Why staying in Biglaw?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask her?

Yea, we're gonna. She wasn't with us at the time and it just came up in conversation.

Did you intend to write: "yeah, we're going to" ?

No Biglaw partner or Biglaw lawyer writes as you did in the above post.

This one does. I'm not a Biglaw partner anymore, and this isn't a brief.

Okay... Certainly possible, although unusual.

[Anonymous]

My guess is that she thinks a big law partner job is prestigious and high status.

[Anonymous]

The answer is that she is in her mid 40s. Her husband still works and she doesn’t have kids at home. What is she going to do at home alone for possible the next 50 years? I don’t get people who do retire at that age. All her peers will still be working for years. If she likes her job, she will keep it as long as it gives structure to her life and everyone else she knows is bound to the same structure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The answer is that she is in her mid 40s. Her husband still works and she doesn’t have kids at home. What is she going to do at home alone for possible the next 50 years? I don’t get people who do retire at that age. All her peers will still be working for years. If she likes her job, she will keep it as long as it gives structure to her life and everyone else she knows is bound to the same structure.

OP here. I never said anything about retiring and being at "home alone." But there's a middle ground, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My guess is that she thinks a big law partner job is prestigious and high status.

Yea, I guess. That kept me hooked for a while, that's for sure.

[Anonymous]

What else is she going to do? The job gets better for most people as you get to be more senior and have more autonomy. She probably enjoys it sometimes. She probably does not feel ready age or wealth-wise to fully retire and transition to volunteer positions and hobbies just yet. She could downshift jobs, but a lot of the alternative careers that are available for lawyers are typically still a fair amount of work without anywhere near the same compensation (and not sometimes less autonomy and challenge too). So she tells you honestly that she would often like to work somewhat less…

[Anonymous]

OP, what age did you leave Big law and how many years were you an equity partner? How does that compare to this person?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, what age did you leave Big law and how many years were you an equity partner? How does that compare to this person?

She's been an equity partner for about ten years, which was about the same amount of time that I was an equity partner when left. But she's still younger than I was when I left -- she went straight to law school after college and made partner about as quickly as it happens these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What else is she going to do? The job gets better for most people as you get to be more senior and have more autonomy. She probably enjoys it sometimes. She probably does not feel ready age or wealth-wise to fully retire and transition to volunteer positions and hobbies just yet. She could downshift jobs, but a lot of the alternative careers that are available for lawyers are typically still a fair amount of work without anywhere near the same compensation (and not sometimes less autonomy and challenge too). So she tells you honestly that she would often like to work somewhat less…

Yea, you're probably right. I remember thinking about doing other things, too, but then I'd think "why work at something else where the hours aren't much different and you're still beholden to other people but you're paid less?"

So I decided not to work at all.