Anonymous
Post 02/08/2026 13:13     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
JD plus MLS academic law librarian in a law school can be a wonderful job/ life.

Set hours, academic environment, great colleagues, campus life….
Anonymous
Post 02/08/2026 10:55     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand law firm lawyers who cry about long hours. I'm a solo practitioner, make about $400k, and work 25 to 30 hours a week. Am I a BigLaw partner making $7m? No, but I drop off and pick up my DC's from school every day and I take 3 vacations abroad with them every year. Life as a lawyer only sucks if you chose to make it suck.


Most BigLaw partners don’t make 7M either


Before I walked into a settlement conference, I told BigLaw opposing counsel that I would settle for $ X.

Opposing counsel said opposing counsel's client wouldn't agree.

Two minutes into settlement conference, opposing counsel's client's burst out with a settlement offer of $ X +++.

What could possibly explain opposing counsel's behavior except wanting to bill for the settlement conference?

Honest question here. Does Big Law basically mean your job is to be a lawyer for crappy corporations?


Pretty much.

The funny thing is I'm a lawyer who interacts with a bunch of other lawyers and the work we get from BigLaw tends to be terrible. We almost wonder if they're slow walking work to get billables. Maybe they're good in other areas but in my field you are much better off going to a boutique firm.
Anonymous
Post 02/08/2026 09:52     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Seems like a waste of a law degree and a huge income loss?


Being a lawyer sucks.


Yes, it does. Former lawyers are all over the place, including being stay at home parents with an even bigger income loss than law librarian.


+1 every lawyer I know in real life says they hate being a lawyer. The only happy ones are on DCUM apparently

Shoot I’m not a lawyer but in an executive role that I fantasize leaving for some quiet mid-tier individual contributor role


I’m a Fed Gov lawyer who LOVED my job for over 2 decades, but now am thinking of resigning.
Anonymous
Post 02/08/2026 09:21     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
How many law librarian jobs are there now? I know a law librarian. When she started her career there were multiple law librarians across multiple cities in her big law firm. Now she is the only one.
Anonymous
Post 02/08/2026 09:20     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
Well, everyone hates lawyers and people don’t hate librarians.
Anonymous
Post 02/08/2026 09:19     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand law firm lawyers who cry about long hours. I'm a solo practitioner, make about $400k, and work 25 to 30 hours a week. Am I a BigLaw partner making $7m? No, but I drop off and pick up my DC's from school every day and I take 3 vacations abroad with them every year. Life as a lawyer only sucks if you chose to make it suck.


Most BigLaw partners don’t make 7M either


Honest question here. Does Big Law basically mean your job is to be a lawyer for crappy corporations?


Pretty much.

The funny thing is I'm a lawyer who interacts with a bunch of other lawyers and the work we get from BigLaw tends to be terrible. We almost wonder if they're slow walking work to get billables. Maybe they're good in other areas but in my field you are much better off going to a boutique firm.
Anonymous
Post 02/08/2026 09:14     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
Anonymous wrote:Seems like a waste of a law degree and a huge income loss?


My friend did it because being partner track was giving him a nervous breakdown.
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 23:56     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand law firm lawyers who cry about long hours. I'm a solo practitioner, make about $400k, and work 25 to 30 hours a week. Am I a BigLaw partner making $7m? No, but I drop off and pick up my DC's from school every day and I take 3 vacations abroad with them every year. Life as a lawyer only sucks if you chose to make it suck.

What kind of work are you doing? I didn't think most solos were making $400K. How are you getting new paying clients, or did they follow you from a law firm?
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 07:42     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand law firm lawyers who cry about long hours. I'm a solo practitioner, make about $400k, and work 25 to 30 hours a week. Am I a BigLaw partner making $7m? No, but I drop off and pick up my DC's from school every day and I take 3 vacations abroad with them every year. Life as a lawyer only sucks if you chose to make it suck.


Most BigLaw partners don’t make 7M either


Honest question here. Does Big Law basically mean your job is to be a lawyer for crappy corporations?
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 23:09     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand law firm lawyers who cry about long hours. I'm a solo practitioner, make about $400k, and work 25 to 30 hours a week. Am I a BigLaw partner making $7m? No, but I drop off and pick up my DC's from school every day and I take 3 vacations abroad with them every year. Life as a lawyer only sucks if you chose to make it suck.


Most BigLaw partners don’t make 7M either
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 23:06     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand law firm lawyers who cry about long hours. I'm a solo practitioner, make about $400k, and work 25 to 30 hours a week. Am I a BigLaw partner making $7m? No, but I drop off and pick up my DC's from school every day and I take 3 vacations abroad with them every year. Life as a lawyer only sucks if you chose to make it suck.


What kind of law do you practice? I think the problem is that the legal specialties with the best quality of life are rarely the ones new lawees are attracted to. I thought I wanted to be a litigator out if law school. Later I realized I should have gone into T&E for the lifestyle and client relationships I prefer. But I didn't get that at 28. Not too late now, but annoying to switch.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 22:59     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
I don't understand law firm lawyers who cry about long hours. I'm a solo practitioner, make about $400k, and work 25 to 30 hours a week. Am I a BigLaw partner making $7m? No, but I drop off and pick up my DC's from school every day and I take 3 vacations abroad with them every year. Life as a lawyer only sucks if you chose to make it suck.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 20:00     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
A question only someone who isn’t a lawyer would ask, lol
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 19:42     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
lol. OP, do you know any lawyers?

I’ll ask my lawyer DH about this. I haven’t seen him in 5 days, but I’ll text him.

There’s your answer.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 19:32     Subject: Why would anyone transition from being a lawyer to a law librarian?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Tuition discount for their children?


That's a possibility. Not every law graduate goes on to make partner in big law. On average, income isn't very high for lawyers, specially ones not willing to sacrifice their ethical beliefs or family life.


Most biglaw lawyers are like NFL running backs--you have a very short window to make this kind of money before you either are forced out or the pain of the job causes you to leave.


Honestly this is a great analogy