I'm seriously wondering whether one of my colleagues wrote this.

Talk to your supervisor about getting more work, because many government managers are terrible at managing and don't realize when their attorneys are bored. Or your office may just be going through a lull and it will improve. Or they overhired to maintain their FTEs. My advice -- keep the job until the market improves (and your toddler is older). Find other ways to maintain your skills and keep yourself marketable, like writing an article relevant to your agency's practice area during your downtime or doing pro bono (that would have to be outside work, because using government resources for pro bono is not permitted).

Anonymous wrote:Government lawyer; make about $100k per year; decent benefits; fun co-workers but am bored out of my mind and feel like my life is wasting away. I feel like I am losing my litigation and research and writing skills. Do I have a good thing and don't know it? I have been doing this for a year now. A transfer anywhere else in the agency would be too much work requiring evenings and weekends which I couldn't do because I want to see my toddler. Also there is no flexibility at this job - no flex time or telecommuting.

does your agency allow you to do pro bono work? I wouldn't leave this job while you have a toddler, but outside legal work would make things more palatable.

Please let me know what position in the gov is going to be vacant with your resignation so that I may promptly apply.

Signed,
Private firm associate who would kill to trade places with you

Anonymous wrote:Government lawyer sitting around doing nothing and paid 100K? Lucky you!! I want that kind of job. I work for a private company. I feel feel like I earn every penny. I don't have a balanced life. I work a lot and very stressed. I'm considering to find a government job so that I can just wait for my retirement.

Go for it!

Government lawyer sitting around doing nothing and paid 100K? Lucky you!! I want that kind of job. I work for a private company. I feel feel like I earn every penny. I don't have a balanced life. I work a lot and very stressed. I'm considering to find a government job so that I can just wait for my retirement.

Read your post--saying you are "bored out of my mind and feel like my life is wasting away" answers your question. YES YES YES I would look for another job if I felt that way. Maybe you can't go within the same organization but there are lots of lawyer jobs in DC. (Yes I am a lawyer, in-house counsel at an organization and love my work.)

I went from a firm, to an in-house position that sounds like yours, to a govt position that is challenging (requires occasional evening or weekend work but not every week).

I think you need balance in your life, and having a 40 hour/week job is fantastic, but feeling like you are not using your skills or contributing to society is also an awful feeling. About a year or two into my in-house position I really started to go stir crazy, and I am very glad I left.

Anonymous wrote:Government lawyer; make about $100k per year; decent benefits; fun co-workers but am bored out of my mind and feel like my life is wasting away. I feel like I am losing my litigation and research and writing skills. Do I have a good thing and don't know it? I have been doing this for a year now. A transfer anywhere else in the agency would be too much work requiring evenings and weekends which I couldn't do because I want to see my toddler. Also there is no flexibility at this job - no flex time or telecommuting.

You answered your own question. You won't move to a job where more is expected of you. Stay where you're at and be happy you get to leave at 5 everyday.

I could have written exactly your post a year ago, except for that I didn't have my baby yet. It is a horrible feeling to be bored, and scary to feel that your skills are withering! Especially if you entered the government from a more challenging, fast-paced atmosphere. And there is a special sort of boredom known only to feds ...

So I left the government for a more interesting, lower paying job (about a 15% paycut). Luckily it is still really family friendly. It was the right choice for me at the time, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I don't question the decision wrt the money, now that I know how expensive kids are!

At the same time, I felt like I was too young to be at a career dead-end, and that I may actually increase my earning potential long term by putting myself into a better situation overall.

Is there any way you can make your current position more interesting? Write an article? Anything at all? If not, I'd start to think about moving on -- perhaps give it two years until your kid is in school.

So good to know our federal tax dollars are hard at work. [insert eye roll here]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the same as you, OP. Except I do admin work, so I feel even more useless.

It's draining not doing any work all day. I feel guilt, frustration and embarrassed that I'm not using any "brainpower" here. I often wonder why I even bothered going through the hassle (traffic, preschool drop-off, etc) just to sit around and do nothing all day.

With that said, I like working where I am and the benefits and leave package is great. I suspect the structure of the org will change soon, so I'm sticking around in the hopes that something interesting will crop up in the area that interests me (Development/Marketing). Giving it 6 months and if nothing comes up, I'm going to start my job search.

BTW, I'm 32.

I'm the same as you, OP. Except I do admin work, so I feel even more useless.

It's draining not doing any work all day. I feel guilt, frustration and embarrassed that I'm not using any "brainpower" here. I often wonder why I even bothered going through the hassle (traffic, preschool drop-off, etc) just to sit around and do nothing all day.

With that said, I like working where I am and the benefits and leave package is great. I suspect the structure of the org will change soon, so I'm sticking around in the hopes that something interesting will crop up in the area that interests me (Development/Marketing). Giving it 6 months and if nothing comes up, I'm going to start my job search.

39 years old

how old are you

Government lawyer; make about $100k per year; decent benefits; fun co-workers but am bored out of my mind and feel like my life is wasting away. I feel like I am losing my litigation and research and writing skills. Do I have a good thing and don't know it? I have been doing this for a year now. A transfer anywhere else in the agency would be too much work requiring evenings and weekends which I couldn't do because I want to see my toddler. Also there is no flexibility at this job - no flex time or telecommuting.