How To Know If You Should Quit Law Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm a first year associate in a secondary market -- biggest firm in my city, but mid-size by primary market standards. I'm only on my third month of working, but every day I get this nagging feeling that I hate this. I don't feel like anything I do is meaningful and I don't get to use any of my strengths. I've always been a big-picture person, and I feel like so much of what I do (and what the senior associates do) is spot-treating.

I know it's early & I'm trying to remind myself that part of my dislike could be attributed to being new and inexperienced. I had a career before law school and I was always a top performer - the fact that I'm not that now, and won't be for a LONG time, is likely coloring my perceptions. That said, when I look at the senior associates, I do not in any way aspire to their role. I always thought going in-house would be a better fit for me, but I'm not sure I'm capable of fighting through 3-4 years of law firm practice to get that type of role.

My question is how much time should I give it before deciding if law was the wrong choice. Given how much work went into this, I don't want to throw in the towel too soon. However, I'm also in the fortunate position of being debt free (went to LS on a full-ride), so if I'm miserable and need to find a new path I can do that without huge financial consequences.

[jingosaur]

I'm also a first-year so I can't give much advice on your current job dissatisfaction, but almost all office jobs make people feel this way. Corporate America is all about taking big tasks and breaking them down into small insignificant parts. I know it's hard to feel any kind of self-worth as a first year, but even now the work I do is more "important" than what I did in my consulting job before law school.

I've also interned in house and my sense of in house work is that it's way less important and fulfilling than biglaw but you get nice hours and there's a lot less urgency and stress.

[jarofsoup]

It's about making money and not being the cause of an institutional embarrassment.

[cavalier1138]

My question is how much time should I give it before deciding if law was the wrong choice.

I can't offer you any specifics on your situation, but you seem to be conflating biglaw with law in general. There are plenty of legal positions where you have more autonomy or more meaningful work product. It also sounds like you're in corporate; have you thought of switching to lit?

[northwood]

I think you should focus on what it is that you hate. Since you've been there for 3 months, it may be that you don't like what you are currently doing, or the environment that you work in, but not law itself, generally. Its easy to say " I hate law" when in reality you hate an aspect or two of it.

You say you spot treat, but have you been able to see how your role works within the big picture ( i.e. you are working on a transaction/ merger for a subsidiary company but may not realize that you are actually assisting with the reorganization/ restructuring of a larger company).

Or perhaps you don't like the area of law that you currently practice (not that uncommon). Have you considered doing some pro-bono work in an area that you think you may enjoy (or trying to get work in that area if it will be too difficult to accumulate pro bono work experience/ or have difficulty managing time)

Before you quit law, you may want to consider what it is you would rather be doing, and trying to see how viable that/ those options are. It may be something along the lines of "grass is greener over there" in some cases (as the thought of doing that sounds great, but actual practice is not so great).

TLDR: You need to locate what it is that you don't like and what it is you want to do and find out how to do that before you quit (unless you have ample funds to just quit and "soul search" for 7 months or more with no income).
Best of luck

[Anonymous User]

Give it a little more time. I left nyc corporate biglaw for a firm in a small city after not much more than a year. I hated my firm's environment amd thought about lateralling to another nyc firm, but realized I needed a bigger change to give myself a chance and not end up in the same environment at a new sweatshop. Hopefully this works out, but if not, at least I'll have more information and decide to leave law after knowing more than just nyc biglaw.

[BernieTrump]

You should. It gets worse. It starts with the thought in the shower that this is terrible and it only gets worse. You'll ignore it.

It never goes away.

But it does get much harder to get out.

[Anonymous User]

I'd try out a couple of places first. Fwiw, I did biglaw for around 5 years and have now worked at another place in the public sector. The latter is much, much, much better in every way (I dare say that I actually like my job now as opposed to hating biglaw), but I can't say that doing paperwork is my passion. Plus the pay in the public sector is not better than most professions' salaries. I'm debating making a big switch to something more hands on to follow my 'passion'. If I stay in law though, I'd never return to the private sector.

I'd try law for awhile, work at a couple of places and if you don't like it, quit as long as you have savings/a working spouse. Life is too short to not do what you really want to do and your time is more valuable than anything else.

[jd20132013]

Never too early to know big law isn't right

Is too early to think that you can't possibly enjoy being a lawyer. Think about what u care about and see if there's a way you can use your lawyering skills in that way