Register for Free
Post comments, receive updates via email, gain access to exclusive content, and more.
Spam Safe!
Throwing in the towel on the legal profession
After several months of deep reflection I have to the conclusion that I am not going to pursue obtaining a job in the legal field.
Several reasons why I made this decision:
(1) Lawyers are crappy people, in general, although there are SOME good people that are attorneys. The idea of working with crooked and miserable people doesnt sound very appealing
(2) Mental health of attorneys is very poor as 1 in 4 suffer from depression. Attorneys have the highest depression rate out of any other profession. I am a odds person and dont like those odds at all. I love my wife very much and would hate to lose her because i am miserable due to my work.
(3) Horrible job prospects with the fundamentals of the law degree deteriorating by the year. Check out craigslist as job adds offer $15 per hour for starting lawyers. Salesguys with no college make more than that when u factor in commission. In addition, me graduating from a tier 4 law school with average grades doesnt help me at all with so many other lawyers coming about much better schools applying to the same openings. This was my mistake as i should have looked into the JD program more intensely before attending school as I foolish believed the ABA approved employment data. Similar to the subprime borrower i got duped. Im cutting my losses now and getting out.
(4) In the next decade as the economy continues to enter its paradigm shift many tier 4 schools will shut down, including mine (hahahah). Im, looking into shorting Thomas Jefferson School of Law bonds (rated BBB+). Trying to find some conduit any help would be great. Back to the point, as the economy changes there will be less lawyer work. As the supply of attorneys continues to grow due to the 45,000 grads being pumped out every year you will see many attorneys driving cabs and serving coffee, similar to greece, argentina, italy, etc. Buyer beware. As i am convinced that we will have a paradigm shift i dont want to get caught in the storm.
(5) I am being a stubborn ba*tard. As i have stated before my father is a wealthy man who owns a chain of restaurants. He owns the properties free and clear, so no rent and no mortgages. Been in business for a looong time. Its all going to me and my brother in trust. Initially i took my fathers advice and "went to school so I could work in a office, not get my hands dirty like he had too". I never really wanted to go to law school and felt that my BA in political philosophy was enough. I did what my parents wanted me to do and their happy i got my JD and law license. As i see the yield that the law career will bring i think its much more economical to work with the family business. Better to be a king and smell like french fries than to be a slave and wear a suit. Thats my reasoning anyways. It makes me sick to have to beg for work for $15 per hour when i could go to the restaurants and not have to take orders from no one (other than my father who is a great great guy). Not that im dogging the $15 per hour but if i had taken out $150,000 in loans like my class mates $15 per hour IS a slave wage.
For the last 2 months i was very sad and depressed about this issue. Sending out 100's of resumes and not getting a phone call sent the message loud and clear: your credentials dont mean sh*t when there are hundreds of others from better schools with much more experience. 30 yrs ago a grad from a similar tier 4 could walk into the public defenders office and go into court the next day. Now, there are tier 1 grads begging for work at the PD office. What are the odds that they will hire a tier 4 mutant retard like me?? Not being a masochist here but the legal field is EXTREMELY selective in its hiring practices and that is how they see TSJL graduates. Law school was the biggest mistake in my life so far, and i have made plenty of mistakes and will make more. I truly believe that changing direction by NOT trying to work in the legal field is a smart move. People might laugh at me saying "hes a lawyer and hes cooking pancakes and burgers". I could give 2 sh"ts as I find great pride in my work. I love being in the restautants and the last 2 months where ive been in there 7 days a week have greatly increased my emotional states. I focus less on how much of a loser i am and focus more on what new ideas i can implement to help our business survive in this truly difficult times.
Peace
Print
Email
I'm happy for you. When I was applying to law and b-schools, EVERY lawyer I talked to wasn't happy. A few claimed they liked it, but you could feel the truth...they were miserable. I think it's one of those professions that's marketed well but it's really just a narcissistic power thing. And after you get into it, you realize since the UCC has replaced common law that there's not many true public servants anymore but only stooges of the corporate system, and about the only way to succeed (make money) is to serve the banks and corporations or successfully fight them.
