content: Thank you for the fair synopsis. In my experience working in BigLaw, things are pretty much based upon income generation (which is pretty hard to do when you are a new associate) but can also be based upon how well you "fit into the culture", whatever the fuck that means  Mostly it is about working 100 hour weeks, drinking expensive scotch and smoking cigars until late hours on Fridays and then waking up to golf at 6 a.m. on Saturdays at some $300 green fee private club.    That is not a particularly inviting environment for anyone. The 2 large firms I worked at were essentially 50/50 boys and girls and we earned the same (without client buy ins) and also quit at the same rate since they were shitty places to work, I always billed the highest number of hours among my comparables. The next three were women who specialized in mutual funds and IPOs.  And they made more than me I am sure.  That is of course just my individual experience but also fairly typical of what I have seen in the industry in my area.