Sorry if this question has been asked before, but I couldn’t find anything when I searched. I recently finished my clerkship back in August, and I’ve just joined this forum for some guidance. To be honest, it feels like all I’ve seen are posts saying I’ll hate my job soon or I’ll want to leave within six months.
For some background, I’m working at a small litigation firm with around 50-60 attorneys. Does anyone here actually like their private practice job? If so, do you have any tips or advice on how to enjoy it? Right now, I don’t mind the 50-60+ hour work weeks because everything’s still new and interesting. My partner works long hours too, and we don’t have kids, so I’m just embracing the grind. But I know I can’t keep up this pace forever.
This forum draws in a lot of people who need to vent, which makes sense. There are a lot of difficult law jobs, and some frustrating parts of the profession. But you’re not really hearing from all the people who are happy or at least content in their jobs.
Also, if you asked some of those venting whether they’d prefer a lower-paying retail or manual labor job with less control and fewer benefits, most would probably say no. At least you’re making a living with your mind and not breaking your back physically.
Take a look at your coworkers… are they all miserable? If not, maybe the horror stories you hear aren’t the whole picture.
Blair said:
This forum draws in a lot of people who need to vent, which makes sense. There are a lot of difficult law jobs, and some frustrating parts of the profession. But you’re not really hearing from all the people who are happy or at least content in their jobs.
Also, if you asked some of those venting whether they’d prefer a lower-paying retail or manual labor job with less control and fewer benefits, most would probably say no. At least you’re making a living with your mind and not breaking your back physically.
Take a look at your coworkers… are they all miserable? If not, maybe the horror stories you hear aren’t the whole picture.
This is solid advice, thank you! Everyone at my office seems to enjoy it, and they even call themselves a ‘family.’ I haven’t had any real complaints so far, since I knew the work-life balance would be different from my time at the federal level. I was just curious about what others were saying in this forum, but now I understand it may not be representative.
Blair said:
This forum draws in a lot of people who need to vent, which makes sense. There are a lot of difficult law jobs, and some frustrating parts of the profession. But you’re not really hearing from all the people who are happy or at least content in their jobs.
Also, if you asked some of those venting whether they’d prefer a lower-paying retail or manual labor job with less control and fewer benefits, most would probably say no. At least you’re making a living with your mind and not breaking your back physically.
Take a look at your coworkers… are they all miserable? If not, maybe the horror stories you hear aren’t the whole picture.
This is solid advice, thank you! Everyone at my office seems to enjoy it, and they even call themselves a ‘family.’ I haven’t had any real complaints so far, since I knew the work-life balance would be different from my time at the federal level. I was just curious about what others were saying in this forum, but now I understand it may not be representative.
Law firm ‘families’ are total nonsense. If you’re in a firm with more than 10 lawyers, you’re replaceable, and the only thing that matters is how productive you are. A firm with 50-60 attorneys? Yeah, you’re a cog in the machine.
River said: Blair said:
This forum draws in a lot of people who need to vent, which makes sense. There are a lot of difficult law jobs, and some frustrating parts of the profession. But you’re not really hearing from all the people who are happy or at least content in their jobs.
Also, if you asked some of those venting whether they’d prefer a lower-paying retail or manual labor job with less control and fewer benefits, most would probably say no. At least you’re making a living with your mind and not breaking your back physically.
Take a look at your coworkers… are they all miserable? If not, maybe the horror stories you hear aren’t the whole picture.
This is solid advice, thank you! Everyone at my office seems to enjoy it, and they even call themselves a ‘family.’ I haven’t had any real complaints so far, since I knew the work-life balance would be different from my time at the federal level. I was just curious about what others were saying in this forum, but now I understand it may not be representative.
Law firm ‘families’ are total nonsense. If you’re in a firm with more than 10 lawyers, you’re replaceable, and the only thing that matters is how productive you are. A firm with 50-60 attorneys? Yeah, you’re a cog in the machine.
That’s usually true. Under 10 lawyers, personal relationships might carry more weight. Once you get to 50 or more, it’s all about the numbers, and you’re just a statistic.
I left private practice after five years. At first, I really enjoyed it, but the long hours, constant deadlines, and office politics eventually wore me out. The workload became overwhelming.
Pax said:
I left private practice after five years. At first, I really enjoyed it, but the long hours, constant deadlines, and office politics eventually wore me out. The workload became overwhelming.
When you’re ready, you might want to think about going solo. That’s where you can find more freedom, better money, and a more balanced life.
