How did you spend your Memorial Day Weekend? I’m willing to bet that, while many of your friends and family were traveling, BBQ-ing, and relaxing on the beach, you were stuck inside working on an assignment that you were told (or made to feel) *had to* be done over the holiday weekend, to meet client demands and/or partner expectations. If this was you, and you’d like to work less (or not at all) on future holiday weekends, read on…

Yes, it is possible to be a Biglaw associate (or staff attorney, or counsel, or partner) and not work every holiday weekend (i.e., Friday through holiday Monday). How, you ask? The magic formula is:

strategizing + planning + optimizing optics =

greater likelihood of being off or working less on a holiday weekend

First, it’s important to emphasize that there are no guarantees in Biglaw. Even using the “magic” formula, you may, and likely will, have to work some holiday weekends. But you may be able to take some holiday weekends entirely off, and work fewer other holiday weekends than you have been historically, if you employ the magic formula.

Let’s take a closer look at the magic formula:

• Strategizing. Timing is everything. Determine your end goal, work backwards, and strategize to make it happen. Your goal is to not have to work over the holiday weekend. Given the nature of Biglaw practice, you know that generally, if a draft document or other work product is with someone else, you won’t be able to or need to work on it at the same time....

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