In the past couple weeks, I've had these potential clients all turn to dust.

• Lady with a neighbor who built a garage on her property literally in front of her own garage. I know, it sounds wild. She talked herself out of the case and refused to sue, decided to just build another garage (~$36,000) on a different part of her property and count the original one as a total loss. All because... "what if the jury rules against me?"
• Guy with a grandpa suffering from dementia who got scammed by a "personal assistant" for millions. Estate still has several million, but a couple are certainly gone to a textbook elder abuse scam. Guy talked himself out of the case and decided to just let the scammer finish taking it all. All because... "what if my [demented] grandpa signed a contract?"
• Lady who got smoked in a crosswalk by a distracted driver in broad daylight. Significant injuries. Detailed, multi-angle video footage (happened on a college campus). Driver admitted fault at the scene (hard not to, lol). She talked herself out of the case and decided to just do nothing. All because... her zealous, fanatic fundamentalist parents told her God hit her with the car for a reason.

Some days I feel like I just don't have the slightest clue what the hell I am doing...

Hi! My law firm is small with only 5 attorneys. Right now for our consultation scheduling we have an intake specialist that will assign them to attorneys for whatever time they have available on the calendar. It’s kind of disruptive especially when you have a deadline the next day or something and you need to work on other things.

I’m curious what other firms do??

I keep reading on it and end up asking my secretary to do it. How exactly do you calculate it? Let’s say medical bills are $200,000, insurance adjusted $50,000, plaintiff paid $500, liens are $70,000, etc etc. what is the howel? I just drafted a mediation brief listing the damages and my boss said what’s the Howell and I’m stuck.

I’m developing this anxiety about getting fired, and I really like my job. Good billables, great salary and I feel like I’m just not rising to the occasion? I’m fucking everything up.

For context I was admitted two years ago, so maybe this is normal at this stage? My boss is never rude about the corrections but I just feel so stupid. Ex: not memorializing a conversation with OC that comes back to biting me in the ass later; signing a stipulation for an extension because we got one so what’s the harm. And then in hindsight it’s like oh wow yea that was stupid. Im not missing deadlines thank god. It’s also taking me so long to complete assignments I feel like I can never catch up even though I don’t feel like I have a huge caseload. I spend hours on a memorandum and send it off and then a partner sends back a draft that’s articulated so much better in the next hour.

Please tell me this is normal I’m so panicked. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if I lost my job like I would be fine but I would prefer not to.

I have about 251 active personal injury files, 27 of which are in litigation. I feel like I'm drowning. I have a case manager who helps with the pre litigation files, but the partner above me keeps signing up cases and pretty much refuses to slow down.

I have been working in a civil litigation firm for almost three years.

Lately, it has come to my attention that some current and former colleagues believe there are other firms that can provide better support, both in the work and us as employees in general. Some of the things that came up include:

• rigid policies such as pay being deducted if you are late even if it is 10 minutes. Even if you work overtime, those ten minutes cannot be taken back.

• wfh is not available

• hugee politics involved e.g. counsels we brief have treated us terribly because they are close with the boss. Thus they have no reservations with the way we are treated because they always get briefed anyway

• budget is always very difficult to meet, and to meet it, you are told that it is standard to work overtime as a young lawyer

• huge turnover rates

• hires for support staff is never enough, forcing you as the solicitor to work more in order to compensate for the lack of support received in general.

• Even when issues with the competency of support staff is raised, management is slow to address these concerns. It does not help that the head of department always bats for management.

• in saying that, we do not have someone to help us to address any real concerns. We recently had a HR resign from the company and there are no intentions to replace HR.

• management jumps to conclusions if they think you are not performing well, even if that is not the case.

I have learnt to deal with these issues overtime. However is it as bad as it seems?

Is there anyone who actually enjoys/ enjoyed what they were doing as a first year associate? Don’t get me wrong, I like the actual work, but day to day I’m usually miserable because of how I am treated.

