As my family, my friends, my acquaintances and virtually anyone within the sound of my voice knows, I am looking for a job. I know it's not true, but sometimes I feel like the last person in my graduating law class still looking for work. I've done most of the things that are supposed to help you get jobs, but it just hasn't really worked out for me. I've been lucky in finding something to do for now to keep us from starving, but I've yet to find someone who wants to pay me for practicing law full-time.
As frustrating as it has been, the process of looking for work over a prolonged period of time may be a positive thing for me. The default desire of any well ranked law school student is a high-paying job at the megafirm of your choice. As a second year student applying for summer internships, that's all I looked for. With most big firms hiring their second year interns or at least hiring third years before Thanksgiving it's looking pretty sure that a prestigious large firm job is not in my immediate future. As the prospect of all that cash recedes, I find myself feeling better and better about it.
The problem with the big firm gig is that they expect you to work to make all that money. Sixty hour weeks are common and those expecting to make partner need to push 2000 billable hours a year plus. That's 5-6 days a week, 10-12 hours a day. There is a supposed payoff at around 8 or 9 years in, where you make partner. Usually, however, the payoff is monetary and the hours remain. Most associates that start their careers at a big firm move on after 3 years or so.
That kind of lifestyle might not be for me. If I have one defining character trait it just might be laziness. Lazy ain't happy working that much. If perfectly normal, hardworking people can't hack the big firm lifestyle, what would that mean for me? There's an outside chance that I would enjoy the work and love the money, but it's a really really outside chance.
So, since the high life has looked me over and said "thanks, but no thanks," what kind of future am I looking at? That is the abyss into which I am now staring. There are various small firms in town here and in Prescott that I've applied to and some of them look promising. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens. If you know anyone who is looking for a relatively bright, kinda lazy lawyer with a background in intellectual property and an interest in tax and property - you can tell them you know someone who's not doing anything at the moment.
1 comment:
I don't think laziness is exactly it. When we were watching that movie on J. Reuben Clark, we had the same question: "With all that time at two offices, when did he ever see his family?" 60-hour work-weeks are not conducive to the family life.
I think part of it is a new paradigm in fathering. I know that I will be working big firm when I graduate, but will refuse to work the billable hours expected for partnership, and will leave for smaller pastures once my loans are paid off.
You've had the benefit of circumstances that have allowed you to minimize your debt. Celebrate!! You can go small immediately and still pay off your loans in the same time I will. Frankly, I'm jealous.
Family is always more important than money or prestige, and you have a wonderful one.
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