
HSAL
That’s rough – are they saying “young” when they mean “female”? A friend has run into that criticism before.
It may not be easy to document, but could you list what you’ve done to be less forceful? Have you run your opinions by disinterested parties for tone? I think it’s important that they know you’ve taken the issue seriously, but this also seems very subjective.
Diana Barry
+1.
Lynnet
Nope, I’m pretty sure they mean forceful. This is a problem I’ve struggled with for most of my life. All of those articles about how woman don’t put themselves forward enough? No applicability to me whatsoever. I’m the gunner in your law school class and the person at the party who will not challenge you if you choose to make a political statement. I’ve gotten better at shutting up as I’ve gotten older, but still struggle with it.
Wildkitten
Why is that a problem? Would it be a problem if a young man acted that way?
TOS
Glad you’re being so circumspect.
Listening has its role, as well as being reflective about your role in a group and bringing people into the discussion, or keeping them at the table, so the group/team has the benefit of full participation.
How do you engage others/collaborate to assure some give & take?
You might want to look at conflict styles and how people balance out their preferences.
Such as competitive people may avoid debating politics when the result is little more than acknowledging known differences with little new information.
anon-oh-no
yeah, i dont think it is necessarily female. I had this same complaint about a young male associate. and i talked to him about it, and he is working on it.
and yes, it is a problem. often becuase the “young, forceful attorney” is used to being right all the time, and they wont be right all the time any more. and they are also not the decision makers on the team and dont need to be arguing with the decision makers about things. young attorneys often do not see (or even know) the whole picture.
Lynnet
I think this is the problem. I honestly don’t think it has anything to do with my gender. I had just thought it was a fixed problem, which is what’s upsetting/surprising to me.
Former Navy Lieutenant
I received similar feedback a lot when I was an ensign in the Navy. I’ve been out 6 years now. Logistics job, law school, now an associate in a firm. As I’ve matured and grown, I no longer seem to get the same feedback.
I think your self awareness is key, and I think you are headed in the right direction.
I have two pieces of advice. First, that it takes time. Even though you’re working to change, the memories of the past instances will linger. But you will prove yourself, and they will fade. Second, be true to yourself. If you are forceful and strong willed, I don’t recommend trying to kill that part of yourself. Keep true to that, but I think (echoing TOS @4:15), try to develop your sense of awareness of the group, your tact, and how you can best get your point across, without alienating people.
Good luck. I also echo the sentiments below, about listening at your review. Showing interest and concern. But this isn’t the be all end all. There will be more reviews. And you will continue to improve.
Wildkitten
I’m honestly surprised that that would be a “problem.”
cbackson
Mm, I think that it can be a problem for a couple of reasons:
1) The opinion being expressed is factually or legally incorrect or isn’t good legal advice (which happens a lot with younger attorneys – you don’t always know what you don’t know, particularly with respect to judgment calls, when you’re new to practicing). Confidence and forcefulness can carry the day, but that’s not a good thing when the advice is wrong. I see this issue with young male associates all. the. time. and I was prone to it myself as a junior person, so it ends up getting identified as an issue regardless of gender.
2) The manner in which the OP expresses her opinions is perceived as insufficiently deferential to superiors. The partner may have asked for a description of the law, not what the OP thinks the client should do. This ties a bit into the point above – there may be a mismatch between the OP’s own perception of her capabilities at this stage of her career and those of her co-workers.
3) The OP may not be sufficiently sensitive to conversational norms in her workplace.
Ultimately, my guess is that it’s #1, #2, or a combination of both. Ultimately, junior associates don’t know a lot, and their legal judgment isn’t developed. It’s important to convey that you’re there to learn. There is a final balance between appropriate confidence and overconfidence; it sounds like the OP may be struggling to find it.
But, on the bright side, OP! Once you do, it’ll serve you well (it has me).
DCR
+1000!
