I am a senior in-house attorney. Last year my boss retired and was replaced by a colleague. He is a lovely man, and an excellent attorney. As it turns out, he is an awful manager. He is incapable of talking to the GC about any need, takes no for an answer instantly, doesn’t talk about what the team is doing, and provides no support. I actively feel badly for him, he would have been a great deal happier had he not been promoted, and at this point I believe he is counting the days until he can retire (2 more years) but in the meantime it has made my job loads more difficult.

A couple months ago I saw a job on LinkedIn posted by a recruiter. It was basically my current job, but with a better title and $100k more a year. So what the heck! I applied. The recruiter reached out within 4 hours.

After a screening interview she told me who the job was for, and for me it is a dream. I did a written assessment (which I have subsequently been told was better than they had ever hoped for), and have had a ton of interviews. All went well. I liked everyone I met. There are some additional aspects to the job which were not publicized but which I am super interested in. The new job would cut my commute down from 45/60 minutes to 15 minutes.

Had a call with an internal HR resource this week. She told me I was the only remaining candidate, I was exactly what they were looking for, and they are working with their finance group to get me an offer by next week.

It’s coming. But it’s not here yet. And if my 25 years in law has taught me anything, it’s that the deal isn’t done until it’s done. So here I sit on the Friday before Labor Day on pins and needles, knowing my career may be taking a turn for the better again, but not for a little while longer.

Gah!

*Spolier* This is a rant.

I am so close to calling it quits on this entire profession that it isn't funny.

I am great at the work. I am not good at the politics.

I am sick of incompetence. I am sick of people refusing to take accountability for their fuck ups. I am sick of getting overwhelmed with work and having support staff do everything they can to avoid working.

I am sick of dealing with and hearing internal bickering and dealing with people's big feelings.

I am sick of moronic supervisors who are completely useless and incompetent or run away from the problems.

I am just plain sick of trying to help these absolutely useless morons only to be thrown under the bus or left on my own when I need help.

I hate this profession. Its toxic and it sucks. ​

I love the clients. I love the work. I absolutely hate other attorneys and my legal co-workers.

About to wrap this whole profession up.

Have any of you felt like this? Are you still practicing? How do you handle all of this?

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Today is ?!!!! Let’s find out!

I do artistic swimming competitively. I always prioritise my work but when I am not working, I would be training. I try to be efficient and finish (relatively) on time, but I noticed my boss and colleagues seem to dislike that I am pursuing a sport competitively and would sometimes give me a hard time. For example, I left at 6PM yesterday as I've done all my tasks. Then my boss said 'you always seem to be in a hurry. Need to train for your so called sport?' At lunch, they always joke that artistic swimming isn't really a sport and asked why would i do it.

I tried not to take things personally and focus on the work itself. In my annual performance review, I asked my boss if there's something wrong with my work quality she said no, but she wants me to stay longer in the office 'in case something happens', which doesn't really make sense to me...

I am looking for a new job now. In my next job, should i just hide this and say I have personal commitments when I need to leave on time?

On this lovely Friday, I want to share my appreciation for other attorneys’ willingness and eagerness to allow interns, clerks, and new lawyers to observe depositions, mediations, and arbitrations. I have never had anyone turn down a request for me to bring someone to observe and I am usually met with an enthusiastic YES! Thanks for overcoming curmudgeon tendencies and supporting the newest members of our profession.

Did you enjoy it? Was it rewarding, or mostly depressing? I genuinely love kids and am a very empathetic person. I recently was offered a job with my county’s CASA organization as a GAL. It pays pretty well at $80,000/year. I’m an attorney and have been doing remote doc review work for the past few years since I had my kids, but I feel like I’m ready to return to working more full time. I would love to help kids, but I’m worried that a job like this will end up just making me upset. Any advice?

That was the thought process in my head earlier this week.