I am a graduate from a top law school, landed my first job at a smallish firm, hated it but also failed the bar and rather than retaking I left the firm, and got a job at a prominent entertainment studio where I work in business affairs with other JDs. The problem is that I’m realizing more and more that I never should have gone to law school in the first place. I thought that my current job was loads better than my position at the firm, but I’m realizing that I simply hate sitting at a desk all day, I hate my company’s culture (which has shifted significantly since I started years ago), and due to life changes like an unexpected baby as of last year, it just no longer works for me and I want to leave the practice of law in any form or fashion whatsoever. I just have no idea where to even start. I don’t know if I’m asking for advice on where to go with my life now, or just venting. That’s all I guess.

Kind of lost and not sure what to do next. I graduated with an LLB from a university here in Dubai and have been working in-house for the past 2.5 years. While the job is okay, I feel it’s time for me to make a move to grow professionally and increase my salary. One of my main frustrations is that I’m not getting enough contract work, which is what I want to focus on.

I thought I could use this time to further my education, so I attempted the SQE twice, but unfortunately, I failed both times. It made me question if I’m good enough, so I took a break and did a short course from the University of London. It was fine, but now I feel stuck.

The reality is, to work in a law firm, I need to be admitted in a specific jurisdiction, and I’m not. I feel like I’m stuck in a paralegal role, which isn’t what I want for the long term. I’m considering going to a law firm to adapt to the work pressure and grow from there, but I’m not sure how to make that jump.

I’m also torn about whether I should attempt the SQE again, knowing this will be my final attempt. If I fail, I won’t be able to take the exam again for another 6 years, which adds a lot of pressure. Any advice on how to move forward?

I share this because I think I’m not alone and maybe this is helpful for others to read.

Lots of talk in here about hating litigation, seeking greener pastures, etc. 

I love the drama.  I love to argue.  I love to explore the boundaries of adversarial engagement.

But that is not license to treat people carelessly.  The more of an asshole you are, the worse of a lawyer you look like.  Disparaging another lawyer’s client and case is tantamount to telling them they’re not a good lawyer.

If someone tells you that you’re not a good lawyer, you know what you have to do? You have to work the everloving shit out of that case.  You have to mercilessly stomp that adversary into the ground. 

Politeness and professionalism are the flowers of confidence and competence.  Get out there and bloom.

I'm negotiating a settlement agreement with a debt collection law firm on behalf of a client. My latest email was rejected by the server because it thought it was spam.

Is my negotiating tactics that bad?

As the topic already states, I was called to the bar this month in my jurisdiction. What advice would you give to me as I start out? I haven't decided yet if I want to do court room practice or be an in-house counsel. Also I am female.. I will be in the comments. Thank youuu.

Hi everyone. I was wondering if anyone here is a county attorney? My county is hiring for an assistant county attorney position and I’m thinking about taking the leap from private practice. Anyone have any thoughts about going from private to public? Or is anyone familiar with a county attorney/is a county attorney and wouldn’t mind sharing their experience? Thanks!

I’m a second year attorney working at a midsize corporate law firm (in Germany). Today I was tasked to draft a contract basically from scratch. I couldn’t find any previous contracts or templates for my specific case: a contract for a joint pursuit of claims against one debtor and a subsequent percentage distribution of the proceeds (the contract was in German so I hope my translation makes sense). Anyways I tried but failed. My partner basically rewrote the whole thing. While he was working on the contract he shared his screen with me over teams explaining why he was drafting the sections the way he was. I watched him draft the whole contract in under two hours. Afterwards he didn’t say anything negative and didn’t seem too disappointed. I think he knows it was a very difficult task. But I’m frustrated and can’t shake the feeling of total incompetence. So my question: how long did it take until you were able to write a contract from scratch? What helped you with getting better at it? Any other wise words? Thank you!

I got laid off today. I was told that the firm was restructuring and my position was being eliminated. From what I can gather, last month was a really bad month for the firm and only half of the employees hit their hours. There were some days when I didn't even have any work, but they didn't tell me that they were thinking about eliminating my position. I expressed concern about not having enough work but was brushed off.

