First Year Exit Options Forum

[Anonymous User]

Currently a first year at a V10 in corporate who has been getting killed the last few months with no end in sight. I'm realizing that this job is not sustainable for me and I'm seriously thinking about leaving sometime in the next few months. It seems like it has been brutal for everyone, and our class has already had several people leave. Some of them have basically rage quit and left with nothing lined up, and I know of a handful of other first years who are actively looking to leave. Not sure if this is typical or just a particularly bad time to be a first year since it is so busy and whatever work/home separation existed before is now gone.

I want to leave, but I'm not entirely sure what I would/can leave for. What kind of options are available for juniors who don't hang around to become midlevels? I take it that 3-5 years is the sweet spot for exiting in-house, and I'm not sure what non-legal options might be out there. If it makes a difference I have a business background pre-law school and have thought about leaving the law altogether. Would appreciate hearing what realistic exit options might be available for first years at this point, and what else opens up (if anything) for people leaving as second years.

[LittleRedCorvette]

Currently a first year at a V10 in corporate who has been getting killed the last few months with no end in sight. I'm realizing that this job is not sustainable for me and I'm seriously thinking about leaving sometime in the next few months. It seems like it has been brutal for everyone, and our class has already had several people leave. Some of them have basically rage quit and left with nothing lined up, and I know of a handful of other first years who are actively looking to leave. Not sure if this is typical or just a particularly bad time to be a first year since it is so busy and whatever work/home separation existed before is now gone.

I want to leave, but I'm not entirely sure what I would/can leave for. What kind of options are available for juniors who don't hang around to become midlevels? I take it that 3-5 years is the sweet spot for exiting in-house, and I'm not sure what non-legal options might be out there. If it makes a difference I have a business background pre-law school and have thought about leaving the law altogether. Would appreciate hearing what realistic exit options might be available for first years at this point, and what else opens up (if anything) for people leaving as second years.

It is a really shitty time right now.

It wouldn't be TLS without someone answering ~not exactly the question you asked~, so:

If you're truly smoked, I think you should consider lateralling to another firm. You'll get a ramp down at this firm, some period before you start at the next place, and a ramp up there. That will buy you at least 6 months. 2nd years start to have a bit of marketability, but hell -- if you get there and still hate it, lateral one more time, buy yourself another 6 months, and 3rd year is within reach along with its much better exit options compared to a 1st or 2nd year.

[Anonymous User]

you could consider consulting - mbb are always hiring, lack of biglaw experience won't matter and you mentioned business background. I've seen many people exit into mbb.

[Anonymous User]

I feel for you. I don't have any answers to your question, but a close friend of mine bounced after a couple brutal months in his first year without anything lined up (he told me he couldn't take biglaw any longer despite his loans and he never wants to do law ever again). I think he's looking at academia or maybe business-side work.

[Anonymous User]

I’m a first year also thinking of leaving. I’m actually in a satellite office with a small class. Interesting that multiple people from your class have left, OP. It makes me feel a little better because I feel like a little bit of a failure for not being able to handle this. I don’t think I went into this with rose colored glasses but the reality of 15 hour days and never seeing my husband or family that I haven’t been able to see because of COVID is too much for me to actually take.

I applied to one government job which I didn’t get. Even though I’m corporate thinking of maybe clerking...Might leave the law. Had a shitty pre law school job and no particular skill set (useless undergrad degree) but would do literally almost anything but this.

[Anonymous User]

I’m a first year also thinking of leaving. I’m actually in a satellite office with a small class. Interesting that multiple people from your class have left, OP. It makes me feel a little better because I feel like a little bit of a failure for not being able to handle this. I don’t think I went into this with rose colored glasses but the reality of 15 hour days and never seeing my husband or family that I haven’t been able to see because of COVID is too much for me to actually take.

I applied to one government job which I didn’t get. Even though I’m corporate thinking of maybe clerking...Might leave the law. Had a shitty pre law school job and no particular skill set (useless undergrad degree) but would do literally almost anything but this.

