Lawyers...if you could do it all over

[Anonymous]

SAHM married to a hedge fund manager.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did all you psychologists change fields? Because you didn't like the law, you loved psychology, or because you wanted shorter hours?

I didn't hate the law. I come from a family of lawyers, but it was never really a "fit" for me. I enjoyed the intellectual aspects, but I'm an ENFP on the Myers Briggs test, meaning I'm someone who is more geared toward people, intuition and emotional connection. Psychology is probably the perfect field for me. Law was okay. I practiced for over a decade and did pretty well, but I was always a bit of a quare peg in a round hole.

[Anonymous]

*square* peg on a round hole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had become a speech therapist. Lots of options for flexibility.

Same here - or an OT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SAHM married to a hedge fund manager.

Totally! However, since I didn't marry a billionaire, I'd stay the same course as a gov. lawyer. It's not exciting work, but I have a six-figure salary, work 40 hours a week (including three days at home teleworking), have tons of flexibility and lots of vacation.

[Anonymous]

I am pp who wanted to be a lawyer or judge.. I should be more clear. I have no idea if I would enjoy being a judge. My first year of law school was during the financial collapse.. And I found out I was pregnant 2 weeks after passing the bar..had a great small firm job but couldn't keep it b/c financially, I did not bring anything home after childcare and student loans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Always wanted to be a lawyer or judge and now... hate it. I would have been very good at business or marketing. Thankfully my husband is buying a business in his field and I will end up working for him. I know this wouldn't work for most but it works for us.

Good luck to you and your husband.

What information do you wish you had when you were in high school or college so that you could have known you wouldn't like law? Or would it have been impossible to know?

[Anonymous]

Management consulting. Have a business mind (and degree - though only undergrad) and somehow thought law and business would go together at the ripe old age of 22. Turns out business people don't want a firm lawyers' advice. Anyone know anyone who made that switch? Does not seem like THAT big of a leap - not like going into OT/PT, psychology etc. which requires a whole different educational background.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:elementary school teacher

= SAHM because your salary doesn't cover daycare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, wish I could be a college professor.

No, you don't. Why do people always romanticize academia? The training takes forever, the jobs are scarce, and the pay is low. Once you have a job, the need to publish is a constant, nagging pressure, which means you always feel like there is work that should be getting done and it is hard to enjoy your downtime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am pp who wanted to be a lawyer or judge.. I should be more clear. I have no idea if I would enjoy being a judge. My first year of law school was during the financial collapse.. And I found out I was pregnant 2 weeks after passing the bar..had a great small firm job but couldn't keep it b/c financially, I did not bring anything home after childcare and student loans.

What are you paying off your student loans with now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, wish I could be a college professor.

No, you don't. Why do people always romanticize academia? The training takes forever, the jobs are scarce, and the pay is low. Once you have a job, the need to publish is a constant, nagging pressure, which means you always feel like there is work that should be getting done and it is hard to enjoy your downtime.

Are you a professor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did all you psychologists change fields? Because you didn't like the law, you loved psychology, or because you wanted shorter hours?

I didn't hate the law. I come from a family of lawyers, but it was never really a "fit" for me. I enjoyed the intellectual aspects, but I'm an ENFP on the Myers Briggs test, meaning I'm someone who is more geared toward people, intuition and emotional connection. Psychology is probably the perfect field for me. Law was okay. I practiced for over a decade and did pretty well, but I was always a bit of a quare peg in a round hole.

Interesting. I am a lawyer who is an ENTJ - love the law but psychology is also interesting to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Government lawyer -- at least at my agency -- is a great fit for motherhood. Large law firm, is not a good fit.

Same for a dad. I still make $150K but I put my kids to bed every night (except date nights, which I get to have).

I'd say the best combination would be 6-9 years of biglaw, using the $$ to pay off loans, buy a house, and build savings, having the babies at around year 5 and 7 to take advantage of generous maternity leave, then find govt. job when you get #1 into preschool so the daycare expense goes down. Ideally you've planned ahead and gained experience in an appropriate practice area. Of course, by staying that long you run the risk of thinking you might become a partner and killing yourself for that instead of your family.

My husband could have written this (except for the generous paternity leave--his was terrible). He never really wanted to be a partner but he also didn't pull the trigger on leaving for the gov't until he was quite miserable and stressed at work. I don't recommend that part--although staying in private practice as long as he did allowed him to build up extensive expertise and enter the gov't as a manager. It also allowed me to work part-time and still build my career; I got a big raise right as he moved to the gov't, which means we really didn't see a big lifestyle change.

[Anonymous]

I work for one of the County and just this morning I was fed up and ready to quit and start my own daycare.
I am looking into this seriously.I have decided to open a daycare instead.