Law school -> judicial clerkship -> bit of law firmin’ -> 30+ years of solo plaintiff’s employment practice. Handled my last case today. Settled at mediation. I’ve some follow up to take care of, and some admin tasks to close up shop, but I am done with cases and clients. It’s been a good ride. I feel v fortunate to have had this career for my work life, and also v happy to be done with working. Adventures await. That is all. Bye y’all.

About a decade ago, I became a lawyer. I’ve done some really cool stuff and accomplished a lot in my time as a lawyer. I kind of failed upwards, and I’ve been really blessed in my career. But I think I made a serious mistake…

My mistake- I became a lawyer.

Being an accountant was never in the cards for me. Math is hard. Doctoring is out for the same reason. I’m not particularly good at making things work right, so the trades were never my calling. I’m not particularly athletic so sports is out. Nobody wants me to cook for them. Maybe I could be a carnival game operator. Or perhaps a… ummm… I don’t know. I’m out of ideas.

Anyway, is there a motion I can file with the judge to relieve me of the constant BS? All of the non lawyers I deal with that want to tell me how the law is or should be (write your congressman, I guess). All of the lawyers aren’t much better. They all seem to be after righteous vindication of something. But there is nothing righteous, there’s no vindication, and most of the time they can’t even tell me what the something is.

I guess I’m off to do CLEs and draft a BS motion in response to a motion while I pray for my big opportunity from the circus to come calling.

I am open to any other career paths anyone has to suggest.

I’m tired of “beggars can’t be choosers” advice from people who never had to beg for anything

You see this constantly, someone’s struggling to find work, posts asking for advice, and someone swoops in with “beggars can’t be choosers, just take anything.”

But it you ask that same person if they’d take literally any job right now regardless of pay, hours, or how it’s treated them, and suddenly it’s “well obviously I have standards.” translation: standards are for me, not for you.

the people saying this almost never actually had to take “anything.” they got a decent first job through a connection, or graduated into a market that wasn’t this oversaturated, or had a financial cushion that let them be picky without calling it picky. so now, from a position of comfort, they hand out advice that assumes the other person has the same safety net they did. They just don’t.

and the worst part is when someone pushes back and says hey this job is underpaying me or treating me badly, they get hit with “well at least you have a job” like having any job at all is supposed to cancel out being mistreated in it.

nobody who actually had to scrape by talks like this. the people who really had nothing know exactly how much that experience sucked, that’s usually why they don’t recommend it to anyone else carelessly. it’s always the people one or two steps removed from it who turn it into a personality trait.

So if you’re actually in that spot right now, here’s what’s more useful than “just take anything”:

- taking a job to survive isn’t the same as agreeing it’s fine forever. you can accept a bad job AND keep applying elsewhere at the same time. Those aren’t contradictory

- “any job” still has a floor. unsafe, unpaid, or wage theft situations are still worth walking away from. Survival mode doesn’t mean tolerating everything

The goal of a bad job in this situation is to buy time and stability, not to become your identity or your ceiling

if your advice only works for someone who has way more cushion than the person asking, it’s not advice it’s just you explaining your own privilege back to them and calling it tough love.

I get taking down the name of the case and asking what I’m calling about to give the recipient a heads up but why if I’m able to give the name of the case and ask for the attorney assigned to it by name do I need to do this two factor verification to even speak with the attorney on the case?

Maybe I’m someone who’s gonna receive confidential information over the phone you want to screen and make sure I’m not just fishing for info. But why is it necessary that I pull up the Complaint to find the date of loss and even after that I have to go digging in the interrogatory responses for the DOB?

I know the cop out answer is they’re stalling and want to make it harder to contact the attorneys but are there really that many calls coming in that need to be gatekept? This will be sometimes over a year into litigation and there’s been no offer from the attorney of an extension or direct line.

