What is the sweetest law job? Forum

[abogadesq]

similarly I know someone who works as an examiner for the uspto making in the 140k range doing all of his work from home, ostensibly out of the Alexandria office, but from a city on the west coast. because he only needs to complete a certain amount of "points" per period, he can not work for two weeks and then work like crazy for two weeks if he wants so his "vacation" time is pretty elastic. seems pretty fucking sweet.

That's right. With the Feds you can telework from home. However, your attorney supervisor has to approve, and that can be tricky when he/she is an ass.

[goden]

cso?

[Emma.]

Family attorney for a high net worth family.

[whats an updog]

CSO seems like you have to network a lot. I mean if you care anyway. Also might lack job security. Might give you an unwarranted sense of authority though as uninformed and desperate law students vie for your walk-in hours

[sinfiery]

biglaw partner; work for 3 years then live off annuity for life

[cookiejar1]

Legal writing and research professor. Just chill and turn in graded papers 3 weeks late. Rinse and repeat.

[Anonymous User]

similarly I know someone who works as an examiner for the uspto making in the 140k range doing all of his work from home, ostensibly out of the Alexandria office, but from a city on the west coast. because he only needs to complete a certain amount of "points" per period, he can not work for two weeks and then work like crazy for two weeks if he wants so his "vacation" time is pretty elastic. seems pretty fucking sweet.

That's right. With the Feds you can telework from home. However, your attorney supervisor has to approve, and that can be tricky when he/she is an ass.

This isn't the norm for Feds at all. There's a few lucky agencies that let you do this, most notably the USPTO, but at most agencies you can telework at most 1 day a week and even then it's rare for first or second years and nearly impossible for senior lawyers that supervise.

[FSK]

Family attorney for a high net worth family.

Ah yes, the old Bob Loblaw.

[whats an updog]

similarly I know someone who works as an examiner for the uspto making in the 140k range doing all of his work from home, ostensibly out of the Alexandria office, but from a city on the west coast. because he only needs to complete a certain amount of "points" per period, he can not work for two weeks and then work like crazy for two weeks if he wants so his "vacation" time is pretty elastic. seems pretty fucking sweet.

That's right. With the Feds you can telework from home. However, your attorney supervisor has to approve, and that can be tricky when he/she is an ass.

This isn't the norm for Feds at all. There's a few lucky agencies that let you do this, most notably the USPTO, but at most agencies you can telework at most 1 day a week and even then it's rare for first or second years and nearly impossible for senior lawyers that supervise.

Well the other Feds should get their acts together.

[Danger Zone]

Family attorney for a high net worth family.

Ah yes, the old Bob Loblaw.

Have you seen Bob Loblaw's law blog recently

[Anonymous User]

I think clinical professor would be better. Still get to be a lawyer to the extent you want to be.

Is my job. Can confirm, is a pretty awesome job.

[bballbrett5]

I think clinical professor would be better. Still get to be a lawyer to the extent you want to be.

Is my job. Can confirm, is a pretty awesome job.

How did you get it?

[Anonymous User]

similarly I know someone who works as an examiner for the uspto making in the 140k range doing all of his work from home, ostensibly out of the Alexandria office, but from a city on the west coast. because he only needs to complete a certain amount of "points" per period, he can not work for two weeks and then work like crazy for two weeks if he wants so his "vacation" time is pretty elastic. seems pretty fucking sweet.

That's right. With the Feds you can telework from home. However, your attorney supervisor has to approve, and that can be tricky when he/she is an ass.

This isn't the norm for Feds at all. There's a few lucky agencies that let you do this, most notably the USPTO, but at most agencies you can telework at most 1 day a week and even then it's rare for first or second years and nearly impossible for senior lawyers that supervise.

Well the other Feds should get their acts together.

Then maybe I am at a lucky agency because I just started a couple of months ago and they are encouraging me to telework one day a week, though I dont trust myself to get anything done at home . . .

But the every other Friday thing is pretty sweet with comp hours if you work anything over the 40 per week

[whats an updog]

Need a comprehensive list of federal agencies with significant telework opportunities.

[Anonymous User]

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is chill as fuck

[BiglawAssociate]

Fed gov that doesn't involve litigation

[BiglawAssociate]

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is chill as fuck

Only people I knew who went there are JD/master's in urban planning. Is a master's in urban planning necessary?

[smallfirmassociate]

This is probably weird, but I think the answer for me is actually the job I already have. Small firm specializing in a niche area of law I love with great coworkers and with a 1600 billable hour requirement and a bonus model that means that as long as I meet that requirement, I make more than major market biglaw total comp for my class year.

Similar job here. For me, it's a good deal of civil lit, municipal work, and a little criminal defense to complement a growing transactional practice. I didn't quite hit 1600 hours my first year as partner but pulled in NYC biglaw senior associate (including bonus) money in a low CoL area.

It was a leap of faith to take the job at associate pay out of law school (which is definitely NOT NYC pay), but that risk has paid off. Can't really imagine a better gig. Occasionally think about putting in a package for the bench, but that involves sitting through a much higher number of tedious trials than I currently do. Sometimes it sounds nice to be an Art. III judge, but if you've ever been in full chambers with a federal judge and various biglawyers arguing over yet another stupid pretrial motion like their ninth motion in limine or motion for Daubert hearing or whatever, it's borderline intolerable and I'd rather try to burn off my eyelashes with sparklers. And don't get me started on regulatory cases brought by the USAO where you sit through two weeks of testimony admitting financial documents...

