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I worked in a law firm and absolutely hated it. I have an interview coming up this week at a prosecutor's office. I'm hoping I like that better. I wondering what would be ideal jobs for someone that just wants a 9-5 job. I'm a 3L so I think it is too late to drop out at this point. Any advice would be appreciated.

I get the feeling that DA or PD office are far from 9-5.

The only JDs that I know working 9-5 are in some non-judicial government/PI positions, in areas like economic development or foundations, and many agencies.

r6_philly wrote:I get the feeling that DA or PD office are far from 9-5.

The only JDs that I know working 9-5 are in some non-judicial government/PI positions, in areas like economic development or foundations, and many agencies.

PD offices are often 9-5, sometimes more like 10-4.

Its kind of strange. PDs do have an absurd caseload, but that doesn't really translate into increased hours. Average day at a public defender's office involves maybe 2-3 hours of court time, 1 hour communicating with the prosecution about cases, 2 hours of witness interviewing/client meetings/trips to the jail, and 2 hours of miscellaneous stuff.

Only time you'd really have to work is in the lead up to a jury trial, and even then, we're only talking like a couple hours of additional invested time. And, of course, if a trial runs overtime you have no choice but to stick around. But still, in my experience it would be very strange for someone to stay in the office much past 5:00.

i worked at a govt agency this summer and everyone was gone by 5pm, and the lights all turned out in the building by 6pm. it was wonderful. the work environment was also very laid back, and i got to work with lots of non-lawyers in different fields. not too many agencies are hiring this year bc of funding, but try for those that are OP.

Displeased wrote:

r6_philly wrote:I get the feeling that DA or PD office are far from 9-5.

The only JDs that I know working 9-5 are in some non-judicial government/PI positions, in areas like economic development or foundations, and many agencies.

PD offices are often 9-5, sometimes more like 10-4.

Its kind of strange. PDs do have an absurd caseload, but that doesn't really translate into increased hours. Average day at a public defender's office involves maybe 2-3 hours of court time, 1 hour communicating with the prosecution about cases, 2 hours of witness interviewing/client meetings/trips to the jail, and 2 hours of miscellaneous stuff.

Only time you'd really have to work is in the lead up to a jury trial, and even then, we're only talking like a couple hours of additional invested time. And, of course, if a trial runs overtime you have no choice but to stick around. But still, in my experience it would be very strange for someone to stay in the office much past 5:00.

That sounds pretty sweet, only if they paid more!

Displeased wrote:

r6_philly wrote:I get the feeling that DA or PD office are far from 9-5.

The only JDs that I know working 9-5 are in some non-judicial government/PI positions, in areas like economic development or foundations, and many agencies.

PD offices are often 9-5, sometimes more like 10-4.

Its kind of strange. PDs do have an absurd caseload, but that doesn't really translate into increased hours. Average day at a public defender's office involves maybe 2-3 hours of court time, 1 hour communicating with the prosecution about cases, 2 hours of witness interviewing/client meetings/trips to the jail, and 2 hours of miscellaneous stuff.

Only time you'd really have to work is in the lead up to a jury trial, and even then, we're only talking like a couple hours of additional invested time. And, of course, if a trial runs overtime you have no choice but to stick around. But still, in my experience it would be very strange for someone to stay in the office much past 5:00.

Really? A couple hours to prepare for a trial? Why do all of the BigLaw associates I know who've done pro bono criminal defense cases end up spending hundreds of hours on cases that goto trial? Overachievers?

Career clerk.

If you are looking to take it easy, try to break into teaching, that is less 9-5 and more like 10 hours a week, which if you are lucky are in the early afternoon or late morning.

How does one become a career clerk?

In-house counsel is the way to go if you want predictable, reasonable hours. Not true 100% of the time, of course (what professional job is?), but definitely less rigorous than law firm schedules.

IAFG wrote:Career clerk.

TCR

newbienew wrote:How does one become a career clerk?

I don't know, but there are so few and it's such a swank job that I imagine "bu in the right place at the right time and incredibly lucky" is probably a big part of it.

IAFG wrote:Career clerk.

Any idea on the salary structures for these dudes?

Anonymous User wrote:If you are looking to take it easy, try to break into teaching, that is less 9-5 and more like 10 hours a week, which if you are lucky are in the early afternoon or late morning.

People don't just walk into teaching law, not on a tenure track at least. You gear everything you do towards it or you don't do it -- legal academia is not really a fallback.

Tom Joad wrote:

IAFG wrote:Career clerk.

Any idea on the salary structures for these dudes?

Depends on Federal or state. Federal is the standardized "level" shit I am pretty sure.

Anonymous User wrote:I worked in a law firm and absolutely hated it. I have an interview coming up this week at a prosecutor's office. I'm hoping I like that better. I wondering what would be ideal jobs for someone that just wants a 9-5 job. I'm a 3L so I think it is too late to drop out at this point. Any advice would be appreciated.