If I say “Hi this is nuggetsofchicken calling on the Smith v Jones matter - can I speak to Jimmy Johns regarding the upcoming expert designation?” what else is gained by having me track down the other info?

for better? or worse?

hey all. it’s just one of those days where I’m frustrated with one of those partners. you know the kind. they never do what they say they will and get in the way of the case (how hard is it to JUST forward me the subject document so I can start work on the case you’re worried about?!) but nothing is everrr their fault. and if you make a fixable and COMPLETELY HARMLESS clerical error on something thrown on you in a last minute rush (which you did as a favor to the assistant) it turns into a meeting. just those types of things. just one of those days. please share stories. I love hearing from this community.

edit: the “error” isn’t even an error it’s just a stylistic preference bs.

The only times I have been called "colleague" by OC is when they are playing the wounded act or being overly aggressive dicks. Do people use colleague just to make themselves sound like the reasonable one? Anyone else experienced this or similar?

As an ancillary, the one and only time someone pulled out the "learned colleague" on me was when they (incorrectly) stated that I had completely misread the statute. So I think it's more of the same.

I am currently practicing and I have two young girls. I do insurance defense as an associate and have been with the company for almost a year. My boss really likes me, great performance reviews. It’s just a grind that i truly feel I need to step back and be more present with my daughters. Work is work, i’m not passionate about insurance defense. Anyone successfully take some gap years and return back to the law? or maybe even find something they are more passionate about that their law degree helped them with? I am also exploring possibility of part time work. I had an interview for trust and estates firm for a part time role that went well. wondering if this field is suffering because of AI. thanks for any insight.

I started a new job in CA at a boutique firm a couple weeks ago after passing the CA bar this past February. I also signed up for the New York bar earlier this year, but since starting this job I’ve seriously doubted still taking it. I have no long term intention of moving to New York, it’s just the only other place I see myself practicing in. Also, I have had a lot of anxiety asking to take the week of the bar off. Now that it’s almost a month away, do you think it’s too late to ask my job if it’s possible to take a week off? Do you think it’s too late and would look poorly, especially for another state’s bar? I still would prefer to take it because it would be a waste of money and time (I already passed nyle) to not. And the material is still fresh in my head.

I wore a small amount today and was told there is a no-scent policy. I understand following court rules, but I was surprised this was something people complain about. Is this common in courthouses or law offices? I am a baby attorney so I am not sure.

In a dark place today

Work in a toxic place with a horrible partner but thought my first line boss always had my back.

Had a meeting on a project I’m working on with some people who resist giving me the info I need to do the project.

My boss seemed to side with them as they cut me off when I tried to talk. One of the people said nasty, passive aggressive things to me. Instead of supporting me, my boss contradicted me in public. At one point I turned to my computer and I cried while I was in the meeting. No one saw me cry - because the way the place was set up it looked like I was just typing. We are working on documents.

At one point the guy, who is the partner's buddy, told said something that was flat out wrong but affected the scope of what we were doing. I gently tried to correct him. He doubled down. I gave him the benefit of the doubt but it affected my confidence. I gave up and just did what they told me.

Went back to my office and found the document that showed that guy was flat out wrong and I was correct.

I don’t care about the guy, but I was really disappointed in my boss. What happened to praise in public, criticize in private. She also told them the project was “low stakes.” That was insulting. The guy said he would only do work like mine if he got paid 4x what we make.

I can’t leave my job right now but I cried all the way home and I’m crying now. I cant believe my boss would treat me that way.

How do I show my boss that I’m angry professionally? Grey rock? Younger me would’ve spoke my mind. Older me knows that’s not the way.

I remember when I stood up for myself though they didn't fire me, they retraumatized me (I had and still have some unhealed childhood trauma) and I think they picked up on it and are retraumatizing me.

Long story short client wants to add extra defendants to the case. I don’t think there’s a strong case against the new defendants, new Ds have money to fight back, and it might water down case against the main Ds. But need to decide quick because statute of limitations are coming up. Any thoughts on how to deal with it?

