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Of course I'm sure that some lawyers are very happy people by nature, but are most (Biglaw) lawyers grumpy and irritated people? I mean is this generally the case?

I expect the answer to be "yes" or "most likely" because of the unpredictable and insane hours Biglaw lawyers have to endure.
I just don't think it possible for someone to maintain a sunshine attitude when one is working so hard all the time. (especially if one is aiming for partner)

What do you think?


p.s: This is a totally unrelated question that my non-lawschool friend asked me. "What do lawyers do when they are in the middle of a huge project but then something terrible happens to someone in their family and you have visit them at the hospital?" I don't know this one. What do they do?

fumagalli wrote:Of course I'm sure that some lawyers are very happy people by nature, but are most (Biglaw) lawyers grumpy and irritated people? I mean is this generally the case?

I expect the answer to be "yes" or "most likely" because of the unpredictable and insane hours Biglaw lawyers have to endure.
I just don't think it possible for someone to maintain a sunshine attitude when one is working so hard all the time. (especially if one is aiming for partner)

What do you think?


p.s: This is a totally unrelated question that my non-lawschool friend asked me. "What do lawyers do when they are in the middle of a huge project but then something terrible happens to someone in their family and you have visit them at the hospital?" I don't know this one. What do they do?

In my experience, I wouldn't agree that, "biglaw layers are grumpy and irritable." It's going to largely depend on the personality of the individual person. At times, people will be stressed or tired from several late nights in a row and more irritable and grumpy, but I don't think that most biglaw lawyers are grumpy and irritable in general.

In my experience, most people who work full-time are grumpy and tired, unless they're one of the 0.0001% of the population who genuinely loves everything about their job. (And those people are probably on drugs.)

fumagalli wrote:Of course I'm sure that some lawyers are very happy people by nature, but are most (Biglaw) lawyers grumpy and irritated people? I mean is this generally the case?

I expect the answer to be "yes" or "most likely" because of the unpredictable and insane hours Biglaw lawyers have to endure.
I just don't think it possible for someone to maintain a sunshine attitude when one is working so hard all the time. (especially if one is aiming for partner)

What do you think?


p.s: This is a totally unrelated question that my non-lawschool friend asked me. "What do lawyers do when they are in the middle of a huge project but then something terrible happens to someone in their family and you have visit them at the hospital?" I don't know this one. What do they do?

What do you think happens? Geez, if you have an emergency people cover for you. I don't even know why this is a question.

This thread makes me weep for your generation.

Renzo wrote:This thread makes me weep for your generation.

Unless you're more than 20-30 years older (or younger?) than I am I think we would fall in the same generation.

Renzo wrote:This thread makes me weep for your generation.

lolwut

Dude are you like a 50 year old partner about to retire??

Are most lawyers grumpy and tired?

Yes

/thread



JK, but I think there are a fair amount that fit this description, including myself... and I'm only a law student at this point..

There are a couple of classic short stories that I think capture this idea that you seem to be interested in. I honestly looked for a bit and can't seem to find the titles though

No. Most lawyers aren't chipper and sunny either. They're just normal people.

rinkrat19 wrote:In my experience, most people who work full-time are grumpy and tired, unless they're one of the 0.0001% of the population who genuinely loves everything about their job. (And those people are probably on drugs.)

I agree with this generally. From my experience, most lawyers seem very unhappy, regardless of firm size or specialty.

And who wouldn't want to make ten$ if not hundred$ of million$ doing movie$ with hot chicks all the time, playing music or playing a sport, traveling the world, being catered to, and wearing, driving, eating, drinking, smoking, and staying in nothing but the best? Contrast all of that with the lives of even some of the most $ucce$$ful lawyers. The top actors in Hollywood can buy 15 of the top lawyers in any American city at least 200 times over, and they don't work nearly as many hours even on their most nightmarish jobs.

rayiner wrote:No. Most lawyers aren't chipper and sunny either. They're just normal people.

Most lawyers are tempermental, alcoholic, narcisistic, self-absorbed liars, but it's the few good ones that give me faith in the profession.

PDaddy wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:In my experience, most people who work full-time are grumpy and tired, unless they're one of the 0.0001% of the population who genuinely loves everything about their job. (And those people are probably on drugs.)

I agree with this generally. From my experience, most lawyers seem very unhappy, regardless of firm size or specialty.