Pharmacist.

OP here

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I talked to my interviewer today for the interview I'm going to have Thursday at the prosecutor's office. He sounds really laid back. This should be good.

anon168 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I worked in a law firm and absolutely hated it. I have an interview coming up this week at a prosecutor's office. I'm hoping I like that better. I wondering what would be ideal jobs for someone that just wants a 9-5 job. I'm a 3L so I think it is too late to drop out at this point. Any advice would be appreciated.

Pharmacist.

More like PharmacisTTT. Such a total and complete glut of them out there nowadays. Have multiple friends who went through four years of pharmacy school only to end up joining the military because that was the only way they could realistically pay off their loans before they were 40.
Also, pharmacists work retail hours or hospital hours (re: not 9-5).

KidStuddi wrote:

Displeased wrote:

r6_philly wrote:I get the feeling that DA or PD office are far from 9-5.

The only JDs that I know working 9-5 are in some non-judicial government/PI positions, in areas like economic development or foundations, and many agencies.

PD offices are often 9-5, sometimes more like 10-4.

Its kind of strange. PDs do have an absurd caseload, but that doesn't really translate into increased hours. Average day at a public defender's office involves maybe 2-3 hours of court time, 1 hour communicating with the prosecution about cases, 2 hours of witness interviewing/client meetings/trips to the jail, and 2 hours of miscellaneous stuff.

Only time you'd really have to work is in the lead up to a jury trial, and even then, we're only talking like a couple hours of additional invested time. And, of course, if a trial runs overtime you have no choice but to stick around. But still, in my experience it would be very strange for someone to stay in the office much past 5:00.

Really? A couple hours to prepare for a trial? Why do all of the BigLaw associates I know who've done pro bono criminal defense cases end up spending hundreds of hours on cases that goto trial? Overachievers?

Hundreds of hours on a criminal trial? Unless its white collar, or some preposterously complex murder case, I don't see how you could possibly justify that kind of time expenditure. What are they doing for hundreds of hours?

A typical criminal trial at the PD's office lasts about one day, involves maybe a half-dozen witnesses, and usually involves a relatively straightforward legal issue (self-defense, intent, etc). There's just only so much you can do. Talk to witnesses, think through evidentiary concerns, write up jury instructions, worry about voir dire, and think about your opening statement.

Granted, a couple hours is a bit of an exaggeration, but I'd be surprised if your average public defender in an average felony jury trial has more than ten hours of genuine trial prep under his belt. Even less for bench trials. Much less than that for misdemeanors that go to trial.

pharmacist. go back to pharmacy school

damn SCOOOPED! what a great gig

KidStuddi wrote:

anon168 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I worked in a law firm and absolutely hated it. I have an interview coming up this week at a prosecutor's office. I'm hoping I like that better. I wondering what would be ideal jobs for someone that just wants a 9-5 job. I'm a 3L so I think it is too late to drop out at this point. Any advice would be appreciated.

Pharmacist.

More like PharmacisTTT. Such a total and complete glut of them out there nowadays. Have multiple friends who went through four years of pharmacy school only to end up joining the military because that was the only way they could realistically pay off their loans before they were 40.
Also, pharmacists work retail hours or hospital hours (re: not 9-5).

I have a pharmacist friend in Colorado who makes $120k starting. She works at a Walgreens.

IAFG wrote:

Tom Joad wrote:

IAFG wrote:Career clerk.

Any idea on the salary structures for these dudes?

Depends on Federal or state. Federal is the standardized "level" shit I am pretty sure.

Federal career clerks can make a little over six figures, right?

Federal PD

paulinaporizkova wrote:

KidStuddi wrote:

anon168 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I worked in a law firm and absolutely hated it. I have an interview coming up this week at a prosecutor's office. I'm hoping I like that better. I wondering what would be ideal jobs for someone that just wants a 9-5 job. I'm a 3L so I think it is too late to drop out at this point. Any advice would be appreciated.

Pharmacist.

More like PharmacisTTT. Such a total and complete glut of them out there nowadays. Have multiple friends who went through four years of pharmacy school only to end up joining the military because that was the only way they could realistically pay off their loans before they were 40.
Also, pharmacists work retail hours or hospital hours (re: not 9-5).

I have a pharmacist friend in Colorado who makes $120k starting. She works at a Walgreens.

Now I'm curious which is a more accurate view of the industry. 4 years ago I could easily have said "I have a lawyer friend who makes $160K starting" and it would have been true, but once I looked into it I realized that the legal industry as extremely apocalyptic/feast-or-famine.

Career law clerk for judge is TCR, by far. I know one who has been working for the same state judge for like 15 years, has amazing job security, like the only way he's out of a job is if the world ends or the judge dies or something because the judge literally can't function without him. Anyways, he's in the courtroom by 10 out at 4. That's on a busy day.

How much does he make though? 125k and it keeps going up somehow.