Would you recommend a legal career?

[Anonymous]

So, who is working to make sure our justice system actually is fair to all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I graduated from GW, got a clerkship and then big law job, paid off all debt, built up retirement and savings, made big law partner, had 3 kids along the way, quit and now SAH. Life couldn't be better. So my experience differs from pp's.

How many years ago was this?


+1. Up until the late 90s (perhaps later in some markets) you could make biglaw partner by being a good lawyer and likable person. It has grown progressively more cutthroat, to the point that senior associates now need a book of business and equity partners are routinely ousted for failure to contribute enough business. I am NOT denigrating PP's career, but the experience he or she describes would not be familiar to anyone who graduated in the last 10 years or so.

FWIW, I went to law school because I knew I would be good at it and thought it would be an easy way to make a living. I was pretty much correct and I do not regret choosing law. I graduated from a top-10 school 10 years ago, felt lucky to get a biglaw job at that time, did well there and paid off my debt, then went to government. I might have been partner had a stayed ... or the economy might have got me, who knows. But when I was applying to schools and jobs at 20-something I did not foresee wanting a family, pet, etc. that would prevent my spending every hour at biglaw. If I had known that I would have sought out a specialty that was either more family friendly or more geographically portable than the specialty I chose just because it was interesting. I hate living/commuting in this area, but don't see how to leave. And I know I could have had a more interesting and family friendly career -- probably something in the sciences -- if I had been willing to work more and risk more earlier in my education.

[Anonymous]

DH is big law partner. Finds law intellectually stimulating but hates the life sucking hours and stress. Has told our kids and any young people who ask to pursue a different career. Big law was his ticket out of poverty, but it has come with a hefty price.

[Anonymous]

If you can go to a top law school, be top of your class, and get prestigious clerkships, you will have a stimulating, exciting, rewarding career in private practice, government, and/or academia. If not, I think it would be unwise to go to law school. There is a lot of terribly boring legal work to be done, and a glut of lawyers for even the undesirable jobs. If I had to do insurance defense work for a living, for example, I would want to slit my wrists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, who is working to make sure our justice system actually is fair to all?

A small group of people, many of whom are underpaid and overworked.

[Anonymous]

Why not fully fund our public defender offices? Our prosecutors are fully funded? I have a friend who is a Federal public defender who basically has to take off one day a week due to the sequester, but the Federal prosecutor does not. What happends when the mandated LWOP day falls on a court date? Your client is deprived of their consitutional right to a defense? Or better yet - I have heard this - the Gov't pays a private firms $125 an hour to do the work its own public defender would be doing b/c it doesn't have the money to pay him. I swear to God we have got to have the stupidist Government around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not fully fund our public defender offices? Our prosecutors are fully funded? I have a friend who is a Federal public defender who basically has to take off one day a week due to the sequester, but the Federal prosecutor does not. What happends when the mandated LWOP day falls on a court date? Your client is deprived of their consitutional right to a defense? Or better yet - I have heard this - the Gov't pays a private firms $125 an hour to do the work its own public defender would be doing b/c it doesn't have the money to pay him. I swear to God we have got to have the stupidist Government around.

The Federal Public Defender is funded by the Judiciary branch.
The ASAU is funded by the Executive Branch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:law is interesting to study. The practice of law is tedious and grueling.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think law is an excellent field of study. I went to law school because I loved studying the law. I went to state schools both for undergrad and law school and had no debt. I would advise more people to do it that way. A legal degree is helpful in a number of fields. I work in lobbying. When I got into lobbying, most foks (especially women) had law degrees. I can't think of anything I would have loved more studying.

The issue there is that the studying part lasts three years. The working part lasts ... well, a bit longer. So if you don't love the work, well, there you are.

[Anonymous]

Just read that New Republic article on Big Law. Seems like an awful environment to work in. The laid off attorney who was making $200K plus and now making $40K doing criminal defense in a small town said she's had to make life adjustments, but could never go back to Big Law.

I also found the business model interesting. I mean, you spend all this time learning to be a lawyer, but are never good at what is necessary to keep the money coming, i.e. cultivating and managing clients.

[Anonymous]

My DH went to a law school in this area (not a T14, but in the top 30) a couple years after undergrad. Finished about 9 years ago.

This is long, but I'm just posting it because I think this trajectory is unorthodox and maybe it will help.

It's not true "BigLaw" but has provided good work and income.

--did some legal temp work for about a year after graduation (passed bar on the first try)

--got a job with a solo in a niche practice area. Solo was an excellent mentor and Ivy grad who'd been practicing for years and had a large book of business. Started off around $70K and was making $120K four years later. Not BigLaw $$, but fair pay for the hours and the work was exciting -- not just writing memos and briefs. Actually turned down a Fed job for this job.

--transitioned to a regional firm (had a contact there), staying in the same practice area. Moved to about $150K, slightly more hours.

--year later, a partner left to go to national firm and took DH with her. Moved to about $155K. DH is hoping that when his mentor retires, he will pick up his book of business, and has stayed in contact with the clients (mentor knows this as he is on his way out).

DH is realistic about the long-term. He's not a rainmaker type, but prefer the actual practice of law, and the research. He would love to transition to fed agency someday and because of his practice area, should be able to. In-house would be great, but DH doesn't have a transactional background so GC is out of the question, but many companies do have in-house attorneys in his practice area.

He ALWAYS tells people not to go to law school unless you can get into a T5. He met Georgetown grads doing doc review.

[Anonymous]

Who goes on to do trial work in the state and county systems, where the rubber hits the road so to speak?

[Anonymous]

Here's a different angle on this - I am a therapist who sees individual and couples. There was a time a few years ago when 80% of my caseload was couples and all but one couple (so about 14 couples) were in treatment because one partner was a law firm lawyer in DC. The stress of managing the firm's expectations - plus the crushing debt and other associated issues - was killing the marriages. Just something to consider when you are making this very important decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who goes on to do trial work in the state and county systems, where the rubber hits the road so to speak?

I think local connections really help in starting out in county/state courts. Most lawyers I've found with a healthy practice in those courts went to law school in that state, did decently, did internships with prosecutor's offices or clerkships with local judges. In criminal law, they often start in the prosecutor's office and then switch to defense after they've learned the ropes. But I've also seen defense attorneys who went straight into defense private practice out of school. The successful ones usually had a good mentor who helped them. It also helps if you have a niche.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:law is interesting to study. The practice of law is tedious and grueling.

+1000