I have been in more then one conversation where a junior attorney argued with a partner about a decision and it’s never the right approach. If a partner asks for your opinion, give it. If you believe the partner misunderstood your advice/research summary, try to restate to ensure your on the same page. But at the end of the day, it’s not your decision — especially as a junior attorney, because you don’t even yet know all that you don’t know.
I recommend watching how mid and senior associates interact with partners. By that point, they have a lot of experience and are (likely) consider good attorneys by the firm (or they would not have made it that long.)
MJ
I think in evaluations, it’s important to listen. Just listen. Nod and say, “Thank you for the feedback.” Don’t be combative. Try to take it to heart. If someone took the time to write it down, it’s likely (but not always) legit. So when they say forceful, what they might mean is that you should interrupt less, or defer to the partner more in front of clients…that sort of thing. Also, if something is unclear or overly general, ask if the person who is summarizing the feedback to you has 1) observed the behavior or 2) could give an example. The main takeaway from meetings like this is to take it seriously and act like you’re taking it to heart, even if it’s BS or ragingly unfair….
I am sure you’ll get plenty of good feedback too! Good luck.
NOLA
I also think it’s helpful to say “Thank you for the feedback. It’s something I’m aware of and have been working on.” As MJ says, you might want to get more clarity on exactly the behaviors they’re talking about, just in case you’re addressing the wrong thing.
Godzilla
I’VE GOTTEN THIS IN THE PAST AND STILL CONTINUE TO GET THIS EVALUATION.
YOU CAN DO THE FOLLOWING:
1. ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU’RE WORKING ON IT DURING YOUR REVIEW
2. SPEAK LESS FORMALLY
3. WAIT BEFORE YOU SPEAK
4. MANAGE YOUR TONE AND FACIAL EXPRESSIONS WHEN YOU SPEAK, EVEN WHEN BEING FORCEFUL
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT’S WHO YOU ARE. BUT SOME PEOPLE JUST CAN’T DEAL AND SOME PEOPLE LOVE OUR STRAIGHTFORWARD NO-NONSENSE PERSONALITIES.
OCAssociate
The advice to “manage your tone” in ALL CAPS is making me giggle.
cbackson
ALSO, KNOW YOUR OFFICE! BREATHING FIRE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN ALL OFFICES.
January
+1
CHJ
I also find that many of the most seasoned attorneys I work with (male and female) do not forcefully state their opinion. There is a lot of hedging and nuance and “if this, then that” that goes on when advising clients. In court, in briefs, or in communications with opposing counsel, it’s fine to be 100% confident in your position. But there is an art to advising clients and advising co-counsel, which does require more nuance and demonstrating a full understanding of all of the strengths and weaknesses of your position. I would pay close attention when your bosses are communicating with clients and see if you can adopt some of their strategies.
Ebro fin
I think I missed your deadline, but please, ask for examples! You need specifics on when this happened, why it wasn’t the correct thing to do and/or what was the expected behavior. Without examples, there is the risk that you will be focusing on toning down the wrong things–i.e., you thought they meant X but they are thinking Y.
Equally important, three years from now, you may be getting the same feedback and going crazy, trying to figure out what you are doing wrong, only to discover that you aren’t doing this any more, but that the perception has lingered.
Lynnet
Actually, they were pushed back until tomorrow, so plenty of time. Thank you everyone for the advice! I also have social anxiety (which I don’t plan to mention!) so reviews like this send me into an anxious spiral that a critique not based on my interpersonal relationship skills wouldn’t result in. It’s really helpful to hear from so many people who have both dealt with this themselves and in their associates, and to know that it’s not a career killer or something that’s impossible to fix.
cbackson
I know this is probably really stressful and worrisome. The thing to keep in mind is that this will actually be a strength for you – you just need to learn how to channel it, and then it will be a huge asset for you. Think how many people battle to gain confidence – you have confidence. You just need to learn how and when to use that.
