For those who detest Biglaw- What would you have done instead? Forum

[asdfdfdfadfas]

Going through a lot of these threads, I have obviously seen a lot of people recommending not going to Biglaw or not recommending law school. Knowing what you know now, I am curious to know if you could do it all over again, what would you have done instead?

[Johann]

what's your college major in? do you have any job options? i would have tried to do supply chain management or data statistics shit. would have gotten really good at using excel in a business/econ program in undergrad (double major ish - make sure you have the excel practical real world skills to go with the econ theory bullshit). work for 2 years and try to use my decent talking skills to get on a career track that could make 75k with a couple years experience and 100k with many years experience. if i hit a ceiling at 60k, id have gone to business school then.

alternatively, i really wish i had gotten into sales. i know it's not the right career for lots of lawyers because talking/selling/interaction but for the litigation people, this shit is where the money is. inside sales people (not cold calling) make 200k these days with under 10 years of experience and work from home/remotely almost all the time. you travel occassionally (but i travel way more now than i would in sales). i worked a commission based job part time in undergrad and really regret not using it to get in the sales field.

[Desert Fox]

Move to silicon valley, worked for a start up and then do my own bidness.

[asdfdfdfadfas]

what's your college major in? do you have any job options? i would have tried to do supply chain management or data statistics shit. would have gotten really good at using excel in a business/econ program in undergrad (double major ish - make sure you have the excel practical real world skills to go with the econ theory bullshit). work for 2 years and try to use my decent talking skills to get on a career track that could make 75k with a couple years experience and 100k with many years experience. if i hit a ceiling at 60k, id have gone to business school then.

alternatively, i really wish i had gotten into sales. i know it's not the right career for lots of lawyers because talking/selling/interaction but for the litigation people, this shit is where the money is. inside sales people (not cold calling) make 200k these days with under 10 years of experience and work from home/remotely almost all the time. you travel occassionally (but i travel way more now than i would in sales). i worked a commission based job part time in undergrad and really regret not using it to get in the sales field.

The first half is exactly what I have been up to. I had a double in Econ and Finance with good financial returns and after three years of struggle trying to find a job in equity research I got a good job on a trade floor. I was forced out because I wouldn't partake in what was arguably Accounting fraud; which, sucked too because I had actually done well at my job. I took the LSAT in the morning and at night as I have family ties in Biglaw, but the consensus in real life and here is to not go. So I am kind of at that point in my life where it is well, now what?

Right now I am working an Accounting job with no debt and taking Accounting classes I am financing myself at night to sit for the CPA and hopefully transition into tax. My goal is to make it out debt free, move to the Pacific Northwest and try to get a gig either in government, at Amazon, or public making hopefully around 60 to 70ish.

I am also older, 28.

Either way, I figure everyone's insights on what they would do if they weren't in law would not only be beneficial to myself but also interesting to hear because there are many people on here who have said they would rather be doing something else if they could go back in time.

[GreenEggs]

Right now I am working an Accounting job with no debt and taking Accounting classes I am financing myself at night to sit for the CPA and hopefully transition into tax. My goal is to make it out debt free, move to the Pacific Northwest and try to get a gig either in government, at Amazon, or public making hopefully around 60 to 70ish.

If that's your goal then screw law school. Get your CPA, you're guaranteed this outcome basically. A little higher, like 80-90k. But there's a ceiling in accounting, and it doesn't get that much higher unless you transition into something else (or move up to management)

[asdfdfdfadfas]

Right now I am working an Accounting job with no debt and taking Accounting classes I am financing myself at night to sit for the CPA and hopefully transition into tax. My goal is to make it out debt free, move to the Pacific Northwest and try to get a gig either in government, at Amazon, or public making hopefully around 60 to 70ish.

If that's your goal then screw law school. Get your CPA, you're guaranteed this outcome basically. A little higher, like 80-90k. But there's a ceiling in accounting, and it doesn't get that much higher unless you transition into something else (or move up to management)

Yeah, that is why I went this route. I could do it without the huge risk of having to borrow and pray for Biglaw. If I really want to do law after 2 years I figured I'd have in state at U of W and perhaps a decent network there. That is of course if I can pull all of this off.

***Also, I didn't really mean to make this thread about me. I really wanted to see what you guys wish you had done if you really don't like Biglaw.

[Johann]

Right now I am working an Accounting job with no debt and taking Accounting classes I am financing myself at night to sit for the CPA and hopefully transition into tax. My goal is to make it out debt free, move to the Pacific Northwest and try to get a gig either in government, at Amazon, or public making hopefully around 60 to 70ish.

If that's your goal then screw law school. Get your CPA, you're guaranteed this outcome basically. A little higher, like 80-90k. But there's a ceiling in accounting, and it doesn't get that much higher unless you transition into something else (or move up to management)

accounting at big 4 is one of the jobs i think is worse than law. similar demands for less money. id get the CPA but try to do something interesting with it like financial analyst at a company where you can work 20 hours or less a week and chill at the office the remaining 20. if you get CPA and dont get a decently kush job, id do law school then

[asdfdfdfadfas]

Right now I am working an Accounting job with no debt and taking Accounting classes I am financing myself at night to sit for the CPA and hopefully transition into tax. My goal is to make it out debt free, move to the Pacific Northwest and try to get a gig either in government, at Amazon, or public making hopefully around 60 to 70ish.

If that's your goal then screw law school. Get your CPA, you're guaranteed this outcome basically. A little higher, like 80-90k. But there's a ceiling in accounting, and it doesn't get that much higher unless you transition into something else (or move up to management)

accounting at big 4 is one of the jobs i think is worse than law. similar demands for less money. id get the CPA but try to do something interesting with it like financial analyst at a company where you can work 20 hours or less a week and chill at the office the remaining 20. if you get CPA and dont get a decently kush job, id do law school then

Plus, there is also Moss Adams up there which has a good reputation and a slew of other private companies. I figure with the CPA I'll get something decent given I have good work experience and perhaps one day either move up in the company or transition that into my own practice. I am pretty sure B4 and other Accounting firms are begging for tax associates because the work sucks so much, the hours are bad, and everyone goes audit.

Another benefit is I want to ski and hike and live actively on the weekends. So that is why I am kind of set on the PNW.

Really it will depend on where my SO can find work as well. I just thought the above sounded better than law school. I am use to grinding 10 hours a day in an intense environment so I don't think the work will be much worse than what I am use to.

Sitting through 3 years of law school with 200k debt with the possibility of getting biglaw sounds like a huge risk and in my mind is the big problem with law school, you are taking a huge risk on the front end where the best case scenario is almost breaking even if you consider the average time in biglaw is 3 years.

[GreenEggs]

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