It may depend on what turnover is like. The most “leaned out” person in my shop is the longest tenured. I suspect she leaned out gradually, just constantly surviving. She doesn’t get the best assignments, but honestly her length of tenure alone gives her a weird gravitas. Even the managers can’t really lecture her about what to do, because she’s been doing it longer.

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate you posting this. Everyone told me that being a fed attorney was easy street but I didn’t find that to be the case at all. The workload and deadlines were crushing and my work always waited for me. Even when I took maternity leave. It was such a terrible, unrewarding job.

+1. I had litigation jobs for two agencies that were exactly like this. I eventually moved on but should have done it sooner. Law firm may have been more hours, but there was less overall stress because everything was so heavily staffed.

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate you posting this. Everyone told me that being a fed attorney was easy street but I didn’t find that to be the case at all. The workload and deadlines were crushing and my work always waited for me. Even when I took maternity leave. It was such a terrible, unrewarding job.

Litigation?

The best way to "lean out" as a fed is to vote Republican. They will facilitate leaning out for all federal employees.

Anonymous wrote:I had a colleague at DOJ who literally refused to work more than 40 hours per week. He told our chief that, and stuck to it. That was a very long time ago and he's still there.

It is very easy to "lean out" as a fed as opposed to private practice. Expect crappy assignments and little to no respect, but you will be able to keep your hours down and keep your job.

The second paragraph is true, BUT it is really demoralizing. Like anything, striking the right balance is hard. I don’t know a lot of people who are actually succeeding at it! They’re either burning the candle at both ends, or completely burnt out and useless.

Anonymous wrote:FOIA is stressful. That's not cushion. It's both boring AND high-pressure because basic mistakes can be significant if certain info is released. FOIA is the source of a lot of litigation, depending on the agency.

Everything is relative.

At my agency FOIA is cush.

I had a colleague at DOJ who literally refused to work more than 40 hours per week. He told our chief that, and stuck to it. That was a very long time ago and he's still there.

It is very easy to "lean out" as a fed as opposed to private practice. Expect crappy assignments and little to no respect, but you will be able to keep your hours down and keep your job.

Don't think in terms of the next 15 years, think about fixing burnout over the next year. Take vacations, apply for details, tell your boss you need a change of pace, ask to develop a training instead of picking up a new project immediately. Just do some different things and recover. You won't feel this way in a year or so.

FOIA is high stress, avoid that.

FOIA is stressful. That's not cushion. It's both boring AND high-pressure because basic mistakes can be significant if certain info is released. FOIA is the source of a lot of litigation, depending on the agency.

Get a 120 day detail elsewhere, someone else has to do your job, when you return don't do as much as you do now.

I appreciate you posting this. Everyone told me that being a fed attorney was easy street but I didn’t find that to be the case at all. The workload and deadlines were crushing and my work always waited for me. Even when I took maternity leave. It was such a terrible, unrewarding job.

Eat less, move more. Only way to lean out.

I wish I knew the answer. If you stay around and are decent at your work, you’re just going to be asked to do more. And, because you are a good employee, you won’t feel right mailing it in like others.

The least stressed folks I know seem to be those working on responding to FOIA? Maybe try doing that. I’d be bored to tears with that though.

I think the key is just doing what you’re doing but pulling back and being less available. No more unpaid overtime, keep to your scheduled hours, decline to travel or pick up extra projects.

It depends on your agency honestly.

Thankfully in the regulatory field (not in litigation). The last three years I’ve been on a very high-profile, high-pressure project. That’s over and I just want to lean out for the rest of my career until retirement 15 years from now hopefully. What’s the best way to do it but still maintain my fed job?