telework and the federal attorney

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somehow worker bee and attorney seems like a mismatch. Most lawyers I know were/are ambitious and didn't get to where they are by wanting to be a worker bee. Unless maybe you chose the law because of limited options elsewhere or your family wanted you to go to law school.

Nope, not my experience. I'm a lawyer, and not ambitious. I want to do a good job, then go home at night and enjoy my family.

I chose the law because I enjoy the analytical thinking, writing, and creativity - I was a philosophy major in college and the law was a natural choice. That said, I didn't even go to law school until after I'd been out of college for 6 years - as a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from a good college, I had lots of options, and I took my time figuring out what I wanted to do. As for my family, they didn't even know I was going until I told them I'd been accepted, and what my plan was.

Legal work - yes, worker-bee legal work - has turned out to be a great fit for me.

There are lots of other lawyers like me, and if you don't know that, you must not get out much.

[Anonymous]

Yes. It is easy and you don't exert that much energy. You just have to show up. By and large, I think 95% of government employees take these job for the security and they don't have to work too hard because "discrimination" whether gender or race is what they scream if they are expected to actually work. Don't have much respect, if any, for career government attorneys. I think you could indiscriminately choose one out of every three govt. employees, fire them, and no one know the difference and tons of taxpayer money saved.

well guess what sister. what you "think" is wrong. and if you don't have much respect for me, well, i have ZERO for you. people like you are a HUGE reason why i could not even consider working for biglaw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"This is the kind of work-life perk that people are looking for in exchange for a massive pay cut. "

Let's get real for a second here. The perk is that they are employed after being laid off from their high paying associate gig, and employed with an incredible amount of job security. They don't "need" to be able to telework - what's their alternative? Going back to a firm after being cut?

I know several federal attorneys who voluntarily gave up a "high paying associate gig" specifically for the job security and work/life balance that federal employment offers. I am one of them. Do you really believe that all federal attorneys are there because they either couldn't get a private job or got fired from one?

Yes. It is easy and you don't exert that much energy. You just have to show up. By and large, I think 95% of government employees take these job for the security and they don't have to work too hard because "discrimination" whether gender or race is what they scream if they are expected to actually work. Don't have much respect, if any, for career government attorneys. I think you could indiscriminately choose one out of every three govt. employees, fire them, and no one know the difference and tons of taxpayer money saved.

What do you mean when you say "yes"? The question was whether you believed that federal attorneys only have their job because they couldn't get/keep a "big firm" job. You say "yes" but then you say that fed lawyers "take the job for the security and b/c they don't have to work too hard...." Which quite honestly is in part why I took this job, after voluntarily leaving "big law." I don't work as "hard" as my colleagues at large private firms. I also don't get paid half as much. Seems fair to me.

Insult us if you want, but at least be consistent in your insulting...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"This is the kind of work-life perk that people are looking for in exchange for a massive pay cut. "

Let's get real for a second here. The perk is that they are employed after being laid off from their high paying associate gig, and employed with an incredible amount of job security. They don't "need" to be able to telework - what's their alternative? Going back to a firm after being cut?

I know several federal attorneys who voluntarily gave up a "high paying associate gig" specifically for the job security and work/life balance that federal employment offers. I am one of them. Do you really believe that all federal attorneys are there because they either couldn't get a private job or got fired from one?

Yes. It is easy and you don't exert that much energy. You just have to show up. By and large, I think 95% of government employees take these job for the security and they don't have to work too hard because "discrimination" whether gender or race is what they scream if they are expected to actually work. Don't have much respect, if any, for career government attorneys. I think you could indiscriminately choose one out of every three govt. employees, fire them, and no one know the difference and tons of taxpayer money saved.

What do you mean when you say "yes"? The question was whether you believed that federal attorneys only have their job because they couldn't get/keep a "big firm" job. You say "yes" but then you say that fed lawyers "take the job for the security and b/c they don't have to work too hard...." Which quite honestly is in part why I took this job, after voluntarily leaving "big law." I don't work as "hard" as my colleagues at large private firms. I also don't get paid half as much. Seems fair to me.

Insult us if you want, but at least be consistent in your insulting...

Okay. I believe that 99% of government attorneys, if they were fired from law firms, could not take the workload and make the billable hours. I also believe that 99% of all female government attrorneys work for the Fed. govt because they can get away with taking off all the time they want to take care of personal business, children, home, whatever. I have never worked for government but I have worked with female attorneys, and some male, who have left the the govt. and simply cannot take life in a law firm of any size.

[Anonymous]

NP - here - and PP re govt attorneys not being able to "handle" big firm work - what a crock of bs. I am a big firm female attorney - could handle the hours - handily - and better than many of my male counterparts. Contrary to what you might believe, many decide to go to the government to work for the good guys - don't want to be defense shills. want to have more control over work, want to be doing good. I hope to go that route someday. Maybe sounds idealistic and naive to you, but would rather live in my world than yours.

