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I seem to change my 0L mind every day about whether I'd prefer to be a litigator or transactional attorney, so I was just wondering if practicing attorneys, especially those who were on the fence and could see themselves in either role, might share how they came to make the decision one way or the other.

Thanks!

I split between two practice areas during my 2L summer. One made me want to kill myself a little bit, while the other made me want to kill myself a lot.

I'm a passive aggressive nerd, so the choice was easy.

Anything to do with finance/corporate whatever makes me want to shoot myself; I don't even know what M&A is. Also I like legal research and writing. Not that I actually do either of those now that I'm in practice (in litigation), but that's how I got here.

(Also I ended up liking criminal much better than civil, which kind of decides the issue. Note: I hated my crim law class. I just like criminal practice.)

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Anything to do with finance/corporate whatever makes me want to shoot myself; I don't even know what M&A is. Also I like legal research and writing. Not that I actually do either of those now that I'm in practice (in litigation), but that's how I got here.

(Also I ended up liking criminal much better than civil, which kind of decides the issue. Note: I hated my crim law class. I just like criminal practice.)

Class and practice are totally unrelated. Liking sec reg doesn't mean you'll like internal investigations. Hating bankruptcy class says nothing about what you will think of bankruptcy practice.

IAFG wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Anything to do with finance/corporate whatever makes me want to shoot myself; I don't even know what M&A is. Also I like legal research and writing. Not that I actually do either of those now that I'm in practice (in litigation), but that's how I got here.

(Also I ended up liking criminal much better than civil, which kind of decides the issue. Note: I hated my crim law class. I just like criminal practice.)

Class and practice are totally unrelated. Liking sec reg doesn't mean you'll like internal investigations. Hating bankruptcy class says nothing about what you will think of bankruptcy practice.

Oh, exactly, that was the point I was hoping to make.

Because I was offered a transactional job, even though everything I did in law school was for lit.

I also got lucky and don't have the "kill yourself" type of transactional job Mouse was referring to. At least, I think so. I don't know what the hell M&A people do either.

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:I'm a passive aggressive nerd, so the choice was easy.

I'm not even sure which one you mean. The most beta thing in the world is "Bro" corporate attorneys who are limp dick nerds.

iamgeorgebush wrote:I seem to change my 0L mind every day about whether I'd prefer to be a litigator or transactional attorney, so I was just wondering if practicing attorneys, especially those who were on the fence and could see themselves in either role, might share how they came to make the decision one way or the other.

Thanks!

You don't have to decide anytime soon. It's helpful to experience working in different types of matters. A lot of it might be a gut feeling that you prefer one over the other after doing both, and seeing what the working lifestyle is like for each.

I don't derive pleasure from facilitating deals and creating value, but I do derive pleasure from crushing my enemies, seeing them brought before me, and hearing the lamentations of their women.

I like to travel. Which one involves more traveling?

Sgt Brody. wrote:I like to travel. Which one involves more traveling?

Our lit people have spent 18 hour days in corporate basements in several cities, domestic and international. Up to twice a year!

Sgt Brody. wrote:I like to travel. Which one involves more traveling?

Probably lit. A lot of tasks need to be done in person (such as a deposition), whereas just about all transactional work can be done via phone/email/skype

hlsperson1111 wrote:I don't derive pleasure from facilitating deals and creating value, but I do derive pleasure from crushing my enemies, seeing them brought before me, and hearing the lamentations of their women.

What do either of these things have to do with the actual practice of law?

Desert Fox wrote:

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:I'm a passive aggressive nerd, so the choice was easy.

I'm not even sure which one you mean. The most beta thing in the world is "Bro" corporate attorneys who are limp dick nerds.

Litigators acknowledge their nerdiness, whereas corporate dudes pretend like they could have done lit but didn't because they're 2 cool for school. The reality is that corporate shitheads trade better exit options and a shittier schedule for the fact that they're not even real lawyers.

Do you like sitting in front of a computer all day reading documents, researching, and writing? And proofing a document until you can confirm every period is in the right place? If so, litigation is for you.

(I've never done anything transactional, so I don't know if these questions are applicable.)

hiima3L wrote:Do you like sitting in front of a computer all day reading documents, researching, and writing? And proofing a document until you can confirm every period is in the right place? If so, litigation is for you.

(I've never done anything transactional, so I don't know if these questions are applicable.)

I thought this would be closer to transactional work?

hiima3L wrote:Do you like sitting in front of a computer all day reading documents, researching, and writing? And proofing a document until you can confirm every period is in the right place? If so, litigation is for you.

(I've never done anything transactional, so I don't know if these questions are applicable.)

Sounds fitting for an introvert to do.

Can people speak to the transactional side by contrast?

Theopliske8711 wrote:

hiima3L wrote:Do you like sitting in front of a computer all day reading documents, researching, and writing? And proofing a document until you can confirm every period is in the right place? If so, litigation is for you.

(I've never done anything transactional, so I don't know if these questions are applicable.)

I thought this would be closer to transactional work?

Yeah law sucks.

hiima3L wrote:Do you like sitting in front of a computer all day reading documents, researching, and writing? And proofing a document until you can confirm every period is in the right place? If so, litigation is for you.

(I've never done anything transactional, so I don't know if these questions are applicable.)

Drop the researching and writing (at least memos and briefs and such) and that's transactional too. At least my end of it.

hiima3L wrote:Do you like sitting in front of a computer all day reading documents, researching, and writing? And proofing a document until you can confirm every period is in the right place? If so, litigation is for you.

(I've never done anything transactional, so I don't know if these questions are applicable.)

That's secretarial or paralegal work brah.

Desert Fox wrote:

hiima3L wrote:Do you like sitting in front of a computer all day reading documents, researching, and writing? And proofing a document until you can confirm every period is in the right place? If so, litigation is for you.

(I've never done anything transactional, so I don't know if these questions are applicable.)

That's secretarial or paralegal work brah.

Mistakes get by them all the time

IAFG wrote:

hlsperson1111 wrote:I don't derive pleasure from facilitating deals and creating value, but I do derive pleasure from crushing my enemies, seeing them brought before me, and hearing the lamentations of their women.

What do either of these things have to do with the actual practice of law?

I think he is perhaps explaining why he decided to leave law and join the Dothraki

IAFG wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:

hiima3L wrote:Do you like sitting in front of a computer all day reading documents, researching, and writing? And proofing a document until you can confirm every period is in the right place? If so, litigation is for you.

(I've never done anything transactional, so I don't know if these questions are applicable.)

That's secretarial or paralegal work brah.

Mistakes get by them all the time

I'm not really sure how having a JD will help proofreading. They'll get by you too.

Desert Fox wrote:

IAFG wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:

hiima3L wrote:Do you like sitting in front of a computer all day reading documents, researching, and writing? And proofing a document until you can confirm every period is in the right place? If so, litigation is for you.

(I've never done anything transactional, so I don't know if these questions are applicable.)

That's secretarial or paralegal work brah.

Mistakes get by them all the time

I'm not really sure how having a JD will help proofreading. They'll get by you too.

They do and it's a problem when it happens. It's a very fucking weird profession.