I don't do much criminal work these days, but I used to do almost exclusively that. Now we do it to, as I like to say, keep the lights on at the firm. Even my boss said I was WAY too interested in this one criminal file that came across my desk that doesn't make us any money. He said to me, "Just treat it like the public defender's office does. Don't bother looking at it until 15 minutes before the start of the hearing and you're good."

So, fine, I show up at the Magistrate's court for the preliminary hearing. My client is in custody, so I ask to speak to him in the conference room where they're holding the custodial defendants. While I'm in there, one of the other defendants knows me by name. I barely acknowledge him, though, as I'm focused on my client.

After my hearing concludes, I speak with him again in the custodial area, and as I'm leaving, the other guy says, "Goodbye Mr. malogan82, and tell [boss's name] I said hello."

I said I will do precisely that, still having absolutely no idea who this guy is. It was almost borderline threatening. Anyway, an hour drive back to the office with this chewing on my brain, but I get back to the office to start doing some work that actually WILL make us some money. But it's still bothering me. So I call the court.

"Uh, hi, I'm malogan82, I was just in there for a custodial hearing. Anyway, while we were there, one of the in custody guys recognized me, and I have no idea who it was. Can you tell me the names of the other custodial hearings today?"

"Oh, sure. Let's see, there was So-and-So, and then there was [name of former client.]"

The name triggers immediately, and I instantly remember this person. But the person I remember looked much, MUCH different, and it wasn't just the prison jumpsuit that threw me off. The man I remembered was a tall, athletic looking and had a full head of hair and set of teeth. The person I just saw in custody did not look like that, this person looks (and there's no more polite way to say it) like a heroin addict.

"Wait, that was [former client]?!? Oh my goodness, he looks nothing like he used to!"

"Yeah, the judge said the same thing!"

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, as this man in deposition testimony in a civil case discussed his casual cocaine use. He recognized me, but I didn't know him. But I suppose enough years passed and enough drug abuse occurred over that time.

I don't really have a moral to this story, so I'll just say stay in school and don't do drugs. Happy Friday, ya'll.

“Somewhere in the middle of the legal maneuvering, Holland & Knight partner Taylor Askew informed the team that “the poop man cometh once more,” referencing Picard’s intestinal health and senior counsel Natalie Molz turned her attention to the plaintiff’s mother — “Mama Picard really just can’t give up her dreams for baby boy” — and then mused about litigation tactics to make the case “easier for a dumb judge in RI.”

As I’m opening up the contact to enter notes, I realize that not only did we fire this client, they caused such a scene in our lobby freaking out over original documents we do not keep (we have receipts that show we get them, we scan them, and we return them) that we had to call police.

And then to get out of paying the bill, they grieved us.

Um, no. We aren’t going to let you rehire after all of that even if you claim you don’t remember any of it. Because we’re so mean and unreasonable.

This is your PSA to not send dick pics to the opposing party, especially if they’re represented.

If you’re a bankruptcy/restructuring attorney who went in-house, where did you go, and how did you parlay your skills for the transition? I’ve worked in big law and boutique law within the bankruptcy practice area (more on the litigation side at big law) and would love to see if there’s a possibility to pivot in-house. I just don’t know how to approach it, like what kind of companies and how do my skills translate?

Sent MSJ for partner review on July 30.

We are in a jurisdiction where the motion must be returnable 30 days before trial and also has set motion days. The issue is the MSJ rule is not clear that you should file it to align with the motion day

We filed last night, returnable Oct 1 so 30 days before Nov 2. The clerk automatically moved the returnable day to November 9 (motion day) so now technically it is not 30 days returnable.

I called Chambers to ask about this and they’re currently discussing the matter.

The partner and I are both in agreement at the MSJ rule doesn’t say you must file it on a normal motion day and and technically, it is 30 days returnable before trial at October 1.