Not to overanalyze (or project from my own experience), but this aspect of your personality isn’t something to be ashamed of. It’s a strength – embrace it as a positive that you need to channel, rather than something you need to eradicate, and I suspect that you’ll find smoother sailing in terms of your work interactions. I did the Gallup Strengthsfinder through my church last year (there’s a religious curriculum but also a secular one, I think), and it really helped me to thing about some of the more forceful aspects of my personality as gifts, not flaws. I really recommend it if that’s something you struggle with!
Anon99
Evaluations are retrospective, not prospective. So if you fixed the problem, but less than a full year ago, it’s still going to show up here.
Context: I do 7-10 performance reviews a year. I always point this out when it happens (e.g. “you scored low in Area X because it was a problem earlier this year, but I’m pleased with your progress and don’t feel it’s been a problem in the last 3 months” ) but I’m sure not all evaluators do this. You could always ask directly.
Lyssa
Standing desks. I feel like I can’t get comfortable at my desk lately, and would be much more productive if I were standing rather than sitting. So I’ve been thinking of getting a standing desk, but I don’t feel good about committing to standing full time all the time (what if I don’t feel good one day, or what if I get pregnant, etc.). A coworker has one of those adjustable ones, but it costs $800, which I’m certainly not up for. Amazon has a few adjustable desktop models, though they’re still pretty pricey (money is quite tight right now). Has anyone used something like this and have thoughts on them? I use a standard desktop monitor and spend pretty much all day researching (online) and writing. I think that I can get a wireless keyboard and mouse to bring in from home.
(Small firm, no ergonomics specialist or anything along that lines.) TIA!
Wildkitten
There are some cheap ikea hack ways to make your desk standing. They aren’t adjustable, so if you wanted to go back to sitting you’d have to move your monitor off the hack, but could be good for trying it out for a while.
cbackson
Yup; I have an adjustable at work and an ikea-constructed standing table at home.
ContractsinTX
My coworker just stood an ikea side table on top of his regular desk. Seems to work pretty well!
rosie
If there’s an Ikea near you, you can find websites that tell you the specific items you need to buy (shelving, etc.) from Ikea to make a standing desk. My SO did this, and it worked. He has a big enough space that he can easily move from standing to sitting without having to more the Ikea pieces off the desk, so I think that helps (he uses a laptop, but if you had 2 monitors that should also work).
Wildkitten
Link: http://iamnotaprogrammer.com/Ikea-Standing-desk-for-22-dollars.html
BB
I have one of the adjustable ones (can be seated or standing), and my one tip is to make sure that you wear comfortable shoes. Standing for a prolonged period of time in pumps is not fun, and my pumps are pretty much all 1″ or lower.
rosie
You can get a special mat to stand on, although I still would wear comfortable shoes with it. When I worked retail, we had mats made out of Teva flip flop material to stand on. I’ve seen “standing mats” at Home Depot.
Lyssa
My intention is to just barefoot it. :) (OK, I’ll keep some easy comfortable slip ons around, I guess)
Anonymous
I have one of those standing mats, and it’s really unstable with shoes. Definitely go barefoot (or stockings in winter).
Also, if you get a fixed-height desk, you can always get a high chair for when you want to sit. Google “drafting chair”
Godzilla
ADJUSTABLE MONITOR ARMS AND KEYBOARD TRAYS THAT ARE INSTALLED ON YOUR REGULAR DESK.
lawsuited
I have a desk to sit at, and a “credenza” (a waist-height bookshelf type thing) with my mail basket and signing basket on it. I sit at my desk while typing, but stand at the credenza while reviewing mail, productions, motions or briefs or while signing documents. I like options.
Lyssa
I like that option, and was doing something like that for a while, but now my workload has changed and I’m just very rarely spending much time with hard documents lately. Everything’s on my computer.
Sutemi
I have this one which is significantly less expensive. It works well as an adjustable keyboard tray and I move the monitor separately.
http://www.engineersupply.com/safco-ergocomfort-sit-stand-articulating-keyboard-mouse-arm-2196.aspx
Ashley
This is a good idea if you are doing straight data entry, but I need my monitor and papers and phone to move with the keyboard.
