Mid/Senior associate here. Lateraled end of last year from a boutique to a biglaw for the bigger paycheck and promise of more substantive work.
Laid off today under the pretense that my low-hours were to be blamed on inconsistent performances that caused partners to avoid staffing me. My head tells me that this is just typical layoff-BS to cover up the firm's over-hiring for the past year & the worsening market metrics, especially given that, while I had constructive feedback on my mid-year review, the comments were generally positive.
No point in crying over spilt milk, so on to the job posts I go, but I can't help but ask: how do you overcome the sense of self-blame here?
No matter how much I try to call the firm out on their BS, I just have this drowning sense of guilt and shame, especially for my wife and my 3yr old kid.