And who wouldn't want to make ten$ if not hundred$ of million$ doing movie$ with hot chicks all the time, playing music or playing a sport, traveling the world, being catered to, and wearing, driving, eating, drinking, smoking, and staying in nothing but the best? Contrast all of that with the lives of even some of the most $ucce$$ful lawyers. The top actors in Hollywood can buy 15 of the top lawyers in any American city at least 200 times over, and they don't work nearly as many hours even on their most nightmarish jobs.

This is really depressing. I'm actually stepping into being an attorney b/c, well, b/c of the money. But what's the point if I won't be happy.

I was actually hoping for someone to say, "No, I actually know a lot of people who enjoy being a lawyer"

Anybody?

fumagalli wrote:
This is really depressing. I'm actually stepping into being an attorney b/c, well, b/c of the money. But what's the point if I won't be happy.

I was actually hoping for someone to say, "No, I actually know a lot of people who enjoy being a lawyer"

Anybody?

"No, I actually know a lot of people who enjoy being a lawyer." But to be honest, most of them became lawyers for reasons other than just earning money.

nygrrrl wrote:

fumagalli wrote:
This is really depressing. I'm actually stepping into being an attorney b/c, well, b/c of the money. But what's the point if I won't be happy.

I was actually hoping for someone to say, "No, I actually know a lot of people who enjoy being a lawyer"

Anybody?

"No, I actually know a lot of people who enjoy being a lawyer." But to be honest, most of them became lawyers for reasons other than just earning money.

Other than money? Like what? pro bono? pure interest?

just the heads up- the overwhelming majority of lawyers don't make particularly good money

Two things:

First, Gen X is on here... as opposed to most of you Gen Y people, so there is a generational divide sometimes.

Secondly, I know about 10 lawyers pretty well, and about 7 of those love their jobs and are generally happy people. The few who don't either should never have become lawyers in the first place, or couldn't get jobs and are unhappy because they are poorz. Of course, I know only one biglaw lawyer- he does patent law- but he loves his job.

I think most people are generally grumpy and tired so I assume lawyers to be the same.

firemed wrote:Two things:

First, Gen X is on here... as opposed to most of you Gen Y people, so there is a generational divide sometimes.

Secondly, I know about 10 lawyers pretty well, and about 7 of those love their jobs and are generally happy people. The few who don't either should never have become lawyers in the first place, or couldn't get jobs and are unhappy because they are poorz. Of course, I know only one biglaw lawyer- he does patent law- but he loves his job.

Are the 7 happy people in house lawyers?

I know lots of happy lawyers, but none of them have biglaw jobs, which was the initial question in the OP. (which was why I didn't answer the initial query.)

And most of the lawyers I know make decent money, between 80K and 200K, depending on the field in which they practice. (80K won't get you far in New York, but I don't live in New York. ) I don't know any corporate attorneys , the attorneys I know are all either attorneys for the city, prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys or family law attorneys. Several of them also do small business type issues and residential real estate issues.

As firemed said, the people I know who are lawyers and are not happy, are not happy people, and probably would have the same attitude regardless of where they work. I also agree with rinkrat that some degree of grouch just happens sometimes when you're a grownup and have been going to the same job for 10 years. They all get annoying/boring when you do the same thing day in and day out for that long. Really. No matter how cool and fun it is on day one, by day 3,650 it starts to lose its luster.

And yes, there is more than one generation on this site, there is a lot of Gen Y but there is also a good showing of Gen X and even a couple of the young-end boomers on here, so don't assume so much about the similarity of you and the other posters.

And yes, there is more than one generation on this site, there is a lot of Gen Y but there is also a good showing of Gen X and even a couple of the young-end boomers on here, so don't assume so much about the similarity of you and the other posters.

I had to google the difference between GenX and GenY, so I get it now.

fumagalli wrote:

firemed wrote:Two things:

First, Gen X is on here... as opposed to most of you Gen Y people, so there is a generational divide sometimes.

Secondly, I know about 10 lawyers pretty well, and about 7 of those love their jobs and are generally happy people. The few who don't either should never have become lawyers in the first place, or couldn't get jobs and are unhappy because they are poorz. Of course, I know only one biglaw lawyer- he does patent law- but he loves his job.

Are the 7 happy people in house lawyers?

Happy: One biglaw, two ADAs, two small firm, one assistant to an attorney general, one clerk.

Unhappy: clerk, glorified legal secretary, unemployed.