Will taking a year off early in my career ruin it? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Anon because I could be identified based on some of my other posts.

I'm a third year in biglaw (general civil litigation) with no debt and 250K saved up (graduated from a non HYS T-14 with median grades). I'm totally miserable and having my mid-life crisis early. I want to be a prosecutor at some point at a CA office. If I take a year long sabbatical to travel and re-gain my sanity, and then apply to some DAs offices, will I have ruined my shot to get into criminal law?

[Anonymous User]

I worked with a guy that did exactly this. His trajectory was 8 years at biglaw, 1 year off traveling the world, 5 years at DOJ, then back to biglaw, then--funny enough--to prison and disbarment.

This is the guy: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pu ... story.html

[Anonymous User]

I worked with a guy that did exactly this. His trajectory was 8 years at biglaw, 1 year off traveling the world, 5 years at DOJ, then back to biglaw, then--funny enough--to prison and disbarment.

This is the guy: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pu ... story.html

Wow, how was he as a person? Could you tell he was actually going to end up being a (very stupid) felon?

[acr]

Rarely comment on this forum anymore but saw this topic and wanted to respond.

I took a "year off" after law school and everyone thought it was going to be career suicide. I needed to move to Europe for personal reasons rather than going into law firms, clerkships, PI etc. like the rest of my classmates.

While abroad, I was able to find legal-related work at a law firm (similar to what we would call a paralegal position), and when I moved back to the U.S. last year, I had multiple offers from PD offices, public interest organizations, and my current employer. I was shocked at how easy it was to get offers upon returning, after essentially traveling Europe for a year, working in a chill job, and enjoying life.

Don't be chained to big law or any other path that makes you miserable. Your savings gives you huge flexibility. But I would say that if you take a year off, find a way to somehow stay involved in the legal field somehow, targeted toward your future goals. That could be volunteering with criminal cases, trying to get some articles published, finding a volunteering role that fits your future objectives, and so on.

Future employers won't care that you took a year off if you have a compelling explanation for why you took that time off or if what you did during your time away contributes to your interests/skills. I think it would be even easier for you to come back after a year away given your experience in big law. It actually makes me excited thinking about the opportunities you could have with so much savings. Could be some really cool internships out there with a criminal-law spin (in the U.S. or internationally) that you might be able to find.

At any rate, the idea that any deviation from the rigid, linear path of law (i.e., law school, bar, big law, partnership) is career-ruinous is a myth, and people who would give you grief would likely just be jealous that they don't have the confidence or means themselves to make such a move. Just find a way to stay tangentially involved in the legal field, however possible.

[Anonymous User]

Rarely comment on this forum anymore but saw this topic and wanted to respond.

I took a "year off" after law school and everyone thought it was going to be career suicide. I needed to move to Europe for personal reasons rather than going into law firms, clerkships, PI etc. like the rest of my classmates.

While abroad, I was able to find legal-related work at a law firm (similar to what we would call a paralegal position), and when I moved back to the U.S. last year, I had multiple offers from PD offices, public interest organizations, and my current employer. I was shocked at how easy it was to get offers upon returning, after essentially traveling Europe for a year, working in a chill job, and enjoying life.

Don't be chained to big law or any other path that makes you miserable. Your savings gives you huge flexibility. But I would say that if you take a year off, find a way to somehow stay involved in the legal field somehow, targeted toward your future goals. That could be volunteering with criminal cases, trying to get some articles published, finding a volunteering role that fits your future objectives, and so on.

Future employers won't care that you took a year off if you have a compelling explanation for why you took that time off or if what you did during your time away contributes to your interests/skills. I think it would be even easier for you to come back after a year away given your experience in big law. It actually makes me excited thinking about the opportunities you could have with so much savings. Could be some really cool internships out there with a criminal-law spin (in the U.S. or internationally) that you might be able to find.

At any rate, the idea that any deviation from the rigid, linear path of law (i.e., law school, bar, big law, partnership) is career-ruinous is a myth, and people who would give you grief would likely just be jealous that they don't have the confidence or means themselves to make such a move. Just find a way to stay tangentially involved in the legal field, however possible.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story. TLS is such a pessimistic place sometimes that I was expecting a slew of people telling me that I'll be committing career suicide. I'm glad your experience worked out for you and you give me hope that I won't be making a grave mistake. I have no compelling reason for wanting to leave other than that I'm approaching my 30s and really want to continue learning a language in its country of origin before I settle down with a spouse and have kids and/or a mortgage.