You shouldn't feel like a failure -- things are really rough right now. My office has had multiple 1st and 2nd years leave this year (which is abnormal for us).

It isn't reasonable to expect people do soldier on doing a shit ton of thankless work for people who don't care about you (and you likely haven't met, or if you have, haven't seen in 2 years).

[Anonymous User]

This seems extremely unusual and I'm honestly surprised at how badly your firm seems to be managing its associates that it's reached this point. I have many friends in the 1-2 year ranks at various v10 firms and am at one myself. I have not heard about any first years leaving, other than very individual circumstances that would have occurred in any market. Everyone's definitely working their asses off but I truly feel sorry for those at firms that are already burning through associates at a historic rate.

Have you had a chance to take a vacation yet? While it won't completely fix your problems, as others have mentioned, your best option right now is to just take steps to extend your time in big law to make you more marketable for in house positions while also balancing your mental health.

[Anonymous User]

No advice but I'm at a V50 and feel the same way. Have thought about rage quitting several times and I know several fellow first years who feel the same. It's just straight up awful.

[jotarokujo]

in-house might be a problem but i second trying consulting - unless that's what you left for law because you hated it

[Anonymous User]

I’m a first year also thinking of leaving. I’m actually in a satellite office with a small class. Interesting that multiple people from your class have left, OP. It makes me feel a little better because I feel like a little bit of a failure for not being able to handle this. I don’t think I went into this with rose colored glasses but the reality of 15 hour days and never seeing my husband or family that I haven’t been able to see because of COVID is too much for me to actually take.

I applied to one government job which I didn’t get. Even though I’m corporate thinking of maybe clerking...Might leave the law. Had a shitty pre law school job and no particular skill set (useless undergrad degree) but would do literally almost anything but this.

You shouldn't feel like a failure -- things are really rough right now. My office has had multiple 1st and 2nd years leave this year (which is abnormal for us).

It isn't reasonable to expect people do soldier on doing a shit ton of thankless work for people who don't care about you (and you likely haven't met, or if you have, haven't seen in 2 years).

Agreed. I'd just go one step further and emphasize you are not a failure for leaving this job for the sake of yourself, your health, or your family even when things are somewhat more 'normal' / 'less crazy,' whatever that looks like at your firm.

As literally thousands of pages of this forum demonstrate, this job is incompatible with even a minimally fulfilling life for many, if not most, people. There is zero shame in realizing that is true for you as well, and taking appropriate action.

And the poster above is correct that your firm does not care about you. You're fungible and expendable to them, and you don't owe them anything.

[jotarokujo]

I’m a first year also thinking of leaving. I’m actually in a satellite office with a small class. Interesting that multiple people from your class have left, OP. It makes me feel a little better because I feel like a little bit of a failure for not being able to handle this. I don’t think I went into this with rose colored glasses but the reality of 15 hour days and never seeing my husband or family that I haven’t been able to see because of COVID is too much for me to actually take.

I applied to one government job which I didn’t get. Even though I’m corporate thinking of maybe clerking...Might leave the law. Had a shitty pre law school job and no particular skill set (useless undergrad degree) but would do literally almost anything but this.

You shouldn't feel like a failure -- things are really rough right now. My office has had multiple 1st and 2nd years leave this year (which is abnormal for us).

It isn't reasonable to expect people do soldier on doing a shit ton of thankless work for people who don't care about you (and you likely haven't met, or if you have, haven't seen in 2 years).

Agreed. I'd just go one step further and emphasize you are not a failure for leaving this job for the sake of yourself, your health, or your family even when things are somewhat more 'normal' / 'less crazy,' whatever that looks like at your firm.

As literally thousands of pages of this forum demonstrate, this job is incompatible with even a minimally fulfilling life for many, if not most, people. There is zero shame in realizing that is true for you as well, and taking appropriate action.

And the poster above is correct that your firm does not care about you. You're fungible and expendable to them, and you don't owe them anything.

i think biglaw becomes a lot more manageable when you realize that your relationship with your bigfirm is often adversarial - there's no reason to try to be a star if you're not going for partner, and then you can let yourself coast

[theswisswereright]

This may not apply to everyone or even many people, but before you rage quit... some firms have paid leave of absence terms if you can get a doctor to sign off on it. I know lots of us have medical problems related to work, and having a month, or two, or three, of paid leave might be enough to reorient you or even give you time to find something else.

