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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:people--I'd bet anything that this post is FAKE.
It has all the favorite DCUM triggers in it:

-big law
-high HHI
-slam against a "nanny raising my kid"
-young motherhood
-sugar daddy

Come on, it's a joke post!

It's too boring to be a troll.

[Anonymous]

OP you don't need money. You already have enough to meet your needs and save plenty.

If you find a job you love, than working for 50k is not depressing, it's getting paid 50k (or 30k with daycare) to do what you love.

If you don't love being an attorney, than don't work. Pretty simple.

[Anonymous]

Op, you may not realize this, but you are in a great situation. Your husband makes a lot of money. Find one of those 40-50K jobs doing something you enjoy and run with it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[quote=AnonymousI find that all law jobs with halfway family-friendly hours pay only $ 40-50k.. .My net income would be $ 20-25k, while daycare costs $ 18k. The thought of working for nothing is so depressing.

Thanks in advance!

Here is where you lost me. If you earn $40-$50, your net income would e more like $30-$35 and daycare is far cheaper than $18k per year. And, even when you dont earn much money, you are increasing your future prospects - retirement savings, SS contributions, experience to get yourself a better job. You sound like you are trying to justify not working, not like you are looking realistically at your options.

I don't think so. She's already in the top income bracket because of DH's income, so all of her income is taxed at the top rate of 35% for federal, plus 8.5% if she lives in DC, plus 7.65 percent payroll taxes, which equals just over 50%.

As for daycare costs, $350 per week comes out to $18K per year. I know that I was initially paying about $400 per week five years ago, so $18K is well within the range.

Now some would say it's not fair to count her income at the top bracket, but it's certainly a valid way to look at it in order to compare her financial situation between staying at home or taking a $40K job. Economically, taking a $40K job makes little sense in the short run, but as PPs have said, she gains experience and avoids the "never had a job" stigma. If Biglaw were an option, she could look for a regulatory practice rather than litigation and maybe have better hours. The same would be true in small- or midlaw. Alternatively, she could try for the government, where she would do slightly better than $40-50K. Another thing to consider is that the low paying jobs she's considering often have good benefits like fully paid health care. DH is likely not getting subsidized health care at all with that salary, so that could be worth $10K a year alone.

[Anonymous]

People with the brilliant suggestion to just go get a government job. That market has become extremely competitive as well. OP has zero relevant experience - she's not going to be able to just waltz into the SEC, CFTC, etc. and gets some great experience to then lateral over to Big Law.

She should have taken a leave of absence from law school when she had her son. She could not have possibly had him at a worse time in her career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People with the brilliant suggestion to just go get a government job. That market has become extremely competitive as well. OP has zero relevant experience - she's not going to be able to just waltz into the SEC, CFTC, etc. and gets some great experience to then lateral over to Big Law.

She should have taken a leave of absence from law school when she had her son. She could not have possibly had him at a worse time in her career.

totally agree. OP, why do you think the rest of us are having kids in our mid to late 30's?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People with the brilliant suggestion to just go get a government job. That market has become extremely competitive as well. OP has zero relevant experience - she's not going to be able to just waltz into the SEC, CFTC, etc. and gets some great experience to then lateral over to Big Law.

She should have taken a leave of absence from law school when she had her son. She could not have possibly had him at a worse time in her career.

Thank you! I think some of the PPs are either not lawyers, or lawyers that haven't job searched in 7 or more years. It would be almost impossible for OP to get a govt job. OPs best bet is to take a low paying job at whatever small firm or non-profit that will fit her lifestyle best. Don't worry about the pay. Given your DHs income, it will never be financially "worth it" for you to work. You would be working for the experience, for staying in the game, and because you want to practice law and not SAH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People with the brilliant suggestion to just go get a government job. That market has become extremely competitive as well. OP has zero relevant experience - she's not going to be able to just waltz into the SEC, CFTC, etc. and gets some great experience to then lateral over to Big Law.

She should have taken a leave of absence from law school when she had her son. She could not have possibly had him at a worse time in her career.

Thank you! I think some of the PPs are either not lawyers, or lawyers that haven't job searched in 7 or more years. It would be almost impossible for OP to get a govt job.

No kidding. I just started at the SEC (don't want to out myself by posting my history but I am NOT straight out of law school). The head of hiring committee told me that they got 1000 applications for 5 positions, mostly from senior associates and junior partners at Biglaw firms.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP - I'm a former lawyer with experience in a bunch of different legal markets (didn't leave because I had kids, but because I found other things I preferred). I'd say that you got some good advice here.

It sounds like it's time to rethink your career goals. What would you like to do with yourself? What are you interested in? How many hours per week do you want to work? What salary can you live with? If you have more updated answers to those questions (since it sounds like your original goal of BL is outdated, at least for now), then I think it'll be easier for people to help guide you toward good options.

Congrats on finishing law school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People with the brilliant suggestion to just go get a government job. That market has become extremely competitive as well. OP has zero relevant experience - she's not going to be able to just waltz into the SEC, CFTC, etc. and gets some great experience to then lateral over to Big Law.

She should have taken a leave of absence from law school when she had her son. She could not have possibly had him at a worse time in her career.

Agree with point 2. The best option is to have that baby about 1 year after you start at biglaw, so you get a second year's salary for what--18 weeks is the standard now? Then stretch it out to 6 months with unpaid leave and come back with a 30 hour per week schedule. Stick with that for another six months and then you can look for a job where it looks like you have two years experience and a third year salary, even though you really have about 15 months' experience total.

As for the government, I agree it's very competitive, but there's some advantage to coming in at a lower level. I understand that many agencies don't want or can't afford GS 15-10s and the senior associates & junior partners cannot come in any lower.

[Anonymous]

You might be able to convince the driver that you'll drop it if he pays for the bike and that you will not get his insurance involved. He's probably crapping his pants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You might be able to convince the driver that you'll drop it if he pays for the bike and that you will not get his insurance involved. He's probably crapping his pants.

Oops, wrong thread. How did that happen?

[Anonymous]

If OP went to a top school and has good grades and journal experience, she can apply for a clerkship now to start next fall. From there she can apply to biglaw. So not impossible after all, but it would look better for her to be doing at least some pro bono/humanitarian law now so her resume is current when (if) she applies for clerkships. That is how I got my biglaw job -- I worked for a year (at a small firm where moving to biglaw after would not have been a realistic option), clerked for a year, then went to biglaw.

[Anonymous]

People with the brilliant suggestion to just go get a government job. That market has become extremely competitive as well. OP has zero relevant experience - she's not going to be able to just waltz into the SEC, CFTC, etc. and gets some great experience to then lateral over to Big Law.

I agree 100 percent, but those are the among the most prestigious, sought after agencies. Try looking at smaller agencies or agencies with less prestige (like HUD, DOT, Labor, FCC). Yes, there is still a fair deal of competition, but you will certainly better your chances of getting hired and getting some experience than if you repeatedly apply to SEC, CFTC, DOJ. Also consider local and state agencies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If OP went to a top school and has good grades and journal experience, she can apply for a clerkship now to start next fall. From there she can apply to biglaw. So not impossible after all, but it would look better for her to be doing at least some pro bono/humanitarian law now so her resume is current when (if) she applies for clerkships. That is how I got my biglaw job -- I worked for a year (at a small firm where moving to biglaw after would not have been a realistic option), clerked for a year, then went to biglaw.

She's already late for clerkships starting next fall. She should get the small firm gig and then try next year. And start applying in the summer (not October!).