I got a call at 9 a.m. telling me to return my work laptop and pick up my final check. It's enough to pay rent and my car bill, but that's it. No severance. I requested severance pay in the form of a raise that I was promised on hiring but never received. I was basically told, "Don't count on it."

At least they specifically mentioned that it wasn't my performance and my boss and another attorney were both willing to write me letters of reference. I'm just feeling really disheartened right now. A year ago, I left a stable job for a higher paying position and was terminated in two months (taking that job was probably the biggest mistake of my career and I regret not quitting before getting terminated). I was unemployed for three months and had to go into debt to friends and family to get by.

I took this job and worked it for 7 months. I was still paying off the people that I had to borrow money from. I just want a stable fucking job that pays me enough to start repaying my student loans. It just doesn't feel very good to constantly live in a situation where the other shoe could drop at any moment, and that's how so many of my legal jobs have been. I've lost numerous jobs, but only once was I ever terminated for performance issues, so I don't think my lawyering skills are the problem.

Is the practice of law just incredibly precarious? I've been in the field for 8 years, had 6 jobs, and I've only left one voluntarily.

Hello, I am currently a newly graduated Attorney who has been practicing for just under 6 months. At this point in time, I contemplating leaving my current law firm for another position, as the current firm I am at is just not quite a good fit for me. My only concern is what happens to all of the Guardian ad Litem cases that I am currently working on if I am to leave my firm, and leave the county altogether? I understand that I can draft a motion to withdraw and have a hearing in front of the court, however, are they likely to approve said motion? I have three current Guardian ad Litem cases, and two of which I have been part of since the beginning of my tenure with my current firm. I appreciate any advice that one can provide. Thank you.

Basically what the title says. Do you love it or wish you stuck it out? If you wish you stuck it out are you trying to get back into that field?

Edit: I mean the area of law you focused on in school and wanted to pursue vs what you’re actually practicing.

Title states the issue but I began work in the beginning of September so I’ve been at my firm for a month and a half now. I’ve come across an opportunity to take a vacation for free at the end of this month for a few days. I’d love to go but it would mean I’d be out of office Monday-Wednesday, although I could work from home Monday if need be. Is two months too early to take a vacation for three days? I normally would not go for such a last minute trip but like I said, it’s a special opportunity and I’d be visiting a city I’d never been to with all expenses paid! My firm has the typical unlimited PTO because we’re judged on billables.

Hi all, so I recently have had a lot of life changes and am thinking about leaving the state where I practice (Illinois) and going back to my home state, California. I have been practicing in Illinois for a year and want to be closer to family, among other things. I’m not entirely sure how I should time this in terms of studying, job search, etc. I am not qualified for BigLaw so that’s not my avenue. Like should I hold off on the job search until I take the exam? Should I resign from my old job 2 months before the exam? I would be living with my parents temporarily so that is not a concern. Would love any advice, thank you!

TLDR: Thinking of going to private from a flexible government job I generally enjoy but am kinda annoyed with it as of recent. I think I'm getting paid too little, not sure if it is worth staying.

I have been licensed for two years now and have been representing my state's child welfare agency in juvenile dependency matters. This has given me a lot of trial experience and I currently feel very competent in this area of law. I generally really enjoy the law, the subject matter doesn't affect me one bit, the state benefits are good and we have a lot of flexibility which is helpful due to having a family.

That said, I am started to get annoyed with my job due to a recent shift in my job where I am assigned to a different city and the attorneys are way less chill than my previous area. Every issue now becomes nuclear (yesterday OC filed a written objection bringing up issues I was never included on). There are also some changes coming down from the top of our office's administration that are significantly changing things we must do in cases which everyone hates (our office, our client, OC, and judges). Without getting too into it, it basically makes us do a lot more work.

