Biglawyers. Are any of you happy? Was this job better than others you've had? Forum

[Anonymous User]

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.[/

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.

Sorry I'm happy in Biglaw and don't have to worry about money. I have a hint for you, you will quit for a job with half the pay and realize it sucks just as much. Biglaw is no worse than anything else, just pays more. Some people like you know how to make even the best situation suck. Go do some work at a homeless shelter, I've met people who work longer hours than me begging for a meal or diapers for their children. Get some perspective.

[wiz]

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.[/

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.

Sorry I'm happy in Biglaw and don't have to worry about money. I have a hint for you, you will quit for a job with half the pay and realize it sucks just as much. Biglaw is no worse than anything else, just pays more. Some people like you know how to make even the best situation suck. Go do some work at a homeless shelter, I've met people who work longer hours than me begging for a meal or diapers for their children. Get some perspective.

(Stockholm Syndrome victim who licks partner's shoes for no boneus)

[A. Nony Mouse]

Oh, so now we're not comparing big law with working with felons, we're comparing it to being homeless. Gotcha.

[los blancos]

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.

It appears that biglawl unhappiness is matched only by biglawl stockholm.

[wiz]

I never got stabbed working at a firm, and I've never had to beg for money (aside from bonuses and cheese plates). Get some perspective.

[los blancos]

lol I didn't even know this page existed when I wrote my post

[Johann]

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.

while most people view their jobs as work, there is a reason lawyer has been the 20 time reigning champ for least job satisfaction.

[Johann]

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.[/

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.

Sorry I'm happy in Biglaw and don't have to worry about money. I have a hint for you, you will quit for a job with half the pay and realize it sucks just as much. Biglaw is no worse than anything else, just pays more. Some people like you know how to make even the best situation suck. Go do some work at a homeless shelter, I've met people who work longer hours than me begging for a meal or diapers for their children. Get some perspective.

its also hilarious that all the retards trumpeting this theory do so anonymously because of they are scared of being associated as such a retard with their sn which is the inevitable fallout.

there is actual objective evidence that being a lawyer is one of the shittiest jobs that exists. whether you want to rank it 1 or 5 is up for debate, but its overwhelmingly considered not a good job relative to all other jobs.

[Cogburn87]

Sorry I'm happy in Biglaw and don't have to worry about money. I have a hint for you, you will quit for a job with half the pay and realize it sucks just as much. Biglaw is no worse than anything else, just pays more. Some people like you know how to make even the best situation suck. Go do some work at a homeless shelter, I've met people who work longer hours than me begging for a meal or diapers for their children. Get some perspective.

That's interesting, because I did quit biglaw for a job that pays a fraction of the amount, and I am much happier for doing so. But thanks anyway for the "hint," friend.

You can defend the job all you like, but arguments such as "99% of people hate their jobs!" and "Get some perspective, man! You could be homeless!" are tired and moronic.

[Anonymous User]

Accounting doesn't get enough attention in these posts. Why is it always CS? I did public accounting for a few years followed by a couple years in inhouse corporate finance before massively fucking up from a professional standpoint and going to law school. Most of my college friends that stayed on that track had a PT MBA paid for and now make what a junior big law associate does for 9-5 and no weekends. And their jobs are both more interesting and actually add real value beyond pushing paperwork in a transactional big law group. And their upside is higher if they want to chase upper management. And the entry level jobs in this field are easy to get out of even an average college.

To the people that think having good coworkers makes big law tolerable, how much are you actually billing? There is a tiny fraction of the socializing being done in big law in my experience compared with my prior career due to the constant unrelenting pressure of bill bill bill. A minute not billing is another minute you have to spend in that office churning out paperwork to build someone else's business. It makes for a terrible work environment.

I was a "rockstar" big4 manager. Four year promotion, leadership conferences, the whole shebang. I can honestly say your evaluation is way too rosy. They don't hand out 130k internal finance jobs like candy like you seem to suggest. Fuck, I was only making 90k base and the firm was desperate to retain me. I could have exited to maybe 110, tops. The best part is after you exit to industry you more or less stop getting raises.

Sure, if you make it to manager you have a pretty decent shot at it, but making it to manager means working biglaw hours while getting paid 60k a year in NY/SF, less elsewhere.

Also, ljl at accounting work being interesting at any level. Fucking partners at my firm were still reviewing tax returns (and this was a major market big4). The work is not interesting for these people.

I'm not saying you're going to exit public accounting to big law pay. Most of my friends didn't even stick around until manager, but went inhouse asap which usually meant right after senior. The key to comp is regular laterals for raises.