Emmabean
I had one in a previous job, and loved it for the more brainless tasks I did, but would not be able to actually stand and THINK at the same time. I always sat to research and write. I had a barstool height chair that I used sometimes too.
Lyssa
This concerns me, too – I think I’d be fine reading and taking notes, but would need to sit when I had to really focus. Plus I like to eat at my desk, which I would probably prefer to sit for. So, I really would like it to be easily adjustable.
Anonymous
I actually prefer standing to eat. Even on under-the-weather days when I sit nearly the entire day, I stand to eat. The setup of our desks with all of the cords underneath makes it hard to get a chair all the way underneath the desk, so eating sitting at the desk is not the same as at a restaurant where you’re scooted in and have a napkin. Result: I spill on myself without fail when sitting because my entire lap is exposed.
cbackson
Studies have shown that on average, concentration is better when sitting. I sit to do intense reviews or very involved drafting.
viclawstudent
I tried a standing desk at my job earlier this year (I made it with a furniture hack involving a piano keyboard stand) and echo Emmabean’s comment: it was great for more ‘brainless’ tasks (answering emails, short bursts of reading) and even for more thoughtful tasks, like research or editing documents, that involved a lot of short bursts of effort, but anything that involved sustained effort, such as writing/drafting from scratch or very long, detail-oriented reading, I felt like my brain was made of mush. I had to sit back down and eventually I found the adjustments too irritating so gave up on it.
If it had been more easily adjustable it might have worked, though. I also didn’t think through how to raise my monitors very well and I think having them higher would have helped.
MJ
I just got a FitDesk 2.0 from A m a z o n. It’s at home, not work, but I can get 20+ miles under my belt in just a few hours. It’s not as intense as a “real” exercise bike, but you do get tired after a while. I invested in an extra gel seat to make it more comfy, per some reviewers’ advice. Will post link separately.
Seriously though, I love this thing. it’s great.
If you are looking for cheaper standing desk/treaddesk solutions, search “lifehacker” and standing desk and they’ve done roundups of DIY ones too.
Wildkitten
FWIW, I had one of these and I hated it.
MJ
http://www.amazon.com/FitDesk-FDX-Exercise-Massage-White/dp/B00CM9CBZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398714768&sr=8-1&keywords=Fitdesk+2.0
I also noticed that the price is $349 right now. I got mine for just under $300 less than a month ago, so you might want to shop around or wait til A m a z o n or the Co website restock and the price goes back down.
Seriously though, I love this bike-desk. It’s whisper quiet and a darn good workout while I work, yet not distracting. Great if you are reading or just typing.
Bewitched
Sunglass recommendations? I’d like to get a new pair of decent sunglasses (aviator style, preferably) for the summer. I don’t want to spend a fortune. I’m also aware that Luxxotica (sp?) controls the market and pricing. Any suggestions? I saw a pair of Kate Spade last week on Amazon for about $90 but didn’t go for them because I did not know anything about quality. Do you have any that you love/recommend?
locomotive
My current pair is from Warby Parker. It’s around 100 if I remember correctly, but the quality is great (have had them for 2 years, plastic frames wearing very well) and I’m very happy. I also have a pair from lookmatic which were quite a bit cheaper that have also held up well and they were 50-60.
Calico
I love my Warby Parker glasses because they are polarized. I find it helps protect my eyes better than cheaper sunglasses.
Medic Maggie
I am totally lusting after SunCloud Patrol glasses. They’re just a smidge too wide for my face, though. But, it has a nice horizontally-elongated shape, rather than the big teardrop (would totally overwhelm my face), so a little more sporty, I think. They’re just $50 at REI. My friend has a pair and loves them
Bewitched
These look perfect! thank you for the recommendation.
Pink
I bought a pair of aviators from ColeHaan via C21 for $20-$30 (I can’t remember if it was $19.99 or 29.99) and have been loving them for the last 6 months. I really wanted the polarized ray bans but i couldn’t justify the price for what felt to me, super flimsy. The Cole Haans have been holding up superbly.