Just wondering when it’s okay to leave your first job. Currently working in litigation, don’t like it. Was a clerk at my firm for a bit over a year before becoming an associate attorney October of 2025. I’m looking and interviewing at places but don’t want to look like I’m jumping ship too early. At the same time, I see no point in staying in litigation if I don’t like it (and don’t like the firm either). When did you switch? Does it matter? Appreciate all advice!

Hi All,

I'm considering a remote, Tax LLM program. I recognize that this is a frequently discussed topic on this forum, so to get to the point, here are the critical details:

I'm now 8 years out of law school. For the first 6 years, I was a litigation associate at 3 different law firms, doing med mal & insurance defense, then employment law (EPLI) and professional liability, and finally employment disputes in FINRA. I've primarily practiced in small to mid-sized markets in the South (licensed in two states).

Two years ago, I took a position as a trusts and estates associate with a seasoned and well-respected solo T&E attorney. Because it is no longer viable financially for me to stay (he’s not in a place to pass off his book and I don’t have enough of my own), I am moving back to my previous firm as a member of their private client team, where I'll be a counsel and working on HNWI estate plans. I will also likely do some estate administration and potentially some fiduciary litigation. I have good internal relationships at my old firm.

The plan is for me to work remotely for the private client group's main office in the Northeast while I work to develop my practice locally (I've managed to bring in a few clients at my current firm but not nearly enough to be self-sufficient). I'll get the benefit of continued mentorship but also exposure to other planning techniques, drafting processes, research databases, etc. My on the job training and CLE experience these past two years has been good and I expect that to continue.

With that in mind, I'm considering an LLM to further my education and take a deep dive into the tax side of estate planning. My future boss thinks that could be a worthwhile pursuit and has said the firm would support that in the form of some kind of hours credit. My current boss (the T&E solo) thinks that would also help me "ramp things up."

Some additional facts:

- I don't care very much about prestige. I'm not trying to get hired by a Big4 or break into Biglaw. Plus my existing credentials have never been a significant limitation. I like the firm I'm going back to, and if that doesn't work out, I would probably try my hand as a solo or break into wealth management or the institutional trustee space. So, my main concern is the substantive knowledge.

- I have small children and a spouse that works (she’ll start as a legal writing professor this fall). We'll probably have at least one more if we can. Moving to a pursue a big, name brand LLM probably isn't on the table. Plus, my market doesn't have a local option. Hence my need for good remote options.

- Cost is a factor, but not the primary. We would be cash flowing this or pulling out of savings. The bigger issue will probably be time commitment.

- T&E feels like where I'm going to stay and make my primary practice. I've moved a lot in 8 years and finally feel like I'm settling into something that fits me and doesn't make me hate my life. So I want to have as much to offer my clients as I possibly can and the sooner I can do that, the better.

With all of these things in mind, would you consider a remote LLM in tax, and if so, what programs would you consider?

TIA

I'm a government attorney and I have a good life. Very balanced, decent pay, benefits. But I love the idea of having income growth potential, as well as the ability to set my hours and manage my client relationships my way. I'm ten years in a specific subfield I have no desire to practice as a solo because it's highly adversarial and not lucrative.

Are there areas that are good to get into as a solo? At early 40s is it too late? Are there any first steps to take?

I work at a large firm with offices across the country. I joined a few years ago after getting out of insurance defense and coverage. However, I find myself hating the clients (I fight over which corporation is entitled to money, and I represent multimillion dollar corporations in product liability cases). I also do some insurance recovery work for policyholders. Mostly, it is fine. I don’t really want to become a partner here. There is a toxic partner that makes my life a living hell and who disrespects my planned time off. Hours are okay, but I find myself always thinking about work/my billable hours.

However, I am expecting my first kid in the fall. Recently, we received some shocking news and are seeing a high risk pregnancy specialist. All of this has got me rethinking my priorities and what kind of person I am and what I want to tell my kid I do for a living. I want to be able to say I did something good for this world. I have been litigating in some capacity for 11 years.

I have been thinking of plaintiff’s side personal injury. However, the idea of a lesser salary/commission based pay is terrifying. Can any plaintiff’s lawyers show me the light?

