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Drafting a dry complaint so I thought I would share details of my life with perfect strangers to keep myself amused. Ask away but remember, this thread must be concluded by happy-hour.

Do you miss it?

did you change specialties?

general info?

Anonymous User wrote:Do you miss it?

I miss the steady and predictable pay. Other than that - no.

did you change specialties?

general info?

Yes. Switch was within civil lit though mostly.

T-14, 2ndary market.

On PAYE/IBR, or debt free? How aggressively did you pay any loans before leaving the big firm?

What group were you in Biglaw? What type of work do you do in Shitlaw? How is the work different?

How'd you select your current firm as a landing spot? Why did you make the move?

d cooper wrote:On PAYE/IBR, or debt free? How aggressively did you pay any loans before leaving the big firm?

Yep. Not aggressively at all. Read the horror stories on chatweets like this so hoarded my money under the proverbial mattress. That was a 180 decision in retrospect. TLS SAVED MY LIFE - THANKS TLS!

What group were you in Biglaw? What type of work do you do in Shitlaw? How is the work different?

Biglaw - lets just say general lit (did a fair amount of class actions) with a fair amount of disco thrown in too.

Shitlaw - a different kind of lit more specialized and amenable to shitlaw practice. Work is different in that now I do everything partners did at my old firm. So its like being a partner essentially but without the $$$. Oh, also I do a lot of the stuff paralegals used to do for me. So its also like being a paralegal.

Do you regret starting in biglaw?

transferror wrote:Do you regret starting in biglaw?

Not really. Its always better to go into shitlaw cash in hand. Consider the alternative.

Anonymous User wrote:

d cooper wrote:On PAYE/IBR, or debt free? How aggressively did you pay any loans before leaving the big firm?

Yep. Not aggressively at all. Read the horror stories on chatweets like this so hoarded my money under the proverbial mattress. That was a 180 decision in retrospect. TLS SAVED MY LIFE - THANKS TLS!

Can you elaborate on this? Are you saying you didn't pay your debt much while in biglaw and just saved the money instead? What's the benefit of doing so?

How'd you end up in shitlaw? Up and out or economy?

t-14orbust wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

d cooper wrote:On PAYE/IBR, or debt free? How aggressively did you pay any loans before leaving the big firm?

Yep. Not aggressively at all. Read the horror stories on chatweets like this so hoarded my money under the proverbial mattress. That was a 180 decision in retrospect. TLS SAVED MY LIFE - THANKS TLS!

Can you elaborate on this? Are you saying you didn't pay your debt much while in biglaw and just saved the money instead? What's the benefit of doing so?

Hate to go all Dave Ramsey on your ass but the benefit of doing so is exactly what just happened. Not having to suck dick for a bigmac when the biglaw funride is over. You win the dunce cap. Also, being able to eat until contingent fee cases payoff. So much contingent fee in shitlaw.

The BL $160 turned into what…. $125…. Lower? Never have nailed the difference between mid-law $$ and between BL.

user has been warned for posting in the Legal Employment forum as a 0L

Saddle Up wrote:The BL $160 turned into what…. $125…. Lower? Never have nailed the difference between mid-law $$ and between BL.

If you think shitlaw is $125 . . . .

Although technically shitlaw can also be 10m/yr. That is the nature of the shitlaw beast. Mid or high five figs in my case.

Also the lifestyle change is not as big as you would expect either in terms of $ (because PAYE and taxes very so much depending on income) or in terms of hours worked. Also because I am pretty frugal.

Why the change? You say no dif in hours worked.... so I'm a bit lost on the benefit. Feel better going home at night?

P.S. there is no sarcasm or condescension in this Q, I relate more to plaintiffs myself.

DJ5 wrote:Why the change? You say no dif in hours worked.... so I'm a bit lost on the benefit. Feel better going home at night?

P.S. there is no sarcasm or condescension in this Q, I relate more to plaintiffs myself.

Sounds like he got canned, or forced to leave, based on his post at 6:36pm. Can't imagine anyone would leave $160k+ /year to go to contingent fee shitlaw unless he had to.

.

Why were you let go if you don't mind asking? Were firms put off you were in big law - I know many small law firm lawyers hate big law lawyers.

Thanks for doing this. How long were you in BL and how long have you been doing what you currently do? Are you a solo or a small firm? Do you feel the experience you gained in BL was/is/would be enough to become a decent solo? Sorry for so many qs.

XxSpyKEx wrote:

DJ5 wrote:Why the change? You say no dif in hours worked.... so I'm a bit lost on the benefit. Feel better going home at night?

P.S. there is no sarcasm or condescension in this Q, I relate more to plaintiffs myself.

Sounds like he got canned, or forced to leave, based on his post at 6:36pm. Can't imagine anyone would leave $160k+ /year to go to contingent fee shitlaw unless he had to.

Considering that he refers to his work as "shit," I also imagine he didn't make the switch for the love of the work.

sighsigh wrote:

XxSpyKEx wrote:

DJ5 wrote:Why the change? You say no dif in hours worked.... so I'm a bit lost on the benefit. Feel better going home at night?

P.S. there is no sarcasm or condescension in this Q, I relate more to plaintiffs myself.

Sounds like he got canned, or forced to leave, based on his post at 6:36pm. Can't imagine anyone would leave $160k+ /year to go to contingent fee shitlaw unless he had to.

Considering that he refers to his work as "shit," I also imagine he didn't make the switch for the love of the work.

Referring to something as "Shitlaw" doesn't mean one's work is necessarily shitty. It's generally for small law practices that pay in the mid-5 figure range with small clients and whatnot.

Dr. Mantis Toboggan wrote: Referring to something as "Shitlaw" doesn't mean one's work is necessarily shitty. It's generally for small law practices that pay in the mid-5 figure range with small clients and whatnot.

From what I've learned by reading JDU, shitlaw typically refers to 1.) a relatively unprestigious practice area (e.g. ID or PI) + 2.) low pay. There's typically a biglaw-esque hour requirement as well.

Otherwise, it's just called "small law."

Welp guys, happy hour is over so I have returned. Still have this Complaint to finish!

Dr. Mantis Toboggan wrote:

sighsigh wrote:

XxSpyKEx wrote:

DJ5 wrote:Why the change? You say no dif in hours worked.... so I'm a bit lost on the benefit. Feel better going home at night?

P.S. there is no sarcasm or condescension in this Q, I relate more to plaintiffs myself.

Sounds like he got canned, or forced to leave, based on his post at 6:36pm. Can't imagine anyone would leave $160k+ /year to go to contingent fee shitlaw unless he had to.

Considering that he refers to his work as "shit," I also imagine he didn't make the switch for the love of the work.

Referring to something as "Shitlaw" doesn't mean one's work is necessarily shitty. It's generally for small law practices that pay in the mid-5 figure range with small clients and whatnot.

Bingo. My work is actually a hell of a lot more interesting and challenging now. Especially since I set case strategy and spend a significant portion of my day dealing with clients/chambers/opposing c. Biglaw was basically reading and summarizing documents with a Motion to Dismiss thrown in every once in a while.

That being said: my practice is relatively unprestigious. The pay is low compared to biglaw (although with much higher upward potential). I work biglaw hours. So there. Make of it what you will. I call it shitlaw, you call it what you want.

Do you feel the experience you gained in BL was/is/would be enough to become a decent solo?

Biglaw "experience" is pretty worthless as a junior associate. Clinics and work experience in other fields is surprisingly more valuable.