Pax said:
I left private practice after five years. At first, I really enjoyed it, but the long hours, constant deadlines, and office politics eventually wore me out. The workload became overwhelming.
When you’re ready, you might want to think about going solo. That’s where you can find more freedom, better money, and a more balanced life.
Completely agree. The scariest part is making that jump, but it’s often when you need to most.
Quinlan said: Pax said:
I left private practice after five years. At first, I really enjoyed it, but the long hours, constant deadlines, and office politics eventually wore me out. The workload became overwhelming.
When you’re ready, you might want to think about going solo. That’s where you can find more freedom, better money, and a more balanced life.
Completely agree. The scariest part is making that jump, but it’s often when you need to most.
I’m about to start my first law job next week. I know this isn’t directly related to the original post, but your comment really speaks to me. Thanks for sharing!
Pax said:
I left private practice after five years. At first, I really enjoyed it, but the long hours, constant deadlines, and office politics eventually wore me out. The workload became overwhelming.
Deadlines give me so much anxiety. I’m years in, and I still get that cold sweat when I remember something is due. I haven’t missed one yet, but the stress is always there.
Pax said:
I left private practice after five years. At first, I really enjoyed it, but the long hours, constant deadlines, and office politics eventually wore me out. The workload became overwhelming.
Deadlines give me so much anxiety. I’m years in, and I still get that cold sweat when I remember something is due. I haven’t missed one yet, but the stress is always there.
Exactly! It’s a love-hate relationship with private practice. The pressure is real, but there’s also a rush to it.
Riley said:
I’ve been doing this for 24 years and still love it.
Glad to hear it!
I’m in the middle of a trial right now, but I wanted to give you some advice. Try to soak up as much knowledge as you can now, because one day you might want to go solo and build the life that works best for you. I’ve been able to shape my job to fit my personal life, and that’s the best part.
20 years in and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I make my own schedule, choose my own clients, and have all the tax benefits of being a business owner. You couldn’t pay me to work in another setting.
Quinlan said:
20 years in and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I make my own schedule, choose my own clients, and have all the tax benefits of being a business owner. You couldn’t pay me to work in another setting.
Quinlan said:
20 years in and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I make my own schedule, choose my own clients, and have all the tax benefits of being a business owner. You couldn’t pay me to work in another setting.
How did you get started on your own?
I started during the 2008 recession when the job market was terrible. I opened my own firm, found a mentor in an established attorney, and built up a practice taking any case that came through the door. I worked hard to build relationships, and eventually, I got into bigger cases and found success. I won some appeals, learned from seasoned attorneys, and kept pushing through.
It wasn’t easy, especially with a young family, but necessity pushes you to make things work.
Camden said: Quinlan said:
20 years in and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I make my own schedule, choose my own clients, and have all the tax benefits of being a business owner. You couldn’t pay me to work in another setting.
How did you get started on your own?
I started during the 2008 recession when the job market was terrible. I opened my own firm, found a mentor in an established attorney, and built up a practice taking any case that came through the door. I worked hard to build relationships, and eventually, I got into bigger cases and found success. I won some appeals, learned from seasoned attorneys, and kept pushing through.
It wasn’t easy, especially with a young family, but necessity pushes you to make things work.
That’s the grind. It takes time and commitment, but you figured it out.
Quinlan said:
20 years in and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I make my own schedule, choose my own clients, and have all the tax benefits of being a business owner. You couldn’t pay me to work in another setting.
River said:
Sorry if this question has been asked before, but I couldn’t find anything when I searched. I recently finished my clerkship back in August, and I’ve just joined this forum for some guidance. To be honest, it feels like all I’ve seen are posts saying I’ll hate my job soon or I’ll want to leave within six months.
For some background, I’m working at a small litigation firm with around 50-60 attorneys. Does anyone here actually like their private practice job? If so, do you have any tips or advice on how to enjoy it? Right now, I don’t mind the 50-60+ hour work weeks because everything’s still new and interesting. My partner works long hours too, and we don’t have kids, so I’m just embracing the grind. But I know I can’t keep up this pace forever.
You’ve got to have a certain personality to enjoy law. A lot of younger folks go to law school without knowing what they’re in for and get frustrated when it hits them. I love it personally.
I started law school at 29 after doing manual labor jobs, and I can tell you, no lawyer job is worse than that grind. I love getting to dive deep into cases and becoming an expert in a topic. I also love having a well-paying job with benefits, and I find the work intellectually challenging and rewarding.
Yeah, the grind is tough, but it beats a lot of other career paths in my opinion.