I know some folks keep this in their back pocket in case things get too rough. I may or may not be one of them.

[Anonymous User]

This may not apply to everyone or even many people, but before you rage quit... some firms have paid leave of absence terms if you can get a doctor to sign off on it. I know lots of us have medical problems related to work, and having a month, or two, or three, of paid leave might be enough to reorient you or even give you time to find something else.

I know some folks keep this in their back pocket in case things get too rough. I may or may not be one of them.

I'm another unhappy first year associate and I've already had negative health consequences from my time in biglaw. Any idea whether there is typically a minimum amount of time you have to stay at a firm before you're eligible for this type of leave? Thanks!

[theswisswereright]

This may not apply to everyone or even many people, but before you rage quit... some firms have paid leave of absence terms if you can get a doctor to sign off on it. I know lots of us have medical problems related to work, and having a month, or two, or three, of paid leave might be enough to reorient you or even give you time to find something else.

I know some folks keep this in their back pocket in case things get too rough. I may or may not be one of them.

I'm another unhappy first year associate and I've already had negative health consequences from my time in biglaw. Any idea whether there is typically a minimum amount of time you have to stay at a firm before you're eligible for this type of leave? Thanks!

My firm's handbook has it after three months. FMLA is a different thing and I think that only kicks in after a year. This is probably going to be firm-specific, including how much or if they pay your salary.

[jotarokujo]

This may not apply to everyone or even many people, but before you rage quit... some firms have paid leave of absence terms if you can get a doctor to sign off on it. I know lots of us have medical problems related to work, and having a month, or two, or three, of paid leave might be enough to reorient you or even give you time to find something else.

I know some folks keep this in their back pocket in case things get too rough. I may or may not be one of them.

I'm another unhappy first year associate and I've already had negative health consequences from my time in biglaw. Any idea whether there is typically a minimum amount of time you have to stay at a firm before you're eligible for this type of leave? Thanks!

it's firm specific, and it's under medical leave. could be anything from 0 to 1 year. just ask hr

[TLSReturntoWork]

Echoing that any first year thinking of quitting should at least take their vacation and use that time to rethink. If you get blowback for taking vacation, no big deal you don't want to stay anyway. But I doubt they would fire you for it. On the other hand the vacation might convince you to stick around with a renewed spirit.

[NoLongerALurker]

my life at a firm improved dramatically when I identified a few people I actually liked as human beings (which literally took nearly two years, which I think says volumes about either how shitty law firm people are or how annoyingly judgmental I am..).

then I recast the entire thing as "me and the handful of normal people I work with trying to extract as much $$ from being a cog in this machine, and ultimately my clients, the partners above me, and the entire system is my enemy but at least I can afford rent if I just deal with it."

The result became that I had basically no job satisfaction, but at least I also didn't actively hate the whole thing and it didn't burn me out like it did early on. Then coast and move in house to something cushy but still regard it as "ya, I work doing something I don't really like, but also who actually likes their job? Basically no one, and at least mine lets me afford to live in manhattan."'

The real satisfaction comes when you manage to get a group of friends and social life that has nothing to do with other lawyers or the law or wall street.

YMMV.

[Anonymous User]

Not OP but another corporate first year that took a different job outside of Biglaw and is giving notice soon. Cannot wait to exit. It’s not worth it folks, if you’re unhappy, this isn’t worth the mental health effects. Get out while you can.

[tahssit]

Not OP but another corporate first year that took a different job outside of Biglaw and is giving notice soon. Cannot wait to exit. It’s not worth it folks, if you’re unhappy, this isn’t worth the mental health effects. Get out while you can.

Can you share what type of job (in-house, gov, etc.) and what the listed experience requirement was? Would be really helpful to see what other first/second years leaving biglaw have been able to transition to and whether they met the experience requirement listed on the job posting.