How many of you JDs do not work anymore because it is not worth it financially?

[Anonymous]

If you have already graduated and do not have a Big Law job, then that ship has already sailed. You missed it.

Kids are only in daycare for a few years. Your career hopefully will continue well beyond that. So while you may not be making much money those first few years, you will be investing in your career. You can't just do nothing after law school and expect to land a great job years later when you are ready. It just doesn't work like that, especially not in this legal job market.

[Anonymous]

OP - Who paid for your law school education?

[Anonymous]

OP, I am sorry but you sound so young and immature.

[Anonymous]

Open your own shop. You'll make way more than $40-$50k doing court appointed work alone. I left my private practice job with a small firm with big firm hours and have never looked back. I went from making under $100k and working 60-80 hours/week to making over $100 and working 30-40 hours per week (more if I have a trial).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I am sorry but you sound so young and immature.

+10000 so immature, grow up

[Anonymous]

Even if you're not netting a lot after day care costs, you're not working for nothing. You're getting experience, keeping your skills up, your resume current, etc. You might have to tread water for a few years financially but you'll be in a much better position to find what you do want to do if you're working now than if you quit now and have a big resume gap.

And honestly, why are you even complaining about the money if your DH makes that much? Just find a way to do the type of work that you want to do, even if on a volunteer basis, to eventually get yourself where you want.

[Anonymous]

I wonder (i'm not a lawyer) if you would have been better off taking the time off while in school - in other words, taking a couple year leave of absence from law school after birth of child, thne going back for last year and getting into workforce at that point.

No one - in any field - can graduate and expect to get a good job based solely on education credential. And certainly not by taking a few years off after graduation. You need to beef up your experience in some form or fashion, or at least tread water.

[Anonymous]

OP here. The reason why I did not have a BigLaw offer lined up at graduation is that I spent the summer after 2L with my newborn son. The summer after 1L I did humanitarian law in Africa.

My parents paid for law school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you asked this question before? Someone recently had a similar circumstance, with similar responses. Those responses are not gonig to change. You cannot stay at home after graduating and expect the same fresh out of law school opportunities for work. If you take a few years off, your career will suffer. It sucks, but that's the way it is. You need a way to find good experience in a family friendly environment.

No, I'm the person who asked the question the other time. I'm not interested in Biglaw jobs, though, and if my dh was making that much money I'd probably not be stressed out enough to post about it on dcum. I think some of you merrily employed people do not know just how BAD the market is for ANY type of job. I sympathize, OP!

[Anonymous]

I call troll! There is no such thing as "humanitarian law", let alone in Africa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I call troll! There is no such thing as "humanitarian law", let alone in Africa.

Oh, snap. I thought you were right but I just googled it. There is such a thing as humanitarian law and yup, in Africa! You learn something new everyday. There is also space law!

[Anonymous]

OP, why are you excluding gov't and nonprofits? That's a hotbed for family friendly lawyer jobs and as pp's have noted, the only private practice options open to you at this point are smaller firms. And those do not always have the best hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The reason why I did not have a BigLaw offer lined up at graduation is that I spent the summer after 2L with my newborn son. The summer after 1L I did humanitarian law in Africa.

My parents paid for law school.

As another poster pointed out, the BL ship has sailed. You have to get the SA position during your summer between 2L and 3L. But maybe you can apply for staff attorney positions. I understand the hours are better and the competition is not as bad as for the associate slots. But in this economy even that might be difficult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The reason why I did not have a BigLaw offer lined up at graduation is that I spent the summer after 2L with my newborn son. The summer after 1L I did humanitarian law in Africa.

My parents paid for law school.

Ahhh. Poor little rich girl syndrome. Mommy and daddy paid for law school and then you married some bald pot bellied banker to fund your lifestyle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The reason why I did not have a BigLaw offer lined up at graduation is that I spent the summer after 2L with my newborn son. The summer after 1L I did humanitarian law in Africa.

My parents paid for law school.

Ahhh. Poor little rich girl syndrome. Mommy and daddy paid for law school and then you married some bald pot bellied banker to fund your lifestyle.

I'm not OP but seriously, what a bitchy comment. If you don't have anything nice to say...