Your advice on internships is interesting. I hadn't even considered whether there might be some legal internships in the country I'm interested in, but now I'll definitely look into it. Thank you again!

[Anonymous User]

I did something cool, unique, and I’ll-advised (at the time) very early in my legal career. My gut said do it, so I did.

When I got back, I landed a fedclerkship. Some time later, the judge told me that the fact that I did this was part of the reason I got hired. Not everybody wants cookie cutter candidates.

This being said, I also know people who did this kind of thing and got thrown off the “path” entirely, never got back on.

Suffice it to say if you want it back and put the time and effort in upon your return, you should be able to. It’s a risk, but if you feel in your gut that you need it then you should do it.

[Anonymous User]

I worked with a guy that did exactly this. His trajectory was 8 years at biglaw, 1 year off traveling the world, 5 years at DOJ, then back to biglaw, then--funny enough--to prison and disbarment.

This is the guy: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pu ... story.html

Wow, how was he as a person? Could you tell he was actually going to end up being a (very stupid) felon?

He was very driven. Very smart. Talked about money more than the normal person. Really seemed to love the False Claims Act - like he dedicated his personal time to it.

I never saw this coming. I recall lots of people saying they always thought he was a d-bag after the event, and I'm not sure if that's true or hindsight. But I thought he was a really ambitious, smart, hard-working guy that was going to be a top-name FCA lawyer one day. I guess that should tell you something about my judgment, or lack thereof.

[Anonymous User]

Anon to avoid outing myself.

I am planning on doing exactly this--taking a year-long sabbatical to travel--once the world is reasonably open to travel again. I am in my fifth year in biglaw litigation (clerked for two years before) who is beyond burned out and, when I get back, I am planning to go into public interest (although probably federal public defender as opposed to prosecutor).

Since I haven't gone yet, I obviously can't give any answer to your question of whether you will ruin your shot at getting into criminal law. But I have thought a lot about that question, and I am comfortable with my chances to land a good gig when I get back. I think that folks understand that biglaw is a grind (not to mention biglaw during COVID), and that taking a break for personal time is perfectly acceptable. I am confident that I will be in a much better place to practice law after my trip than I would be going to public interest straight from biglaw. I am also at the point where, if taking time to travel is a disqualifier for a certain job or boss, I probably don't want that job or boss.

Honestly, it is also nice to know there are folks like you thinking about doing something like this, as it makes me feel less crazy. And for what its worth, I do not plan on any kind of internship/volunteering/etc. My goal is to disconnect and recharge for the next stage of my career, and I can't imagine the marginal value of an internship would be worth having to work/stay connected during my trip. Extending my trip to clerk on the Constitutional Court of South Africa or the Supreme Court of Palau, however, may peak my interest if I can convince my wife...

Anyway, good luck, and maybe our travel paths will cross!

[Anonymous User]

I did something cool, unique, and I’ll-advised (at the time) very early in my legal career. My gut said do it, so I did.

When I got back, I landed a fedclerkship. Some time later, the judge told me that the fact that I did this was part of the reason I got hired. Not everybody wants cookie cutter candidates.

This being said, I also know people who did this kind of thing and got thrown off the “path” entirely, never got back on.

Suffice it to say if you want it back and put the time and effort in upon your return, you should be able to. It’s a risk, but if you feel in your gut that you need it then you should do it.

That's pretty amazing! That judge must have been a very chill and progressive woman/man. Do you think the people who got thrown off the path entirely do so because they lost interest, or did they actually lose the opportunities?

[Anonymous User]

Anon to avoid outing myself.

I am planning on doing exactly this--taking a year-long sabbatical to travel--once the world is reasonably open to travel again. I am in my fifth year in biglaw litigation (clerked for two years before) who is beyond burned out and, when I get back, I am planning to go into public interest (although probably federal public defender as opposed to prosecutor).

Since I haven't gone yet, I obviously can't give any answer to your question of whether you will ruin your shot at getting into criminal law. But I have thought a lot about that question, and I am comfortable with my chances to land a good gig when I get back. I think that folks understand that biglaw is a grind (not to mention biglaw during COVID), and that taking a break for personal time is perfectly acceptable. I am confident that I will be in a much better place to practice law after my trip than I would be going to public interest straight from biglaw. I am also at the point where, if taking time to travel is a disqualifier for a certain job or boss, I probably don't want that job or boss.

