Mediocre Law?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of solo, small, and medium sized firms in D.C. and in the surrounding suburbs. Most are staffed with attorneys from law schools of all kinds, most make less money than BigLaw attorneys, most never worked for DOJ, and most have a different quality of life than BigLaw attorneys, whether those be associates, counsel, or partners of some kind.

What's the actual question?

OP couldn’t find any of those lawyers posting on DCUM so asked why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've gathered, every single lawyer on DCUM went to Ivy Law, then got hired in BigLaw, then became Highly Successful In-House Counsel. Or, maxing out as a Fed in the very top of the pay band. But if looking to leave Fed, will easily be recruited as an equity partner in Big Law despite having zero clients while in government. No one needs to generate work or clients; they simply become Equity Partner based on Utter, Irreplaceable Brilliance.

Is there no lawyer on here who has a less stellar career? Small law, lower-paying government law, family law with angry and threatening clientele, criminal law with traffic court and DUI clients, small
business, one-member LLCs that stiff you on your bill?? Practicing solo or maybe with a couple law school friends from a mid or lower tier law school? Or bring taken advantage of by greedy and/or unsuccessful partners? Anyone??

Most of DCUM is like this because this is a super niche board. Most people really did go to a T14, and when you do, you do usually go to BigLaw, then go to Fed, and get a prestigious position that allows you to then leave to a partner position later. Like someone else said, if you go to Reddit, you’ll see a much more typical experience. You’re just on the wrong board for what you are looking for.

Part of the issue is most people I know around here chose law because they wanted a prestigious career. I would never have become a lawyer in the first place if the end result would be some low level job with awful clients. I would have just gone into another area entirely if that were my future.

I don't think most people choose law thinking the end result will be some low-level job with awful clients. Sometimes Cravath doesn't call back.

They really should. It’s not worth taking huge loans for law school if you end up in a low paying job and now have to spend the rest of your life paying back those loans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've gathered, every single lawyer on DCUM went to Ivy Law, then got hired in BigLaw, then became Highly Successful In-House Counsel. Or, maxing out as a Fed in the very top of the pay band. But if looking to leave Fed, will easily be recruited as an equity partner in Big Law despite having zero clients while in government. No one needs to generate work or clients; they simply become Equity Partner based on Utter, Irreplaceable Brilliance.

Is there no lawyer on here who has a less stellar career? Small law, lower-paying government law, family law with angry and threatening clientele, criminal law with traffic court and DUI clients, small
business, one-member LLCs that stiff you on your bill?? Practicing solo or maybe with a couple law school friends from a mid or lower tier law school? Or bring taken advantage of by greedy and/or unsuccessful partners? Anyone??

Most of DCUM is like this because this is a super niche board. Most people really did go to a T14, and when you do, you do usually go to BigLaw, then go to Fed, and get a prestigious position that allows you to then leave to a partner position later. Like someone else said, if you go to Reddit, you’ll see a much more typical experience. You’re just on the wrong board for what you are looking for.

Part of the issue is most people I know around here chose law because they wanted a prestigious career. I would never have become a lawyer in the first place if the end result would be some low level job with awful clients. I would have just gone into another area entirely if that were my future.

Only a small percentage of law grads make it into 6 figure jobs. All the rest start out with low pay and long hours. Chances increase the better your law school but lots of places your fate is determined based on your 1st year grades.

+1. If your first year grades are really bad, it’s worth considering whether you should drop out and try something else. Don’t continue piling up loans that sink you into a deeper hole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rude title. We all take the same bar exams and appear in the same courts!

I have had a great career in litigation and trial work at a medium size firm and in government at a sought after Agency. Might surprise you but there is more to law and life than big firms and money. Not all tools are wrenches lol

Civil litigation, with its burdensome discovery process, endless motions, and awful opposing counsel, sux, whether high paying or low paying. Better to get paid more for doing it, if you have to. At least a more profitable firm can hire someone to do the most onerous tasks...or pay for AI, Westlaw, Lexis.

You forgot to put quotes around "Civil."

[Anonymous]

Feds on here act like they took a vow of poverty to live a life dedicated to public service and have more family time when in reality, the Fed jobs pay more than what a lot of private-sector lawyers will make (with the private sector working more hours and with fewer benefits).