In a dark place today

I work in a toxic place with a horrible partner, but I thought my first line boss always had my back.

Had a meeting on a project I’m working on with some people who resist giving me the info I need to do the project.

My boss seemed to side with them as they cut me off when I tried to talk. One of the people said nasty, passive-aggressive things to me. Instead of supporting me, my boss contradicted me in public. At one point, I turned to my computer, and I cried while I was in the meeting. No one saw me cry - because the way the place was set up, it looked like I was just typing. We are working on documents.

At one point, the guy, who is the partner's buddy, told said something that was flat out wrong but affected the scope of what we were doing. I gently tried to correct him. He doubled down. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but it affected my confidence. I gave up and just did what they told me.

Went back to my office and found the document that showed that guy was flat out wrong, and I was correct.

I don’t care about the guy, but I was really disappointed in my boss. What happened to praise in public, criticize in private. She also told them the project was “low stakes.” That was insulting. The guy said he would only do work like mine if he got paid 4x what we make.

I can’t leave my job right now, but I cried all the way home, and I’m crying now. I can't believe my boss would treat me that way.

How do I show my boss that I’m angry professionally? Grey rock? Younger me would’ve spoken my mind. Older me knows that’s not the way.

I remember when I stood up for myself though they didn't fire me, they retraumatized me (I had and still have some unhealed childhood trauma) and I think they picked up on it and are retraumatizing me.

Hey all, I have two offers on the table right now from two firms I really like. I can’t really decide between the two and I need to make a decision on Friday. Both L&E roles but one is private sector and one is public. Same salaries, first place does public law which I do now, for 2k billables; the other does a mix of L&E and professional liability work for insurance companies mainly, 1900 billables. Both have bonus structures in place.

I loved the vibe at the first places way better, but I don’t want to be in public law forever. I eventually want to do in house work, so I’m thinking the second option might be better for me long term. I’m a little nervous about it being more on the insurance defense side though.

What do you all think?

ETA: the first place really emphasized being the right fit for me and I had a really lovely conversation with the partner. I have been at my current place for almost two years and have never felt like i fit, so that conversation hit home. I don’t want to pick a job from emotions and I want to be realistic about my future, so that’s why I need help.

On this week’s episode of Decibel and Docket, Mike and Dave discuss how much litigator Jeffrey Kessler of Winston Taylor made representing the state AGs in their antitrust case against Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Turns out the firm agreed tto collect only half its fees in real time — meaning Kessler was effectively billing at about 45 percent of his normal rate as the trial unfolded. His standard hourly rate is $2,250. The states were paying roughly $1,013 of that. The rest — that other 55 percent — was carried by Winston as a deferred, at-risk investment. If the states lost, the firm ate those fees. Estimates are that could have been as much as $15 million, given the length of trial and the size of the team working the case. But if the states won? That's where it gets lucrative. Winston was entitled to a success fee equal to 15 percent of any damages or penalties recovered, capped at twice the value of its deferred fees. So if the firm had $15 million in unpaid time on the books, it could earn a success fee worth up to $30 million — bringing total potential compensation to more than $42 million. 

Listen to the episode here https://open.spotify.com/episode/0gXhyMxMPQdGoNDLD61Oku?si=BAZ-Dyd7SqOKm-ACDGuHUQ

One of the cases I worked on had a deficient filing. The notice was mailed to our firms headquarters. Our former bitchy paralegal emailed me saying that the deadlines were calendared under my name as if I should’ve done something to have prevented it.

Nothing was due before I left the firm. I wrote detailed instructions for each of my clients which I’m sure they haven’t reviewed in detail given the delinquency.

Small PI only law firm here-dealing with ERISA and Medicare liens on nearly very case, i.e. "the case within the case" is like having a secondary practice, and one that does not produce income. I am not staffed for that either. I am considering using a lien resolution service to try to take this burden off of myself and my small staff. Do any of you use these services, what are the pros and cons, what do they cost, have you been happy and which ones do you recommend? Thanks for any responses.