Professorship means you put up with academic administrators and other professors, not to mention the share of students who are entitled and obnoxious.

All things considered, I think a balanced law practice where the lawyer is in charge of his caseload and overall rhythm of practice is probably the best job.

[Anonymous User]

I'm a few months over one year at my career clerk position for a fed district court judge.

I don't have a single complaint. In fact, I freaking love my job. I go in excited every morning, I'm never stressed, I'm (almost) always fascinated by my work, the judge is the best boss I can imagine, I set my own hours, everyone I work with is nice, smart, and easygoing, the list goes on.

I wouldn't mind making more, but I wouldn't trade this job for anything.

[FSK]

I've heard patent/trademark examiner is pretty great. For both, you can telework 100% after a few years. Also for both, it can get pretty mindnumbing.

[Anonymous User]

This is probably weird, but I think the answer for me is actually the job I already have. Small firm specializing in a niche area of law I love with great coworkers and with a 1600 billable hour requirement and a bonus model that means that as long as I meet that requirement, I make more than major market biglaw total comp for my class year.

Similar job here. For me, it's a good deal of civil lit, municipal work, and a little criminal defense to complement a growing transactional practice. I didn't quite hit 1600 hours my first year as partner but pulled in NYC biglaw senior associate (including bonus) money in a low CoL area.

It was a leap of faith to take the job at associate pay out of law school (which is definitely NOT NYC pay), but that risk has paid off. Can't really imagine a better gig. Occasionally think about putting in a package for the bench, but that involves sitting through a much higher number of tedious trials than I currently do. Sometimes it sounds nice to be an Art. III judge, but if you've ever been in full chambers with a federal judge and various biglawyers arguing over yet another stupid pretrial motion like their ninth motion in limine or motion for Daubert hearing or whatever, it's borderline intolerable and I'd rather try to burn off my eyelashes with sparklers. And don't get me started on regulatory cases brought by the USAO where you sit through two weeks of testimony admitting financial documents...

Professorship means you put up with academic administrators and other professors, not to mention the share of students who are entitled and obnoxious.

All things considered, I think a balanced law practice where the lawyer is in charge of his caseload and overall rhythm of practice is probably the best job.

I'm the anon above. Yeah, what it comes down to for me is (a) I don't know if I could be anywhere near as happy if I weren't practicing. I love coming up with crazy ideas for how to get my clients out of a mess. I love winning when I know I should win.

And (b), I hate bureaucracy. It's why I wasn't happy at a huge firm, it's why I wouldn't be happy dealing with an administration as a law professor, and it's why I don't aspire to Article III. Yes, it's very very hard to get removed from the bench as an Article III judge, but you better keep up with your decisions or everyone is going to hate you. A lot. And the government keeps track of how far behind you are on your decisions and pressures you to keep up. I would not like that at all. So I prefer a small and nimble firm where I can go to the founders and be like "hey we should do this" and they're like "that makes sense, cool, done."

Also separate and apart from that, if I were a district court judge every time I dealt with a habeas corpus petition that only came out the way it did because of AEDPA I would go into a rage.

[Anonymous User]

This is probably weird, but I think the answer for me is actually the job I already have. Small firm specializing in a niche area of law I love with great coworkers and with a 1600 billable hour requirement and a bonus model that means that as long as I meet that requirement, I make more than major market biglaw total comp for my class year.

I feel the same way, though in a different situation. I'm in a niche practice group at non-vault biglaw. It's long hours, but not ruin-your-life hours, no all-nighters etc., and I love the work. I make less than the 160 scale but still a hell of a lot IMO.

I could never be a professor. Other than the teaching, you're basically your own boss, and personally that would make me miserable. I don't know whether this is a rare personality trait or if a lot of people just don't cop to it, but I need the structure of having a real boss and real deadlines. Even if you make partner, you've still got 1) clients and 2) firm management setting your schedule. I guess as a professor, publishers set deadlines, but that's not the same on a day-to-day basis.

[Anonymous User]

I'm a few months over one year at my career clerk position for a fed district court judge.

I don't have a single complaint. In fact, I freaking love my job. I go in excited every morning, I'm never stressed, I'm (almost) always fascinated by my work, the judge is the best boss I can imagine, I set my own hours, everyone I work with is nice, smart, and easygoing, the list goes on.

I wouldn't mind making more, but I wouldn't trade this job for anything.

Does it bother you at all that someone else's name goes on your work? I'm sort of embarrassed to admit it, but the thing that makes me not want to be a permanent clerk is that I like my name going on the things I write.

[XxSpyKEx]

I'm a few months over one year at my career clerk position for a fed district court judge.

I don't have a single complaint. In fact, I freaking love my job. I go in excited every morning, I'm never stressed, I'm (almost) always fascinated by my work, the judge is the best boss I can imagine, I set my own hours, everyone I work with is nice, smart, and easygoing, the list goes on.

I wouldn't mind making more, but I wouldn't trade this job for anything.

It's def not for everyone though. I got pretty sick of clerking after about 8-9 months (luckily, my clerkship was only one-year term). I like practicing better, and was very ready to start practicing after 8-9 months. The salary as a career clerk is pretty good (don't you get JSP-14 after a couple years?), though, for a job where you literally get to work 40 hour weeks (although, that's contingent on not working for a crazy judge).

[whats an updog]

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is chill as fuck

Only people I knew who went there are JD/master's in urban planning. Is a master's in urban planning necessary?

Yeah also interested in that. Also is it chill as in telework or just chill office?