Honestly, it is also nice to know there are folks like you thinking about doing something like this, as it makes me feel less crazy. And for what its worth, I do not plan on any kind of internship/volunteering/etc. My goal is to disconnect and recharge for the next stage of my career, and I can't imagine the marginal value of an internship would be worth having to work/stay connected during my trip. Extending my trip to clerk on the Constitutional Court of South Africa or the Supreme Court of Palau, however, may peak my interest if I can convince my wife...

Anyway, good luck, and maybe our travel paths will cross!

You've certainly endured long enough. I'm sure no one is going to look at a person with half a decade in big law and think they can't commit. Even committing two years feels like I've sold them my life for that period.

I like your point about the type of boss that would disqualify you for traveling. Not sure it really applies to someone with such a short job history as my own (as even I might be a bit skeptical of me if I worked in HR), but I think you are definitely safe and anyone would be crazy to think you can't commit with your job history. Good luck to you as well, especially if you land a clerkship on the Supreme Court of Palau and need to convince your wife!

[Anonymous User]

I did something cool, unique, and I’ll-advised (at the time) very early in my legal career. My gut said do it, so I did.

When I got back, I landed a fedclerkship. Some time later, the judge told me that the fact that I did this was part of the reason I got hired. Not everybody wants cookie cutter candidates.

This being said, I also know people who did this kind of thing and got thrown off the “path” entirely, never got back on.

Suffice it to say if you want it back and put the time and effort in upon your return, you should be able to. It’s a risk, but if you feel in your gut that you need it then you should do it.

That's pretty amazing! That judge must have been a very chill and progressive woman/man. Do you think the people who got thrown off the path entirely do so because they lost interest, or did they actually lose the opportunities?

Judge was amazing. I think more judges than you might think have a floor (and a very high one at that) for credentials that will land one an interview. Once you get there, it’s all about how you present as an interviewee. And if you’re a judge interviewing a bunch of people with similar resumes, experiences, and interviews, then you get one who talks about doing [what I did] plus the other more standard solid-resumeed stuff, clearly one candidate will stand out.

To answer your second question, I think it’s a combination. I think some opportunities get lost, sure—because while you were traveling, many other people were honing their crafts, and those people will be your future competition. However I think it’s more a lack of drive. I think that for many, the same wanderlust or whatever you want to call it that leads them away from the intense elite law path for a bit also has the potential to lead them away for a while/permanently. Not that this was you necessarily (and to many others’ surprise that I still hear about to this day, it wasn’t me either), but it’s a lot of people who do this type of thing.

[Anonymous User]

Curious if any of the people in this thread who were planning to take a year off from practice did it, and if it all turn out okay professionally.

I've got five years of practice under my belt (four at a firm, one in-house), and I'm so burnt out I found my way to this thread. I thought going in-house would be a solution to the biglaw grind, and the hours are in fact better, but it's still hard to be on demand and to have such a small legal team (start ups are more chaotic, unpredictable and anxiety-inducing than I appreciated). My partner has a job offer with a pay bump that would let us cover our bills, so I'm mulling taking a long break to recover my sanity and figure out what to do next professionally, but I'm worried that being intentionally unemployed for a while would be madness given that we could be in a recession any day and I might not have options after being off the market so long.

[Anonymous User]

to give another, less optimistic data point -

a good friend had a breakdown at a V20 as a junior, left last year for 6 mos. started searching for work again, found it quite challenging to find something else, and is now working for Westlaw for ~$80K a year in a JD-advantage role.

sometimes it works out, sometimes it's a disaster. not sure she'd call what she's doing necessarily a 'disaster' - I would - but she has confided that she regrets the decision

[Anonymous User]

No OP, but would doing a LLM degree at a foreign university (with some relevance to my practice experience) an acceptable way to spend a year before re-entering biglaw?

[Anonymous User]

Additional data point that's at least kind of related: my friend left biglaw as a lit midlevel after receiving a boutique job offer, but he told them that he wanted substantial time off in between gigs. He ended up with something like 8 months in between jobs. The boutique allowed him to do that with zero pushback. He said the former biglaw attorneys at the boutique even celebrated his decision and were glad he was caring for his mental wellbeing after a biglaw stint.

I don't think a DA's office would do the same thing but if you wanted to be safe you could try to swing this in the private sector (and even keep looking for DA office roles toward the end of your break or right after starting the new job).

[Anonymous User]

Hi there, I'm a fourth year corporate associate and am considering taking some time off (I was thinking somewhere around 6 months). Seems that most in this thread are in litigation. Any anecdotes from the corporate side? I imagine that after time off, I'd try to go in-house. Not exactly sure what I'd do with my time off other than I need to prioritize my health for a while.

