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I am currently a 5th year corporate associate at a v20 firm in a major market. I was previously an associate at another v20 firm for 3 years (which I had a good experience at), spent a brief period at a midsize firm (went there looking for better work/life balance, but the firm was just a bad fit and experience in general) and have been at my current firm for 1 year. In general, it's a good firm to work at, but I'm just over biglaw and the work pressures and demands have had a serious effect on my mood and overall demeanor over the past few year or so.

I'm totally burned out and have lost most (if not all) interest in practicing corporate law at a firm. I just don't see any value in the work or what we do (I realize I'm not alone at all in having this experience in biglaw, particularly working in corporate). I've applied for in-house jobs recently, but I think my work history (being at a mid size firm for less than a year, and my current firm for only a year) leaves potential employers a bit jittery as "flight risk". Currently, I see my options as: (1) Asking for a leave of absence from my current firm for a few months to try and determine the best course for my career, (2) stick it out as long as I can before I can move in-house and (3) just quitting and going on from there. I am comfortable in the amount I've saved from biglaw and would be able to sustain myself for at least 1 year.

I think option 1 would be the best option, though I'm afraid if I approach my firm for a LOA they'll know I see myself on the way out and not grant me the leave given that I've only been at the firm for 1 year and am not likely to return.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Why not just set up a 2 week long vacation with your SO or family and think it through together?

Who knows. Maybe a break is all that you needed.

Just stick it out until you land an in-house gig. You should be in decent position to land something with 5 years experience. Take a long vacation, Like the other guy said, maybe you just need a small break.

Still a junior associate but agree that option 2 (plus a vacation) seems like the way to go. This will allow you to keep making money and extend the stint on your resume. You could also try to start taking a back seat on some of your matters since you are likely to leave in the next year or so anyway - this might make biglaw more palatable for you.

Do you still actually want to practice law, or would going in-house just be delaying the inevitable?

Excellent117 wrote:Do you still actually want to practice law, or would going in-house just be delaying the inevitable?

Honestly I'm not sure. I feel that going in house where the hours are more regular, and the work is more varied and you're closer to the business, might help bring my motivation up but I also generally don't like corporate work.

You need holiday, to delegate as much as humanly possible to juniors and to be actively searching. If skiddish with respect to the time spent in your firm to date, you have to say it was all part of the plan to go in-house at this time; positive reasons for moving to the right company and the right time. Moved to your current wonderful firm for the right reasons, but realised that you were just treading water in private practice to get to where you wanted to get to, when you could go there now. Like being on the subway.

Out of interest, is the following combination of factors killing you in corporate:
* the billables at your firm;
* vs the hours actually worked;
* vs the irregularity of those hours / inability to make or keep plans
* your lack of social life/ relationships / family bonds
* always feeling that even when quieter that something could explode at any time
* the bulk of work which involve excruciating attention to detail but little to no brainpower
* the lack of meaning in anything you do
* poor management from partners; being overloaded with work, running multiple deals at the same time without sufficient support

This happens to almost everyone. The pyramids are super pointy and attrition is high. I think you're already rarer in biglaw at your level of qualification; I think statistically the majority of corporate associates would have left by now for in-house. I don't know if that's true from your experience.

I have dealt with associates leaving for years now and my advice to you is to reach out to the partners you work with and let them know you're looking to transition in-house and ask them for their help. Good firms will help you as it is in their interest to place their former lawyers with clients to strengthen relationships.