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Background:

I graduated last May and started at a firm. I was placed into a group I didn’t really like and I honestly hated the people I worked with. I knew after two weeks there that I couldn’t stay. The only reason I stayed the full 3 months is because it was in my home city LA area.

After 3 months, I lateraled to a firm in NY. I love the firm and I love NY, but recently my mom’s health has taken a turn for the worse and I want to be closer to home in case something happens. I’ve been here for 7-8 months now and I love it. We just don’t have an office in LA.

My bosses and coworkers know my predicament. Do I go ahead and “job jump” again? I thought about taking leave or working remotely (both options were offered to me by the firm), but I don’t know how long I will have to be in LA.

I know that people need to grow up and move on, and I know that I’m being a bit childish, but I just need some advice.

Assuming I can even get another job in LA (doesn’t have to be biglaw), would I be unemployable if I am later looking?

I know it’s laughable that I will have had 3 employers in the span of a year and a half and that in and of itself makes this move stupid, but if anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it.

I'd take the remote working from LA option. How long would they let you work remotely for?

Would firm help cover cost of flying back and forth? At least then you're not always working remotely and can maintain relationships at the NY firm.

Do you have siblings that can help out? Honestly, if you need to be home, I'd just keep your job, work remotely from LA as much as you can, and just suck up the cost of flights back and forth as often as necessary and keep your current job. Maybe even pay to get some professional help with your mom on days you absolutely have to be back in NY, so at least she's taken care of and you can be back in LA a few days later. Even if firm won't help with travel costs, I think its a plan worth considering.

Just try to live frugally and save your money for travel.

Anonymous User wrote:Background:

I graduated last May and started at a firm. I was placed into a group I didn’t really like and I honestly hated the people I worked with. I knew after two weeks there that I couldn’t stay. The only reason I stayed the full 3 months is because it was in my home city LA area.

After 3 months, I lateraled to a firm in NY. I love the firm and I love NY, but recently my mom’s health has taken a turn for the worse and I want to be closer to home in case something happens. I’ve been here for 7-8 months now and I love it. We just don’t have an office in LA.

My bosses and coworkers know my predicament. Do I go ahead and “job jump” again? I thought about taking leave or working remotely (both options were offered to me by the firm), but I don’t know how long I will have to be in LA.

I know that people need to grow up and move on, and I know that I’m being a bit childish, but I just need some advice.

Assuming I can even get another job in LA (doesn’t have to be biglaw), would I be unemployable if I am later looking?

I know it’s laughable that I will have had 3 employers in the span of a year and a half and that in and of itself makes this move stupid, but if anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it.

Also, what practice are you in?

Why would you leave a firm you like? Do you plan to be in LA permanently? I’m sorry about your mom. We need more info though- like who will be with your mom while you work? Your future plans, is a leave feasible, etc.

I wouldn’t leave a firm I like unless there were no other option.

A firm you actually like is a rare find. One that will let you work remotely (and not enforce B/S facetime requirements) is even better, especially if you can make NY money while living in LA. I’d stay with your current firm.

Hope your mother’s condition improves.

I hope your moms health improves first and foresmost. If you like where you work but you feel you need to be home for your mother, I would reach out to HR to discuss your options.

But since it sounds like you can stay and take care of your mom, don’t quickly jump ship.

I am sorry about your mother. I know you feel like you are in a terrible position. If you like your firm and they are aware of the situation (that you may need to take time off, or, work remotely for a time), then why leave right now? Also, why not ask your mom what she wants? I myself am a mother, and would not want my children to sacrifice their life, or, harm their career to care for me indefinitely. I would prefer they spend quality time when they can. My mother became ill when I was in law school and declined very quickly, and I was grateful to be able to take care of her in her last days at home (which happened to fall during the reading period). I was trying to plan to take the next semester off, or carry a lighter load, but cancer made the choice for me. So, ask her what she wants. I would give anything to have been able to take my mom on one last vacation and just sit with her on a beach somewhere.

Hopefully, her situation is not that serious. Sending you good thoughts.

Anonymous User wrote:I want to be closer to home in case something happens.

I'm not sure what you mean by this, because we know nothing about your mom's health.

Does this mean she is otherwise managing at present and doesn't need your day-to-day involvement, but you're worried there will be another health incident in the future and want to be closer so you can respond? If you're not needed in LA, remember you can be there in a few hours. There's no shortage of flights each day.

It sounds to me that you want a reason to leave the NY (knowing that with that decision means leaving the firm). I'm with the others who caution against leaving a firm you like, at least until you have some more marketable experience. Maybe see if you can work from LA a couple of days a month and make a monthly trip? Splurge on business class if necessary for an overnight flight back so you can sleep on the plane, leave the airport and go straight to the office.

If your mom has more significant care needs right now, I might reassess.

Work remotely in LA with the firm you like. If it turns out that you'll need to stay in LA long term, you can look for another job then.

Depending on your practice area, permanent remote associate can be a thing. I know a lot of lawyers that live remote from the firm location. The only issue is whether the time zone difference will matter.

jhett wrote:Work remotely in LA with the firm you like. If it turns out that you'll need to stay in LA long term, you can look for another job then.

Depending on your practice area, permanent remote associate can be a thing. I know a lot of lawyers that live remote from the firm location. The only issue is whether the time zone difference will matter.

And even if it does, just get used to waking up at 5am and then going to bed a little earlier.

So sorry to hear about your mother.

I personally love working remotely and have a firm that's fairly flexible on face time. I like to go home to the West Coast every so often and work from there. I actually feel like, at least as a junior, my hours suck less when I'm off by 3 hours. I rarely get early morning fire drills because nobody has given me work/turned comments yet, so I never really had to get up that early (usually try to log in by 8 A.M. PST). And being off by three hours makes working late suck less (9 PM is 6 PM, midnight is just 9 PM so you can still sleep at a reasonable hour).

Is it possible to take your firm up on the offer to work remote while discretely putting out feelers into the LA market to start trying to get traction for a lateral move? I see little reason to cold-quit your current job, if that's what you're considering.