[Anonymous User]

Hi there, I'm a fourth year corporate associate and am considering taking some time off (I was thinking somewhere around 6 months). Seems that most in this thread are in litigation. Any anecdotes from the corporate side? I imagine that after time off, I'd try to go in-house. Not exactly sure what I'd do with my time off other than I need to prioritize my health for a while.

I assume that this would be easier for corporate associates given that lateraling is just generally easier?

[Anonymous User]

Hi there, I'm a fourth year corporate associate and am considering taking some time off (I was thinking somewhere around 6 months). Seems that most in this thread are in litigation. Any anecdotes from the corporate side? I imagine that after time off, I'd try to go in-house. Not exactly sure what I'd do with my time off other than I need to prioritize my health for a while.

I'm thinking about doing something similar too (but probably take 3 months off) and move inhouse afterwards. Has anyone done this successfully? I imagine I won't receive that much of a pushback as someone coming in as a mid level with relevant experience and can spin some story along the lines of taking time off to travel/spend time with kids but I'm just worried about it can take a while to find the right inhouse job and I might have to be unemployed for much longer than originally planned.

[Anonymous User]

Hi there, I'm a fourth year corporate associate and am considering taking some time off (I was thinking somewhere around 6 months). Seems that most in this thread are in litigation. Any anecdotes from the corporate side? I imagine that after time off, I'd try to go in-house. Not exactly sure what I'd do with my time off other than I need to prioritize my health for a while.

I'm thinking about doing something similar too (but probably take 3 months off) and move inhouse afterwards. Has anyone done this successfully? I imagine I won't receive that much of a pushback as someone coming in as a mid level with relevant experience and can spin some story along the lines of taking time off to travel/spend time with kids but I'm just worried about it can take a while to find the right inhouse job and I might have to be unemployed for much longer than originally planned.

Lawyers are risk averse, for better or worse, and there's just no right answer here. There's a good chance everything would work out exactly as you hope, but of course there is also a risk that the job search is more challenging and lengthy than you anticipate. To the degree you can rely on savings and other income, maybe from a partner, then you should have some comfort that your timeline can be flexible, but you won't be in control of it.

Three months as a target might be hard to rely on. When I went in-house my start date was one day short of three months from the day I submitted the application.

[Anonymous User]

Hi there, I'm a fourth year corporate associate and am considering taking some time off (I was thinking somewhere around 6 months). Seems that most in this thread are in litigation. Any anecdotes from the corporate side? I imagine that after time off, I'd try to go in-house. Not exactly sure what I'd do with my time off other than I need to prioritize my health for a while.

I'm thinking about doing something similar too (but probably take 3 months off) and move inhouse afterwards. Has anyone done this successfully? I imagine I won't receive that much of a pushback as someone coming in as a mid level with relevant experience and can spin some story along the lines of taking time off to travel/spend time with kids but I'm just worried about it can take a while to find the right inhouse job and I might have to be unemployed for much longer than originally planned.

Lawyers are risk averse, for better or worse, and there's just no right answer here. There's a good chance everything would work out exactly as you hope, but of course there is also a risk that the job search is more challenging and lengthy than you anticipate. To the degree you can rely on savings and other income, maybe from a partner, then you should have some comfort that your timeline can be flexible, but you won't be in control of it.

Three months as a target might be hard to rely on. When I went in-house my start date was one day short of three months from the day I submitted the application.

How about from the date of the offer? Can you set a start date for maybe 2 months out?

[Anonymous User]

Not much to add other than to share my experience trying to get out has been hard as well. In-house is a real uphill climb, and I don’t ever want to work for both partners and clients again. With HUS and 6-years experience, I thought it would be a lot easier.

I’m leaning more and more towards just taking some time. Good luck. I’m sure we’ll land on our feet.

[Res Ipsa Loquitter]

to give another, less optimistic data point -

a good friend had a breakdown at a V20 as a junior, left last year for 6 mos. started searching for work again, found it quite challenging to find something else, and is now working for Westlaw for ~$80K a year in a JD-advantage role.

sometimes it works out, sometimes it's a disaster. not sure she'd call what she's doing necessarily a 'disaster' - I would - but she has confided that she regrets the decision

Damn. She should have just taken a mental health leave or something — might have started the clock toward pushing her out, but still would have been superior

[Anonymous User]

I did this recently as a fourth year corporate associate in biglaw. I took 6 months off and had plenty of in-house interviews and offers. It may be a bit more risky now with the economy slowing and companies/firms doing layoffs.