Quote:
Originally Posted by srandallf
I can say with confidence that 99.9999999% of all my lawyer friends regret their career choice...even those that wanted to be a lawyer at the beginning. The ones I see everyday at court do not hide the fact that its a drag.
This job burns you out quick because of many reasons.
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The problem with being a lawyer is that you will:
1) Be a slave at a large firm billing 2,000+ hours per year and have NO life.
or
2) Get a job at a small firm and eat what you kill. Talk about STRESS. If you don't start bringing in the bucks after a few years you will be gone.
On the brighter side, you can start at a large firm and transfer to a cushy in-house counsel job. Or love what you do and be a great rainmaker at a small firm.
Things to consider:
What if you are 40 years old and your law firm blows up? NOONE will hire you unless you have an impressive book of business. I worked for a legal temp agency at the end of my legal career (I switched out of law) and saw many smart and talented 40 and 50 something lawyers who got pushed out of their firms or somehow or another lost their jobs and couldn't get on with any other firm because they had no book of business. Its a tough job.
On the good side, you can always do something else with a legal degree. Its also a great education to have. I also have some friends who are at mid-size firms and they absolutely love what they do and are very successful. Just some food for thought.
Scott