Any lawyers on TRF? Current law student seeking opinions

[sampelligrino]

Hey All,

I'm about to embark on my 3L year of law school and was hoping to get in touch with some lawyers on TRF just about their quality of life, if the "juice was worth the squeeze" kind of thing. I'm hoping to hear from any type of lawyer, transactional, trial, any specialty. At this point, I'm planning on finishing out law school and graduating, but I'm still uncertain about becoming a lawyer in this current job market and also studying for/taking the bar exam.

Ironically, law school (in specific my professional responsibility class) has done a great job of discouraging me to become a licensed attorney citing the long hours (some of which are uncompensated), high depression/drug abuse rates, fewer job opportunities, very high on the job stress and demands, and the long arduous path to partnerships.

I haven't had any real experience with lawyers (yet, thankfully I guess), and don't have any in the family. Was hoping to reach out to TRF to hear your thoughts on the journey you took to becoming a lawyer and learn from you guys, hear what you guys have to say about the reality of being a lawyer today. I know all about the lawyer stereotypes and jokes

I'm also going to be getting my MBA in the part-time program starting this year. Business has always been a passion of mine, originally I was hoping to be a corporate attorney/general counsel but now find myself leaning more towards just straight business administration-type job.

Any thoughts/opinions are greatly appreciated as always fellas.

Thanks! - Sammy

[Cru Jones]

Well, I guess it depends on whether you have a passion to do something other than "big law" and your debt load and where you want to live.

[perpetualman88]

my father and all of his friends are lawyers many of them owning their own firms. After about year 20-25 non of them like it anymore. Many are depressed and hate the high stress. My father is on a 2 year break after 26 years because he just needed a break he has his own independent practice

[Sarajevo]

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/1...n-money-dries#

This is all you need to know! I made the jump from big law firm to doing the kind of law I really want many years ago. Poorer? Yes. Happier? Immeasurably.

One thing I would say is that slugging it out for a few years in a large corporate firm will give you a lot of credibility in the future.

Best of luck with your choices.

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by perpetualman88

my father and all of his friends are lawyers many of them owning their own firms. After about year 20-25 non of them like it anymore. Many are depressed and hate the high stress. My father is on a 2 year break after 26 years because he just needed a break he has his own independent practice

Sometimes I am depressed as well so I assume that I am some kind of Lawyer

HAGWe

[kilyung]

My best friend is pretty content as an Asst US Attorney for DOJ... he loves prosecuting white collar crime. Most every other lawyer friend no longer practices but nearly everyone would agree the knowledge is invaluable in their respective fields.

[Silvio Mosiello]

Not a lawyer myself but I am close friends with many. You must have a passion for it and love what you do. If your miserable doing it then the salary is almost irrelevant imo. Happiness is worth more than anything.

[lavaman]

Pm me. And good on you for having the balls to ask the questions

[Armyguy03]

I'd also be interested in hearing different perspectives. I am deciding between law school and sticking with the intel field and getting a second masters in order to further diversify my skills.

Thanks all, and thanks Sammy.

[Andad]

Hi Sammy.

Yes, being a lawyer is worthwhile just for the jokes but we must be carefull as our leader Stavrodos is a senior legal eagle


A Texas attorney, realizing he was on the verge of unleashing a stupid question, interrupted himself and said, "Your Honor, I'd like to strike the next question."

Now are there any new ones I haven't heard?

[JasoninDenver]

I have 20 years experience - mostly as a Personal injury lawyer. Here is my honest opinion: The profession is brutal to new layers with diminishing returns on your educational investment. if it is your PASSION, you may be able to steam through the tough years of being overworked and underpaid. if not, you will certainly burn out.

I have been able to carve a niche in an area that, while certainly not my life passion, allows me to help people in times of need AND be my own boss. No, personal injury law is not a ticket to vast wealth for most people with any sense of morals. Like many other areas of law, you can have a very comfortable living and I am fortunate in that regard.

The vast majority (well over 50%) of lawyers I know are unhappy in their job. Sad but true. For many this spills over into their personal lives in the form of depression or substance abuse.

Those that are happy seem to have a difficult time with work life balance issues and would probably be workaholics in any job. This does not apply to those who have a PASSION for their practice.

Nearly every business owner I have met has a higher level of happiness.

