Lawyers HATE their lives: some data Forum

[Voyager]

May we see the stats now about how MBB consultants love life? It's rich that OP wrote a popular LSAT study guide and has now come back to do a bunch of doom-and-gloom shitposting.

yea it's really not that bad and it's not forever. it's kind of adorable how op has come back here bellowing about how much better off he is for not taking shitty advice given to him by anonymous internet strangers four years ago that basically everyone here now would agree is shitty. life must be awesome

Heh. This place is no different than it was 7 years ago when I first encountered it. Same responses, just different people.

I'd still like a response if you're not too busy being smug.

My original post speaks for itself. I can't prove a negative. That is to say: if consultants are not all depressed alcoholics how would I prove it? While many leave that life eventually, they are not as miserable as my biglaw friends.

The stats I posted speak for themselves.

As for those of you who are now crying that I appear to be bragging or something... it was YOU people who asked me about where I had been, what my wife was like, what sort of house I lived in , etc. So... sorry you got an answer, I guess?

[PDaddy]

Wow, few people stick around the same big firm for more than a few years? That must be because those people hate their jobs. I'm sure the firm would be happy if all associates stuck around past the fifth year.

Also, posting an article in which the author immediately and proudly declares that she is a boomer? Talk about not knowing your audience.

You're correct!

I see evidence that some people (eg. people of color) are hating their "JOBS"...their work environments, but not necessarily their choice of career. That's an important distinction.

Sometimes, associates are poached into better jobs, like in-house corporate counsel. Some people hang up shingles and become very successful. Other people join law groups with former peers at boutique firms, or form boutiques.

The article makes a causal argument about the profession but neglects to consider the possibility that the profession simply tends to attract individuals with certain personalities (malcontents), and people who are predisposed to certain behaviors or emotional instability.

The legal profession, when practiced by those who are truly drawn to it for the right reasons, possess the right talent and skills, and receive the proper guidance, is a noble, fulfilling and enjoyable profession. I gave seen no evidence of the contrary.

The stats simply show that too many if the wrong people may be joining the profession, not that the profession is some kind of black hole!

[TheSpanishMain]

My original post speaks for itself. I can't prove a negative. That is to say: if consultants are not all depressed alcoholics how would I prove it? While many leave that life eventually, they are not as miserable as my biglaw friends.

The stats I posted speak for themselves.

As for those of you who are now crying that I appear to be bragging or something... it was YOU people who asked me about where I had been, what my wife was like, what sort of house I lived in , etc. So... sorry you got an answer, I guess?

I'm not asking you to establish and prove an exact figure. I'm just pointing out that a LOT of BigLaw associates go into the job fully expecting it to be miserable and planning to quit in a few years. You have to take that into account when you post things like "X% of BL associates quit after a few years" as though that proves anything by itself.

[Webpolice]

everyone hates their lives. if they don't they're idiots and i envy them. lawyers are just more vocal whiners than others.

good point!

[thexfactor]

Wow, few people stick around the same big firm for more than a few years? That must be because those people hate their jobs. I'm sure the firm would be happy if all associates stuck around past the fifth year.

Also, posting an article in which the author immediately and proudly declares that she is a boomer? Talk about not knowing your audience.

I think only 37% leave after 3 years is due to the fact that generally speaking, there are more lateral opportunities in-house for transactional attorneys vs litigators. Half of the big law attorneys are in litigation and half are in trans.

[star fox]

everyone hates their lives. if they don't they're idiots and i envy them. lawyers are just more vocal whiners than others.

This is probably more true than people realize. All my friends who are in professional jobs complain about how all they do is work. All my friends who aren't in professional jobs complain about how they're broke and treated like vermin at their jobs. And heck, all my friends in school always complain they're "crazy busy" and stressing about the future. There's no winning. Just moving along in this cold hard miserable existence of First World Problems until we're dead.

[Law Man]

everyone hates their lives. if they don't they're idiots and i envy them. lawyers are just more vocal whiners than others.

good point!

Wow! I love my life, I love my family, I love practicing law. I make very good money. I have my own firm, One of my kids is finishing up Law School, the other is just applying, I am in my 70's and still practicing, and I won't ever retire.

I am just posting this to show that if Law is right for you, you will love it.

[fats provolone]

everyone hates their lives. if they don't they're idiots and i envy them. lawyers are just more vocal whiners than others.

good point!

Wow! I love my life, I love my family, I love practicing law. I make very good money. I have my own firm, One of my kids is finishing up Law School, the other is just applying, I am in my 70's and still practicing, and I won't ever retire.

I am just posting this to show that if Law is right for you, you will love it.

lolol

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Things that people on this board routinely underestimate:
1. how much work/stress any $100k+ job will be (with very few exceptions: ex. you start Tumblr or Instagram)
2. how important individual preferences/abilities are to job satisfaction whatever the job is (I know many doctors who hate their profession, and others who love it; I know many people who are city planners, teachers, small business owners and love their job because they like helping people, they are super passionate about the work, or it is very important to them to choose their own hours, among other reasons)
3. how relevant age and personal factors will be to job satisfaction (are you married or not? do you have kids or not? do you want to be able to go out 1-3 nights a week? will you be dating and you need to be able to set up dates with almost no chance of cancelling/rescheduling?)
4. that certain types of people are drawn to certain professions (lawyers are naturally less empathetic than kindergarten teachers; pessimistic people are more likely than optimists to be drug/alcohol abusers; smarter people are more likely to get white collar jobs, and are also more likely to become substance abusers)
5. that it is absolutely common for any adult to have a "grass is greener" view such that other professions seem better than the one they chose because of free time, stress, more/less $, more less respect, etc. etc.

[15 styx]

Wow! I love my life, I love my family, I love practicing law. I make very good money. I have my own firm, One of my kids is finishing up Law School, the other is just applying, I am in my 70's and still practicing, and I won't ever retire.

I am just posting this to show that if Law is right for you, you will love it.

I am a JA. A fair number of partners I work with are 60+. They seem to really enjoy working in the law. Admittedly, they travel a lot so it’s not the same as being there each and every day. Do you take weeks off from time to time? Also, how long were you in the law before starting your own firm?

[fats provolone]

I'm sure lots of boomers enjoy their jobs