As far as how interesting the work is, I'd put transactional big law on par with public accounting. They're both 0/10 and no normal person finds either exciting. However, inhouse corporate finance is substantially more interesting than anything transactional law can offer, including inhouse. I get different people like different things and all that, but I don't know how anyone could disagree with that if they've worked both. Hours were definitely better in public accounting. There are a few busy months that approach normal big law hours, but the rest of the year wasn't bad.

I went to law school for all the wrong reasons and remember people advising against it. I rationalized it and told myself law would be better. I was wrong and those they tried to talk me out of law school, some on this forum included, were right.

[los blancos]

there is actual objective evidence that being a lawyer is one of the shittiest jobs that exists. whether you want to rank it 1 or 5 is up for debate, but its overwhelmingly considered not a good job relative to all other jobs.

Yeah, I do not believe for a second that even NYC big law automatically -> misery. But I don't think it's really at all debatable that it is largely incompatible with the things that make most normal people happy, well-rounded individuals, and that even within the field it's pretty clear that biglawyers are typically less happy than folks doing PI/gvmt/career clerking/&c. Basically, this:

... No one can really explain how it's going to be for you (whether positive or negative). I was surprised to find that there are people with (1) no plan to have a family, (2) no desire to maintain social lives, and (3) an earnest desire to strive forever and ever. For these people, biglaw is a blast. For people like me, it's not. TBH, I didn't really know I fell into the latter category as much as I do until I actually worked in biglaw for a while.

[jbagelboy]

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.[/

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.

Sorry I'm happy in Biglaw and don't have to worry about money. I have a hint for you, you will quit for a job with half the pay and realize it sucks just as much. Biglaw is no worse than anything else, just pays more. Some people like you know how to make even the best situation suck. Go do some work at a homeless shelter, I've met people who work longer hours than me begging for a meal or diapers for their children. Get some perspective.

I mean, lawyers could certainly use more perspective, but this argument falls on deaf ears (and ultimately isn't that compelling) because people who work at elite firms overwhelmingly (1) were born into privilege with greater expectations placed upon them, (2) invested heavily in their education and make sacrifices to avoid mundane work and mistreatment, and (3) consistently exercised at least a base-line threshold of good judgment that kept them eligible to work in a service profession governed by an exclusive license. Obviously they aren't as badly off as homeless people and food service workers on minimum wage. Still missing the point.

[Anonymous User]

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.

while most people view their jobs as work, there is a reason lawyer has been the 20 time reigning champ for least job satisfaction.

I am not sure why being satisfied with a high paying law firm job causes such a backlash. The reason lawyer has the least job satisfaction is the profession is filled with the most negative toxic people of any profession. If the same group of people was placed in another profession that profession would be the worst one. I am not sure how people admitted to law school cannot comprehend basic causation and correlation fallacies.

Law is filled with a ton of strivers with no perspective who can never be satisfied. Again, 99 percent of people would switch jobs with you in a heartbeat.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I don't know, dude, I don't work in a firm and I don't have any negative, toxic, striver colleagues. They're all pretty awesome.

[Johann]

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.

while most people view their jobs as work, there is a reason lawyer has been the 20 time reigning champ for least job satisfaction.

I am not sure why being satisfied with a high paying law firm job causes such a backlash. The reason lawyer has the least job satisfaction is the profession is filled with the most negative toxic people of any profession. If the same group of people was placed in another profession that profession would be the worst one. I am not sure how people admitted to law school cannot comprehend basic causation and correlation fallacies.

Law is filled with a ton of strivers with no perspective who can never be satisfied. Again, 99 percent of people would switch jobs with you in a heartbeat.

yeah in this thread people have already said they left biglaw and are happy. i was happy at previous jobs. i worked for an advertising company in collections/sales trying to make people pay their debt and actually enjoyed it. i figured all office jobs would be somewhat enjoyable. i also worked in multiple law firm jobs and while 2 were shit shows, working for a solo in 1 job was nice too. im a fairly happy person and actually tolerated biglaw for several months saying it was fine. so your theory is wrong.

of my graduated friends, 75% left law LOVE their new jobs. they range from teachers to compliance to politics. so youre wrong. you dont get to be 20 year running shittiest profession for some accident. also, there have been 2 major changes in law and the people going to law school since 1995, so it looks like almost everybody has tried this job and almost everyone has hated it. plenty of people after 2008 went to law school who would never have considered law because of the economy and they all hated it. good thing youre posting anonymously because your theory that people who bitch a lot pursue law is probably the dumbest theory ever. instead of oh you mean people who work 80 hour weeks, cant take scheduled vacations, dont get to see their family, and fear cancelling xmas plans 4 days before xmas are just whiners.

