Make sure everyone who attends these events for expenses you submit is listed- spouses included. Do not acquiesce to anyone putting down your name if you are not there. If you’re not willing to be honest and forthright about the nature of an expense, that’s your clue it’s not permitted in the first place. Doing the wrong thing because the firm wasn’t clear will probably just result in potential rejection of an expense and a call correcting you. If you lie and that is found out, you could be fired.

While I get these friends are fun, this can be a practice experience for you. Think of this- lawyers are held to a high ethical standard. That doesn’t mean all lawyers are ethical- in fact, it’s often our job to find a way to a certain outcome while still technically following all the rules! But, we are expected to follow rules. In all probability, these people will not stay close friends as you all move on in your careers. You will make new work friends, and you will all be more senior with more power over important things. Attorneys get into trouble when they are comfortable going over the line of what they are allowed to do. Learn to say no to those things right now, while the stakes are low, and before you have rule breaking friends who may get you into real trouble. If you can’t do this now, you are in the wrong profession. The partners at your firm know this, and this is why you might be fired if it surfaces and you were not honest (or aware that others were not).

Also, y’all are wrecking this for everyone else. And depending on how your firm analyzes expenses- even if no one calls you because you’re not breaking rules, don’t assume no one will notice if the three of you are expensing the most out of your class just to hang out with each other a lot. It might affect your reputation in ways you’re not seeing.