Why work for govt Forum

[XxSpyKEx]

Do you guys over at the feds actually punch a time clock, or were you all just referring to that metaphorically? (Punching a time clock as an attorney would be bullshit--it's like being a walmart employee.)

[mr.hands]

Metaphorically. No one punches a time clock except for unionized textile workers

Gov work is sweet, particularly if you have no or few loans. Hours are great and the work is likely more interesting

[Anonymous User]

Do you guys over at the feds actually punch a time clock, or were you all just referring to that metaphorically? (Punching a time clock as an attorney would be bullshit--it's like being a walmart employee.)

Lol when I started you actually had to sign in and out every day. Nobody ever looked at the sign-in sheets, but you still had to do it. Fortunately, they got rid of that about a year ago and now we are actually treated like normal professionals.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Do you guys over at the feds actually punch a time clock, or were you all just referring to that metaphorically? (Punching a time clock as an attorney would be bullshit--it's like being a walmart employee.)

I have to enter my hours each week (they want to know how many hours we spend on different kinds of matters), but it's assumed they total 40 and it's way less detailed/cumbersome than big law billing; you can just say you spent X% of your time this week on this kind of matter (not individual case) and y% of time on this other kind of matter. The boss here has said that if you go over 40 you should add that to your hours, but I know a lot of people who work more than 40 and never enter the extra hours (since we don't get leave for it where I am, it's just for admin's records).

[Anonymous User]

If you want some semblance of a life outside of work during your 20s, do you think it'd be better to go into government work?

I totally get the allure of firm work, big paychecks and all, but the instability is a bit worrying. Government pay isn't anything to thumb your nose at and the benefits and stability are very attractive. The firm v. government question has been doing my head in for weeks.

[spleenworship]

All my coworkers in their twenties are always having parties, going out for beer, goin to concerts, going on dates, etc. Averaging 50-60 hours a week (including 5 hours of lunch) really leaves time for fun. Sure, you're gonna be driving a used compact, but at least you get to drive it to do fun things. I play video games, watch shitty tv, and read a novel or two a week. And I help my kids with their homework and read them a story every night. I'm there until 7 now and then - and I put in 4-8 hours on the weekends sometimes for a trial or whatever, but overall I just don't work that hard. And my coworkers and I spend a fair amount of the day (30-60 minutes) just bullshitting.

[Anonymous User]

If you want some semblance of a life outside of work during your 20s, do you think it'd be better to go into government work?

I totally get the allure of firm work, big paychecks and all, but the instability is a bit worrying. Government pay isn't anything to thumb your nose at and the benefits and stability are very attractive. The firm v. government question has been doing my head in for weeks.

Federal government work is great, especially if your school has a good LRAP for those first 2 years that you aren't making six figures. The real problem is that there are very few real attorney jobs in the federal government that are entry-level and hiring even for places like the Department of Transportation is extremely competitive. Also, with a firm you have an offer in hand after 1L summer (that will almost certainly turn into a permanent offer). For government, you will be jobless until 3L, at which point you will conduct an incredibly stressful job hunt that may very well leave you unemployed. There's a few agencies that give advance commitments to a few of their interns from 2L summer but its very rare. So for most students at a T14, the law firm route is just much easier and less stressful and it's much easier to lateral into government than to start there as an entry level.

[XxSpyKEx]

For government, you will be jobless until 3L, at which point you will conduct an incredibly stressful job hunt that may very well leave you unemployed. There's a few agencies that give advance commitments to a few of their interns from 2L summer but its very rare. So for most students at a T14, the law firm route is just much easier and less stressful and it's much easier to lateral into government than to start there as an entry level.

Not necessarily. I think the typical path would be to intern your 1L year, go to a firm your 2L year (preferably doing similar work to what the agency does), get a full-time offer from the firm, and apply to 3L honors positions during your 3L fall. If none of the government positions pan out, you accept the firm offer.

[Anonymous User]

For government, you will be jobless until 3L, at which point you will conduct an incredibly stressful job hunt that may very well leave you unemployed. There's a few agencies that give advance commitments to a few of their interns from 2L summer but its very rare. So for most students at a T14, the law firm route is just much easier and less stressful and it's much easier to lateral into government than to start there as an entry level.

Not necessarily. I think the typical path would be to intern your 1L year, go to a firm your 2L year (preferably doing similar work to what the agency does), get a full-time offer from the firm, and apply to 3L honors positions during your 3L fall. If none of the government positions pan out, you accept the firm offer.

The problem with this is that you won't know if you got a job from many (probably most) agencies until well after the deadline to accept your biglaw offer passes. That means that to accept the government job you will have to renege your biglaw offer. This isn't the same as postponing for a year for a clerkship. Firms will be angry if you do this, and since many government attorneys end up at firms at some point in their career at least for a few years, this isn't a good thing. Also, many agencies, though not all, will frown on you doing biglaw 2L summer as a sign of lack of commitment to public service.