On the future of law practice from an 80 y/o Partner: Forum

[MTal]

Reposting from jdunderground:

--LinkRemoved--

While I technically work for a solo, he's a solo because the prior firm of 4 partners dissolved a couple years ago. The partners still own the building and still operate basically the same way as they once did. So although I get paid by one guy, I do still do work for other lawyers/partners at my firm. Last night around 5:30 one of the senior partners comes into my office and sits down in front of me.

He's 80 and has been practicing for 55 years. He is very wealthy but in typical old school style he doesn't show it. He also likes to give me "advice" on both practice and life in general. Last night he came in and started lamenting how much harder it is to be a lawyer now then when he first came up through the ranks. He tells me how at one time lawyers were truly respected and being an attorney was indeed a noble well paid profession. He says back in the day you would never hear of a client bitching out his lawyer, or not paying just to spite him. Judges and counsel were always respectful to each other. Business was far easier to come by.

He says the way things are he's glad he is retired and only dabbling now. He told me that he can see me being a success, as I'm a "worker" and I'm "bright" but that I should really question whether to stick in this biz or not. He said, that even if you really, really love it, it's becoming far to stressful and economically unrewarding to keep at it. He said he went to a CLE the other day and when he found out what law schools are charging for tuition, the old bird said he almost fainted.

This my friends is coming from a veteran and something of a legend in the area. Sure, it's shitlaw, but this guy has made money....hundreds trials with favorable outcomes, he is as successful as you get in shitlaw....and he's saying bail.

Scary !

[No13baby]

Oh, you.

[romothesavior]

Old person; DR.

[rinkrat19]

That old guy is like my dad, insisting that you can still get a quality pair of shoes for $20, because that's what he paid in like 1984. Except this guy is 80 and even further out of touch.

[MTal]

Except this guy is 80 and even further out of touch.

Except that...you know...he's a practicing attorney.

[ThreeRivers]

Sounds like an old person talking about how much better things were in the glory days... As someone who has an education degree, this sounds word for word like how all old teachers talk lol

Anyways, headcases like you just hurt the message of being cautious about ls tbh

[ihhwap1]

.

[stratocophic]

Keep in mind that this man is in the same age demographic as the attorneys that happily advise people to go to their local TTT, whereupon the advisee stumbles into TLS and goes full retard at the suggestion that the advice they got was about as out of date as betamax.

[ThreeRivers]

An 80 year old man bitching about prices today, no respect now, how horrible times are, what's wrong with today, etc... AMAZING

One thing I respected the hell out of my 92 year old grandfather was he never once talked like that / could see all the improvements in his life, I hope I can be like that one day

[Mce252]

Maybe... he just got old? 80 year old people think everything has gone down the tube. Don't you watch fox news?

[BeenDidThat]

Oh, you.

[BeenDidThat]

MTal is the village idiot. Is there any way the mods could give him a title under his name reflecting such?

[MTal]

MTal is the village idiot. Is there any way the mods could give him a title under his name reflecting such?

Yes I'm the idiot....except that I have a job with benefits and am not hundreds of thousands in debt with no employment prospects. But yes you are right, I am the "idiot".

[ThreeRivers]

TBH though, if this guy has been practicing for 55 years, he got his JD in what: 1955 or 1956?

If someone doesn't know how much higher education put you ahead in the 50's compared to today, then they are a fucking moron

[Mce252]

TBH though, if this guy has been practicing for 55 years, he got his JD in what: 1955 or 1956?

If someone doesn't know how much higher education put you ahead in the 50's compared to today, then they are a fucking moron

I don't understand how this is relevant.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

MTal is the village idiot. Is there any way the mods could give him a title under his name reflecting such?

Yes I'm the idiot....except that I have a job with benefits and am not hundreds of thousands in debt with no employment prospects. But yes you are right, I am the "idiot".

"Idiot" can be a flexible word. There's nothing preventing the term from applying to multiple groups of people.

ETA: Old retired partner is saying that shitlaw is probably not a good idea anymore. ZOMG THIS IS BREAKING NEWS!!!!

[crazyblink653]

frankly i think if people who went to law schools even TEN years ago saw what schools charge in tuition nowadays, they'd probably faint, too.

the dude may be old, but he's not entirely off-base. the profession just isn't as respected as it used to be. though, i'd argue most traditionally well-heeled professions aren't as respected today as they used to be, with the possible exception of doctors.

[homestyle28]

Reposting from jdunderground:

--LinkRemoved--

He told me that he can see me being a success, as I'm a "worker" and I'm "bright"

Finally some good news from MTal!

[ThreeRivers]

TBH though, if this guy has been practicing for 55 years, he got his JD in what: 1955 or 1956?

If someone doesn't know how much higher education put you ahead in the 50's compared to today, then they are a fucking moron

I don't understand how this is relevant.

How is it not?

The OP posted something about a guy who graduated in 1955 saying how much harder it is for a JD than it was back in his day... I think that should be common sense, since going to college was quite rare then

[S-IV]

Oh, you.

MTal, why do you do this? Whatever job you have sounds wonderful - not because of the benefits or your lack of debt, but because we can reasonably assume that your job requires you to do nothing aside from posting on TLS.

We all appreciate your advocacy for alternative ideas here, but I'm just dying to hear your motive.

[BeenDidThat]

MTal is the village idiot. Is there any way the mods could give him a title under his name reflecting such?

Yes I'm the idiot....except that I have a job with benefits and am not hundreds of thousands in debt with no employment prospects. But yes you are right, I am the "idiot".

Your persistence in telling the same story even though no one cares what you think, when combined with your obliviousness of that fact, reminds me of Forrest Gump. I think we can agree that he was an idiot in the movie, and I'm glad you admit your idiocy.

[Bildungsroman]

tl;dr version: some old guy, as they are wont to do, blandly reminisces about how much better things were back in the day, glossing over all the negatives and artificially inflating all the positives.

[romothesavior]

tl;dr version: some old guy, as they are wont to do, blandly reminisces about how much better things were back in the day, glossing over all the negatives and artificially inflating all the positives.

Yeah, but he's not exactly wrong in this case. He lacks perspective on the industry as a whole, but there is no question that the investment has gotten substantially worse since his day.

[Bildungsroman]

tl;dr version: some old guy, as they are wont to do, blandly reminisces about how much better things were back in the day, glossing over all the negatives and artificially inflating all the positives.

Yeah, but he's not exactly wrong in this case. He lacks perspective on the industry as a whole, but there is no question that the investment has gotten substantially worse since his day.

So you just want to sit around and recite bland, oversimplified aphorisms?

[romothesavior]

tl;dr version: some old guy, as they are wont to do, blandly reminisces about how much better things were back in the day, glossing over all the negatives and artificially inflating all the positives.

Yeah, but he's not exactly wrong in this case. He lacks perspective on the industry as a whole, but there is no question that the investment has gotten substantially worse since his day.

So you just want to sit around and recite bland, oversimplified aphorisms?

Uhh... no?