Least stressful jobs for lawyers

[Anonymous]

I'm a litigator in private practice and I need to make a change. The stress of this job - the adversarial nature of litigation, the never ending client demands, the constant business development pressure, timekeeping and billing -- is taking a toll on my already precarious health situation. I can't afford to quit working entirely, and I'm not trained for anything other than lawyering.

So what kind of legal job should I be targeting? Are there non-stressful jobs in this profession? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Rulemaking in a smaller government agency.

[Anonymous]

Almost any other legal job will be less stress— in house, regulatory/compliance counseling etc.but PP is right that finding a nonsupervisory job in a government agency is probably the best option.

[Anonymous]

I work at a regulatory agency and I don't find it stressful. I learned the necessary skill set in private practice so I can do my work very quickly.

[Anonymous]

I’m in house and bored out of my gourd.

[Anonymous]

I work for a government agency and it is not stressful.

[Anonymous]

Do you have expertise in a certain area of law? Working as a legal writer/editor for Westlaw or Lexis can pay surprisingly well (I think $180+K for Westlaw) and some of those positions are remote work. I can't imagine it being too stressful. I would be concerned about job security though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rulemaking in a smaller government agency.

+1. I have never been stressed at work, ever.

[Anonymous]

Also, if you can find a niche of low stakes high volume litigation or administrative litigation to do for a few clients at a lower-than-firm rate, that could be a pleasant existence.

[Anonymous]

In house, transactional. Do you really need to be told this?

[Anonymous]

Govt. 8:30 to 5:00, telework 3 days. week. But maybe the pay cut would be stressful.

[Anonymous]

Regulatory/compliance counseling at boutique law firm. Some deal work, but usually not too high stress. Generally work 10-6, no weekends. Made around $400,000 last year. Honestly, it is pretty easy, although I have been doing it a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regulatory/compliance counseling at boutique law firm. Some deal work, but usually not too high stress. Generally work 10-6, no weekends. Made around $400,000 last year. Honestly, it is pretty easy, although I have been doing it a long time.

This is a great, and I have a friend with a similar situation. But almost certainly not an option for OP with her background.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regulatory/compliance counseling at boutique law firm. Some deal work, but usually not too high stress. Generally work 10-6, no weekends. Made around $400,000 last year. Honestly, it is pretty easy, although I have been doing it a long time.

How do you get this sort of job? I have been doing regulatory work for years and could do it in my sleep.

[Anonymous]

I just left litigation to take a job at a think tank, but I was in a specialized area of litigation. Also, big pay cut.