Those who might call you a "loser" just have "loser" inside them. Plus the measuring stick this society has used to gauge someone's success has been warped, and it's now dying. If they still use that gauge, I feel sorry for them. My view is that staying connected to family and local roots in something like a restaurant is noble...and it will certainly help as we move into the depression.
I think you'll find this decision to be a big blessing over the course of your life.
Good for you BMT! If you're comfortable with it...go for it! Just don't piss your father off
Dad understands how bad the legal job market is. We were together as it is. Besides, i could always retain a client or 2 for fun lol.
Bear,
Great story and it sounds like you are making the right decission. I am glad to hear that you have a nice situation to fallback on unlike most of your peers. Good luck and keep us informed how things go.
What is the Philosophy of Liberty? http://www.isil.org/resources/introducti...
BMT
I think when you look back on this several years from now you'll find it was the best decision you ever made. I have an architectural degree but I work maintenance at a very nice assisted living community. Not only do I make more that the architects I know I also love my job. Its a straight Monday thru Friday gig so there is plenty of time to spend with my family and the people that I work with are genuine and caring people.
You aren't missing anything. If you and your pops get along then it is even more worthwhile as you can get to know each other better working elbow to elbow. Enjoy and don't look back.
"Even if we are occupied with important things and even if we attain honor or fall into misfortune, still let us remember how good it once was here, when we were all together, united by a good and kind feeling which made us perhaps better than we are." - Fyodor Dostovevsky
The reason so many lawyers are bast*rds and the reason so many are unhappy is that our system is predicated on competition and swindling and twisting justice in the name of the law......
Just do me and the rest of us who do not have what you have the one kindness of never losing sight of the fact that you have something absolutely priceless that you did absolutely nothing to earn - you have options. It is the people who have these options who insist on believing that everyone had them and they don't understand why people aren't as successful (and/or happy) as they are that drive me insane. You have a safety net. My parents were both dead before I even graduated from college. Flying without a net makes life a little less full of options.
Good for you! Nothing is worse than doing a job that makes you miserable.
BMT,
I don't really know you, but since you like to air your personal business in a public forum I'm going to tell you what I think about what I do know of you.
Your are currently a miserable loser.
You entertained all kinds of illusions about your future during law school, and now that your in the real world and its time to "put up or shut up" , your not doing either. All you do is whine and complain and sit on your ass.
If you want to be happy, quit focusing your every thought on yourself. Why not use the fact that you have no need for money, and a law degree, to help someone else?
Get creative and use your situation to make someone else's life better. Make your own path and be your own man. There is truly no higher calling than to be of service to your fellow man.
I know this sounds harsh, but I'm not going to apologize if I hurt your feelings. I've been in your shoes and my life was absolutely miserable until someone "hit me upside the head" and didn't pull any punches. Looking back now, it was the kindest thing anyone ever did for me.
Captain Sheeple
BMT,
I don't really know you, but since you like to air your personal business in a public forum I'm going to tell you what I think about what I do know of you.
Your are currently a miserable loser.
You entertained all kinds of illusions about your future during law school, and now that your in the real world and its time to "put up or shut up" , your not doing either. All you do is whine and complain and sit on your ass.
If you want to be happy, quit focusing your every thought on yourself. Why not use the fact that you have no need for money, and a law degree, to help someone else?
Get creative and use your situation to make someone else's life better. Make your own path and be your own man. There is truly no higher calling than to be of service to your fellow man.
I know this sounds harsh, but I'm not going to apologize if I hurt your feelings. I've been in your shoes and my life was absolutely miserable until someone "hit me upside the head" and didn't pull any punches. Looking back now, it was the kindest thing anyone ever did for me.
Hi BMT
I say good on you.. Its great to see someone brave enough to "think out loud" on these forums like you do.. Many a time ive seen you post issues that are current and personal for you.. Despite the criticism you potentially face you still wear you heart on your sleeve.. Fantastic mate.. Keep it up..
I identify with your story... After completing a B.Mus.Ed i only worked in schools for a short time.. Then had a change of career.. Not because of a lack of opportunity but because of the nature of the (Ed) system.. So now i work as a signal engineer on the railway.. Absolutely worlds apart i know and nothing to do with what i originally studied..
So go for it.. At least you are one step ahead and capeable of observing current trends before you invest more time and effort in a career thats already saturated..
Regards
West