[Anonymous User]

I think I can explain what life in big law is like with a story from before I went to law school. When I was 24 I blew off weekend plans with a girlfriend to make an extra $200. She was upset and felt I was abnormally determined. She found a guy who put her first. In big law, my drive is probably below average.

Didn't mean to be anon.

[84651846190]

This thread is Ex. A as to why practicing law is terrible: so many law students and lawyers are burdened with crippling autism.

[Cogburn87]

I am not sure why being satisfied with a high paying law firm job causes such a backlash.

This is not why you are being called out. You either have very poor reading comprehension, or you are running low-IQ schtick. Neither is a very good look.

[Saddle Up]

My brother and sister are both in [Atlanta] big law. They both bitch a little but overall I think they love it.

[jrass]

99 percent of people are not happy and hate their job. Biglaw isn't perfect but it is one of the few jobs that actually requires intellectual thought. Is it perfect? No. But guess what I hang out with friends who get paid 30k for worse hours and hate their job. These friends have to worry about money constantly. I never do.

Bottom line: Biglaw may suck in its own ways but try find friends outside Biglaw and your law school class, 99 percent of them would switch spots with you in a heartbeat.

This is a really dumb rationalization. You deserve unhappiness.

while most people view their jobs as work, there is a reason lawyer has been the 20 time reigning champ for least job satisfaction.

I am not sure why being satisfied with a high paying law firm job causes such a backlash. The reason lawyer has the least job satisfaction is the profession is filled with the most negative toxic people of any profession. If the same group of people was placed in another profession that profession would be the worst one. I am not sure how people admitted to law school cannot comprehend basic causation and correlation fallacies.

Law is filled with a ton of strivers with no perspective who can never be satisfied. Again, 99 percent of people would switch jobs with you in a heartbeat.

yeah in this thread people have already said they left biglaw and are happy. i was happy at previous jobs. i worked for an advertising company in collections/sales trying to make people pay their debt and actually enjoyed it. i figured all office jobs would be somewhat enjoyable. i also worked in multiple law firm jobs and while 2 were shit shows, working for a solo in 1 job was nice too. im a fairly happy person and actually tolerated biglaw for several months saying it was fine. so your theory is wrong.

of my graduated friends, 75% left law LOVE their new jobs. they range from teachers to compliance to politics. so youre wrong. you dont get to be 20 year running shittiest profession for some accident. also, there have been 2 major changes in law and the people going to law school since 1995, so it looks like almost everybody has tried this job and almost everyone has hated it. plenty of people after 2008 went to law school who would never have considered law because of the economy and they all hated it. good thing youre posting anonymously because your theory that people who bitch a lot pursue law is probably the dumbest theory ever. instead of oh you mean people who work 80 hour weeks, cant take scheduled vacations, dont get to see their family, and fear cancelling xmas plans 4 days before xmas are just whiners.

I think a lot of things the internet says about it are true but overhyped. The work isn't exciting but not nearly as bad as doc review, and is intellectually stimulating from time to time. Some people are crazy and a nightmare, but most are very nice. The pay is amazing by comparison to other legal jobs, but not that great. Most of my colleagues would agree with me saying that in big law, the expectation is you'll think about work in some capacity from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed. I think that this is the most challenging aspect, and that your comfort with it is the single greatest factor in whether you'll be happy.

[Desert Fox]

[Anonymous User]

I've pretty much decided on coasting until I switch firms/jobs and life is much better now.... of course its hard to do for long, so hopefully i get out soon.

[los blancos]

The fact that people routinely leave biglaw for 50% pay cuts and never look back tells you all you have to know.

Not only this, but the competition for said jobs is unbelievably fierce and about 10x harder than getting biglaw in the first place.

[FluidMosaic]

OP here. Thank you for all of the real (and trolling) input. I don't know how helpful it is in differing from the typical TLS mantra but we will see for next year.

[BigZuck]

OP here. Thank you for all of the real (and trolling) input. I don't know how helpful it is in differing from the typical TLS mantra but we will see for next year.

u da real troll bro

"Was this job better than others you've had?"

hahahahaha, good job dude, you really put them in their place. And got 8 pages out of it to boot! Seriously well done, good stuff.