AIMS
I really like this necklace on the blogger as pictured. And now I just want to wear black and pale pink.
BLSF
+1. I saw that post on What I Wore a while back and ended up wearing a ponte-three-quarter-sleeve black dress to work with black tights and a pale pink necklace. I loved the outfit, and I’m thinking about getting this necklace just to wear the whole thing again.
Interrobanged
Question for the lawyers: have you ever figured out a way to make extra money on the side using your law degree?
I’m currently in-house, which may complicate matters. But, leaving that aside, I’ve been reading Ramit Sethi’s “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” site and one of his prime directives is to basically make extra money on the side rather than trying to get a raise. I agree with this strategy, but the only way I’ve ever found to make additional money on the side was to teach legal research and writing at our local law school (~$7500/year). The local law school recently changed to a salaried model, so that’s now out.
I’d still like to make some extra cash, though, and I’m stymied about how to do it. I can’t take on extra work/clients. So that leaves some kind of non-legal consulting or maybe becoming a “tutor” for legal research and writing. So I thought I’d ask you ladies what you’ve been able to do to make additional money on the side? Any ideas?
nutella
Could you contribute work to a hornbook like E&E?
Interrobanged
Argh. My comment landed me in moderation, so I am going to re-post.
Question for the lawyers: have you ever figured out a way to make extra money on the side using your law degree?
I’m currently in-house, which may complicate matters. But, leaving that aside, I’ve been reading as website which shall remain nameless, apparently, and one of its prime directives is to make extra money on the side rather than trying to get a raise. I agree with this strategy, but the only way I’ve ever found to make additional money on the side was to teach legal research and writing at our local law school (~$7500/year). The local law school recently changed to a salaried model, so that’s now out.
I’d still like to make some extra cash, though, and I’m stymied about how to do it. I can’t take on extra work/clients. So that leaves some kind of non-legal consulting or maybe becoming a “tutor” for legal research and writing. So I thought I’d ask you ladies what you’ve been able to do to make additional money on the side? Any ideas?
Medic Maggie
Not a lawyer, but the first thing that comes to mind is tutoring. Could you put yourself out there for LSAT tutoring, or for the bar exam?
Resume review?
LH
LSAT tutoring pays decently. I did it in law school and got around $30 an hour before taxes I think.
Coach Laura
Teaching college- or grad-level classes in law, ethics, business law, paralegal training etc. Either in person or online classes. With a JD, you are considered “professionally qualified” as well as educationally qualified, as the JD is equivalent to a masters’ degree in the university setting. It doesn’t pay well, but some pay more than others.
Wildkitten
I think most of the side hustles people on those sites do – like deliver pizza, babysit – a lawyer could do.
Senior Associate
You could probably babysit. In our area, babysitters command at least $20/hr.
Charlotte York
My firm has a strict no-moonlighting policy. Make sure you check your employer’s handbook re moonlighting.
Wildkitten
Practical wedding fans – do I need to buy it in paper or will the kindle version work?
rook
Kindle.
Calico
Or Library. I find the website “tool” to be much more helpful than the book.
Wildkitten
It’s a gift, though I kind of love the idea of giving someone a library book as a gift. “Here’s a present! It’s due back next Tuesday.” I ordered kindle. Thanks ladies!
Rosalita
Either paper or kindle will work. Definitely get the book though. I found the blog totally overwhelming and I couldn’t find what I wanted there.
anyone want a dress?
I’ve been cleaning out my closet and figured I’d try here before ebay. I’ve got a never worn with tags Halston Heritage dress in xs. It’s the “poppy water mirage print” and I’ll put a link in a reply. Ideally someone would buy it (open to price) but let me know what you’ve got at lfgttb at google’s mail.
anyone want a dress?
http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/417l2Ij62yL.jpg
Since it’s late I might repost tomorrow.