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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
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.  [/quote]

How many years ago was this?
[/quote]

+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.  [/quote]

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