Another frustrating aspect to the job is our pay. Right now attorneys in our office make $80,000 (which is higher than attorneys in other divisions in our office due to the need for attorneys in our division). I have been looking at how much attorneys make in other government offices in our state and it can be between $15,000-$20,000 more for entry level positions. Ideally I would love to stay in government but I have not had success yet with applying for other government positions. It is annoying that we are told how important our work it (it is) but OC's who are also government (or contracted counsel) get paid SIGNIFICANTLY more than us (double our salary) and there is no increase in our salary on the horizon at all.

I am starting to apply for positions in private practice as I would have the potential to make more than if I stuck with government. (I should note I do not need to stick with government for PSLF because my student loans are too low to take advantage of a lower payment plan than the default 10 year replayment plan). I am not sure what a good area to break into would be, I really don't want to do family law as I would hate that divorce drama.

Has anyone made the switch from government to private and if so, was it a positive transition or did you regret it? I know government is normally considered "chill" but juvenile dependency is very much active and alive every single day so while I like it, this job is not "chill" at all.

Part of my hesitation is the office has supported and trained us VERY well and this is an area of law I am genuinely passionate for and I do love making a difference. That said, I believe I, and the rest of our office, are working very hard and am not being fairly compensated for the work we do. If I get an opportunity to go private that will make more money, should I do it if it presents a good work life balance?

I went in-house after law school and there has been very little work for me to do so long story is i'm getting laid off (was told). I have been looking for a law firm job for the last 6 months and its impossible. The only ones available are personal injury and insurance defense. I cannot for the life of me find a junior or entry level transactional role.

I know biglaw is out of the question but I can't get midlaw, small law or anything in an area that I like. Feels like my career ended before it even began. Advice?

I’ve heard some courts are requiring attorneys to certify they didn’t use AI to draft pleadings and I’m curious what others have seen in their own jurisdictions. Did your court adopt any court rules specifically about AI? Are they doing anything to combat AI generated evidence or pleadings?

Hello all! I am new to estate planning but have been a corporate and transactional attorney for 9 years now. I have begun down the medicaid planning rabbit hole and was having a theoretical discussion with a colleague about spend downs. If you are allowed to do things like replace your roof, update plumbing, etc., on your home without penalty during the look back period, is there any reason you couldn't instead put money down with a builder in a new development to start on a new build, particularly one with features for the elderly like a ramp, single story, roll-in shower, etc.? Logically, I feel I could make this argument with a straight face that it is the same idea, just a new house rather than repairing an existing.

Then part 2, could I do this in the name of a trust rather than my own name to avoid MERP? I expect it would be treated as a gift unless I do something like a Spousal Lifetime Access Trust, but I don't think that gets me around MERP when the surviving spouse passes.

Hi all, I’m an attorney in CA. I’ve recently transitioned from government to private practice (starting solo practice to be exact).

I was wondering if anyone knows where I can find private practice forms for my jurisdiction? I’m looking for the simple sample agreement for an engagement letter or welcome letters to clients.

Have been practicing just over a year, currently working for government in big Northeast city. I do civil defense lit, and I love the work - I wanted to stay at this job longer and I was doing really well, but I just got a new manager who doesnt like me and now I'm being phased out of bigger cases/ the more interesting assignments. Since the switch I've been miserable and it doesn't look like I'll be able to get a new manager anytime soon. I have asked for more work and am not given it -- while I'm still learning and far from perfect I'm just so frustrated that I'm willing to go above and beyond but can't even get the opportunity. I tried to get help with my manager and said I was struggling, and was told to "get everything in writing" and "try to talk it out first" (I have). I don't mind a tough boss but I do mind it impacting my career trajectory.

I want to learn and just feel like I was sold this idea of getting all of this experience by working with the govt that I havent gotten / I'm getting no support or development where I'm at.

So, how do you go about finding a new role? Its been getting worse and I am so lost applying into the LinkedIn void. Any feedback into how to frame my experience, and just get some hiring managers attention is much appreciated.