[Anonymous]

PP, you are confusing me. You say:

"Okay. I believe that 99% of government attorneys, if they were fired from law firms, could not take the workload and make the billable hours."

Setting aside that this is an entirely different point from what you were originally saying (that all governmet attorneys only have their job because they couldn't get or were fired from a big law firm), isn't the above statement equally true if you take the word "government" out of it? Sure I agree that 99% of attorneys fired from law firms were fired because of workload and inabiltiy to meet hours. How is that in any way a reflection on government lawyers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"This is the kind of work-life perk that people are looking for in exchange for a massive pay cut. "

Let's get real for a second here. The perk is that they are employed after being laid off from their high paying associate gig, and employed with an incredible amount of job security. They don't "need" to be able to telework - what's their alternative? Going back to a firm after being cut?

I know several federal attorneys who voluntarily gave up a "high paying associate gig" specifically for the job security and work/life balance that federal employment offers. I am one of them. Do you really believe that all federal attorneys are there because they either couldn't get a private job or got fired from one?

Yes. It is easy and you don't exert that much energy. You just have to show up. By and large, I think 95% of government employees take these job for the security and they don't have to work too hard because "discrimination" whether gender or race is what they scream if they are expected to actually work. Don't have much respect, if any, for career government attorneys. I think you could indiscriminately choose one out of every three govt. employees, fire them, and no one know the difference and tons of taxpayer money saved.

What do you mean when you say "yes"? The question was whether you believed that federal attorneys only have their job because they couldn't get/keep a "big firm" job. You say "yes" but then you say that fed lawyers "take the job for the security and b/c they don't have to work too hard...." Which quite honestly is in part why I took this job, after voluntarily leaving "big law." I don't work as "hard" as my colleagues at large private firms. I also don't get paid half as much. Seems fair to me.

Insult us if you want, but at least be consistent in your insulting...

Okay. I believe that 99% of government attorneys, if they were fired from law firms, could not take the workload and make the billable hours. I also believe that 99% of all female government attrorneys work for the Fed. govt because they can get away with taking off all the time they want to take care of personal business, children, home, whatever. I have never worked for government but I have worked with female attorneys, and some male, who have left the the govt. and simply cannot take life in a law firm of any size.

Federal government attorney here. You're right. I couldn't take life in a law firm. I spent four years in a biglaw firm, and I hated it. I never knew if I would get home in time to see my kid or if I would have to cancel weekend plans at the last minute. I got fantastic reviews, and when I told each of the partners I worked for that I was leaving, each of them asked what it would take for me to stay, e.g., going PT. For me, the work was soulsucking and absolutely awful. The work I do in the government is far more interesting than anything I ever did at the firm. Unlike you, however, I recognize that others have different interests and actually enjoy doing the work that I thought was so terrible and thrive in that lifestyle. I'm not here bashing all female biglaw attorneys by saying that 99% of them have chosen a big salary and a big ego over time with their children, which is the other side of your stereotypical comments that 99% of government lawyers are lazy and can't hack it at big firms. Both comments are sadly misinformed and refuse to respect the different options available and choices made by attorneys in this area.

[Anonymous]

To the anti-government lawyer poster:

Do your views apply to all government lawyers?

Most prestigious offices of DOJ?

AUSAs?

Attorneys in the White House counsel's office?

Are you talking about a specific agency or office? I find it hard to believe that you are familiar with all of the possible positions a "government attorney" could hold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Federal government attorney here. You're right. I couldn't take life in a law firm. I spent four years in a biglaw firm, and I hated it. I never knew if I would get home in time to see my kid or if I would have to cancel weekend plans at the last minute. I got fantastic reviews, and when I told each of the partners I worked for that I was leaving, each of them asked what it would take for me to stay, e.g., going PT. For me, the work was soulsucking and absolutely awful. The work I do in the government is far more interesting than anything I ever did at the firm. Unlike you, however, I recognize that others have different interests and actually enjoy doing the work that I thought was so terrible and thrive in that lifestyle. I'm not here bashing all female biglaw attorneys by saying that 99% of them have chosen a big salary and a big ego over time with their children, which is the other side of your stereotypical comments that 99% of government lawyers are lazy and can't hack it at big firms. Both comments are sadly misinformed and refuse to respect the different options available and choices made by attorneys in this area.

Oh I SO agree with this poster. And kudos for not slinging the mud back at the OP. You sing it sister.

[Anonymous]

"Both comments are sadly misinformed and refuse to respect the different options available and choices made by attorneys in this area. "

What else is new on the DCUM?