If it were up to me to do it again, I would focus on the business side and figure out a way to run my own show in a different field.

Finally, the changes to the profession that are just now starting to hit such as increased outsourcing, allocation of more work to paralegals, pressure from business clients to lower hourly rates and more troubling for you, the huge number of students in law school right now entering into an already flooded market, are going to make the next few years even more trying for new lawyers.

I routinely get resumes from law students, and even exprienced lawyers, offering to work as secretaries or law clerks as a way to find ANY job. TOUGH TIMES.

I wish you the best and feel free to PM me if you want to discuss in more detail.

[conrail]

I hope I don't practice law forever, but I'll say that getting your JD and practicing for a while is excellent training for the business world and is highly valued if you want to move on to another field.

[sampelligrino]

Thanks for the input so far guys, really appreciate it. Looks like I wasn't wrong to also pursue an MBA! Honestly, I just don't think the passion is there for me to put in the hours and work day in and day out to be a lawyer. The idea of a lawyer is great to me and while I think I have a reasonable understanding of some fields of law, I think the true passion to do the job is missing.

[sampelligrino]

Originally Posted by JasoninDenver

I have 20 years experience - mostly as a Personal injury lawyer. Here is my honest opinion: The profession is brutal to new layers with diminishing returns on your educational investment. if it is your PASSION, you may be able to steam through the tough years of being overworked and underpaid. if not, you will certainly burn out.

I have been able to carve a niche in an area that, while certainly not my life passion, allows me to help people in times of need AND be my own boss. No, personal injury law is not a ticket to vast wealth for most people with any sense of morals. Like many other areas of law, you can have a very comfortable living and I am fortunate in that regard.

The vast majority (well over 50%) of lawyers I know are unhappy in their job. Sad but true. For many this spills over into their personal lives in the form of depression or substance abuse.

Those that are happy seem to have a difficult time with work life balance issues and would probably be workaholics in any job. This does not apply to those who have a PASSION for their practice.

Nearly every business owner I have met has a higher level of happiness.

If it were up to me to do it again, I would focus on the business side and figure out a way to run my own show in a different field.

Finally, the changes to the profession that are just now starting to hit such as increased outsourcing, allocation of more work to paralegals, pressure from business clients to lower hourly rates and more troubling for you, the huge number of students in law school right now entering into an already flooded market, are going to make the next few years even more trying for new lawyers.

I routinely get resumes from law students, and even exprienced lawyers, offering to work as secretaries or law clerks as a way to find ANY job. TOUGH TIMES.

I wish you the best and feel free to PM me if you want to discuss in more detail.

Well thanks Jason! Lol but seriously, appreciate your sentiments and I believe your opinion is in the consensus based on what I've heard around my town as well.

[Jim M]

Look up the Chapter 13 Standing Trustee where you are and see if he is hiring paralegals or case administrators on part time basis and get a taste for his industry.

This sector has been immune to economics of law firms. Whether a staff attorney or actual trustee the job is rewarding, reasonable hours and compensation might be the fairest of law industry for the work performed.

[Pup]

As a member of the Bar for 30 years, I can say the most important thing for you to do as a 3L is to start clerking or interning NOW. When I was a 3L back in the early 80's, I had no clue what the real practice of law was about and despite moot court availability in school, etc., until I began clerking for a general practice firm. It was small enough (3 lawyers) that I didn't just sit around with a "green eyeshade" on writing memos...I was researching and writing motions, briefs, contracts, domestic documents, title opinions, etc. All submitted to a partner for review and revision, of course; at first the drafts were "dripping" with red ink, but gradually less and less until at the end of the year many of them were just reviewed and signed by the practicing attorney for whom I had prepared the documents.

Many states, as did mine, have legal intern programs where you can test for and receive a limited license under which you can actually appear in court on non-contested matters WHILE YOU'RE STILL IN LAW SCHOOL.

The point of the recommendation is that if you clerk/intern at a general practice firm while you're a 3L, by the time you get ready to graduate and sit for the Bar exam, you'll have a pretty darn good idea what type of law into which you want to delve or, of equal importance, whether you want to even go into the actual practice itself rather than using your legal training solely as a foundation for some other business. Good luck to you, whichever tine of the "fork in the road" you choose.