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Started working as an SA in a small lit firm. I hate it. What do I do?

Anonymous User wrote:Started working as an SA in a small lit firm. I hate it. What do I do?

Suck it up. Be happy you have a job. Welcome to adulthood. You'll get used to being miserable like the rest of us.

To contrast with the previous poster, while work is not always 'fun', you ideally don't want to be miserable and many people aren't at work.

I think it's hard to tell right when you start a career, or in this case, even an internship, if you like it. You're thrust right into a office milling through usual business, you aren't prepared (despite spending 100+K and years on legal training), you may or may not have experience of doing the full-time grind and the work you do initially likely won't reflect your actual practice when you have your own caseload.

It's hard to know what your problem and help more specifically on why you 'hate' it without further detail.

It's May 13. Have you even worked there longer than a week? How can you know that you hate it yet?

Re: what do I do - you can't quit at this point. You suck it up and learn as much as you can (both skills and about what you do/don't want out of a job) and count down the days.

What do you actually hate about it? The people? The atmosphere? The actual work you're doing?

Spoiler alert: working there as an attorney will be worse.

OP here

Got yelled at my third day there by an a-hole partner for "mistakes" on a petition which were not actually mistakes. Thought I'd be doing business litigation but I'm actually doing collections.

Anonymous User wrote:OP here

Got yelled at my third day there by an a-hole partner for "mistakes" on a petition which were not actually mistakes. Thought I'd be doing business litigation but I'm actually doing collections.

Just grin and bear it then. Going to suck for there summer tbh, but you'll get through. Learn what you can and try to seek our work from non assholes if they exist.

Anonymous User wrote:OP here

Got yelled at my third day there by an a-hole partner for "mistakes" on a petition which were not actually mistakes. Thought I'd be doing business litigation but I'm actually doing collections.

On yell: Ya that sucks. I remember first time that happened to me, was not a happy camper. Unfortunately asshole bosses are not exclusive to the field of law. There are plenty of ways to deal with that discussed many times here and over the internet.

On work: You're a summer (didn't specify if you're finishing 1L or 2L) your skills are limited. I'm sure when you start practicing or even as your summer goes along they'll give you substantive work.

............

This doesn't sound like red alarms, just sounds like an adjustment period for you to the firm and for the firm to you which is normal.

Anonymous User wrote:OP here

Got yelled at my third day there by an a-hole partner for "mistakes" on a petition which were not actually mistakes.

Sorry, that sucks. Not all partners are like that, but just about every firm has at least one or two yellers. Also, don't be so sure that you didn't fuck up the petition.

OP here

What are good non-law options for someone coming out of a lower T1 with a bullshit humanities undergrad and no work experience outside law

If you're a 1L, drop out & save two years worth of time and tuition?

Anonymous User wrote:OP here

What are good non-law options for someone coming out of a lower T1 with a bullshit humanities undergrad and no work experience outside law

Learn to code

Human Resources?
Contract review or administration?
Some kind of insurance thing?
Look for JD preferred jobs. Maybe your career services office has some ideas.

Aren't we all a little too quick here to start telling this kid "go learn coding or something" just because he had one bad SA experience?

OP, why don't you start trying looking into alternative practices besides collection work (hint: they exist) and also realize you may just be working at a bad firm. Working with good attorneys can make even bad work enjoyable. There are tons of various practice areas you can get into, be in litigation or corporate, that are nothing like the work you are likely doing now.

Abandoning law related work without at least investigating those other legal options first sounds like an absolute waste of time and money.

If you are absolutely dead set you don't want to be a lawyer, then just drop out and do something else.

Biglaw first year here. I've fucked up plenty, but have never been yelled at. Going to vary a lot by firm, but that's probably not normal. Nothing else to add, other than agreeing with everything that's already been said.