Anonymous wrote:I'm a Foreign Service Officer -- lots of former lawyers are my colleagues. The pay is lower of course but I hear that when you factor in benefits like free housing, free private education for your kids, etc. your take home is actually comparable to with Big Law.

You're delusional. You also need to factor in the pay cut (or total lack of a salary) the OP's husband would have to take if OP joined the FS.

I would take your maternity leave and then return to the firm part time. Get some more experience/specialization, get your loans paid off, and then try to make a move. This is a terrible legal market right now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Local government is a good suggestion. Interesting work, good hours, etc. I bet the pay isn't as high as the Feds but better pension most places.

I would not expect that to last long in the current & future fiscal environment facing state & locals.

They've been through their hell. Things are slowly looking up.

Agree with the PP who said to milk the firm situation and prepare for a long-term search. I left BIGLAW when my first was a year old. Went in-house at a trade association, where I was able to parlay some regulatory experience I'd gotten at the firm. Went from there to a government affairs job at a company in a related field. Contacts were really key to both moves. Definitely think about who you know and how you can make connections with more people -- bar association committees, alumni networks, etc.

Some BigLaw firms have part time Mommy-track positions that might fit your needs. I work at DOJ in a small litigating component of the Civil Division. It is a pretty sweet deal. The hours usually are very relaxed. Sometimes a case will demand longer hours, but it is rare and my case load is light. I don't remember the last time I worked a weekend or late night, and the work itself is interesting and engaging. That said, getting hired is no small thing. We've been under a hiring freeze for years with no end in sight. Last time we did have a position open we got over 500 applications. My understanding is that application statistic is now pretty typical across the Department.

Anonymous wrote:Local government is a good suggestion. Interesting work, good hours, etc. I bet the pay isn't as high as the Feds but better pension most places.

Just be careful with State gov. Yes, pay is lower. Also, the positions can be quite political. And the leadership can reflect that. You have been warned.

Anonymous wrote:Local government is a good suggestion. Interesting work, good hours, etc. I bet the pay isn't as high as the Feds but better pension most places.

I would not expect that to last long in the current & future fiscal environment facing state & locals.

Local government is a good suggestion. Interesting work, good hours, etc. I bet the pay isn't as high as the Feds but better pension most places.

OP, I was Big Law and left for SEC for same reasons you are looking. My advice is to milk whatever leave/family-friendly policies are available to you in your Big Law firm as long as possible, and prepare for an extended search if you are looking to move to USG (which is a smart move, IMO). Just be prepared for the fact that it could take you a couple of years to get in the door at an agency, and you will be taking a large pay cut.

One side benefit - I was a corporate/transactional lawyer prior to SEC, and morphed over time at the agency to a regulatory lawyer. I left after 7 years, and found because of change in economic climate that I was way more employable as a regulatory lawyer than I would have been as a straight corporate/transactional lawyer. So long-term, it may be something really good for your career trajectory as well as more family-friendly in the meantime.

Also, I second the opinion of the PP who said that taking a couple of years off would be a spectacularly bad idea if you want to continue to have a career as a lawyer in the future.

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Anonymous wrote:I also work for DOJ GS 15, interesting work- 40 hours- used to include some travel every few months but none this year or next due to budget. OP I wish you luck, but seriously you are 2 years late to the game- hiring freezes, numerous competitive and over qualified candidates for every position...

PP, this isn't helpful.

Seems quite helpful to me. You may not like what PP has to write, but that doesn't mean her input isn't helpful.

Telling the OP she is two years too late is not at all helpful.

it is if she wants to know what the hiring climate is today. I'd want to know that.