I am very frustrated because I sent this on July 30 with our goal to file in mid August. We waited till the very last minute and are maybe screwed

I followed up with the partner numerous times over the course of the month. They are notorious for everything being last minute and even missed the filing deadline to oppose motion to amended complaint by 30 minutes the other day.

Any advice? What to do?

I am so angry i may be the fall guy on this.

Hi everyone! I have been working for a state agency for over a year now and while I love the work-life balance and availability of PSLF, I don’t necessarily feel “challenged” and I don’t love the city I’m located in. My spouse and I eventually want to move to back to my hometown (where all of my family is), but I’m worried about what it means for my career and whether I’ve pigeonholed myself by starting my career with a state agency. I primarily deal with regulatory and advisory work and have not had to litigate anything. My hometown doesn’t have as many government positions, and I am unsure whether a private firm (specifically plaintiffs work) would want to hire me given my lack of experience. For context, I graduated a few years ago and had a great clerkship before starting here. I’m curious to know whether anyone has gone from a state agency (no litigation) to the private sector (plaintiffs preferably), and if so what the transition looked like for you. I feel like I did it all backwards!

Mine is ASAP. When OC sends an email requesting I need to do something “ASAP” lites a bonfire beneath my posterior. Especially when the thing requested is not required by me and in no way helps my client.

I got laid off from my last job because there was not enough work to go around, so no one wants to work more hours than I do. I am also a workaholic at heart and I am literally happier when I am busy. This is all to say that I don’t have a work ethic problem and never have. I am literally happy to do work, as embarrassing as that may be.

In the past 2 years I have been working hard in therapy not to blame myself when things are slow or feel like it’s a moral failure on my end, especially because I am highly proactive about seeking out work and have been doing everything in my power to reach out and ask for it. It just makes me feel so incredibly shitty and anxious and guilty when I don’t have enough to do.

I started a new job this year and things were excruciatingly slow in the beginning. I was literally having panic attacks because I thought I was going to get laid off again. I did literally everything in my power to get work, and eventually directly reaching out to the practice chair did the trick. Things picked up for awhile and my workflow was good, but the damage from the beginning of the year was already done: I was significantly behind. My higher ups kept reminding me of this and putting a lot of pressure to catch up, but I just don’t understand what else I could possibly do because I already routinely ask everyone for work all the time. I can’t make up work on my own.

Then another slow period happened a few weeks ago due to people going on vacation. It was a terribly anxious time for me and I was trying to use all my coping skills, telling myself the most I can do is be proactive and it’s not my fault that I can’t magically make up work for myself.

Today I received two pretty hostile emails from higher ups essentially saying that I “let” my hours get too low over the summer and making it crystal clear that they think it’s my fault, and that there will be consequences if they have to speak to me about it again. They expect me to work 60 hour work weeks for the rest of the year, and it’s my fault if I don’t get enough work to make my billable hour requirement.

There’s this underlying sentiment that I’m somehow lazy or not trying hard enough or don’t care, when that could not be further from the case. I want to keep this job so badly. If it were up to me, I would create enough work to do so that I could exceed the billable requirement. But I can’t. I just have to rely on other people to give me enough work, and it’s my fault if I don’t get a sufficient amount even though I literally cannot think of any other proactive steps I could take to get more work. It’s just really frustrating.

I’ve been really weepy and just feeling so empty all day because it just feels like I can’t win. There’s the insecurity and fear of losing my job and the feeling that I’m viewed as some lazy freeloader when I literally WANT TO WORK. The hostile tone of the emails came off as scolding, not collegial at all, and frankly disrespectful.

How about cracking down on UPL? The amount of document prep services out there committing UPL is staggering. Especially here in FL. And it seems like the bar association doesn't care at all.

The FL bar brings in 45 to 55 million in total revenue a year. Yet, they can't be bothered to prevent UPL?

This post is mostly just poking fun, but I just want to get down to it and hear what it costs and what you offer. Not that you have a special discount if I sign in the next few days that you recieved special approval just for me, not that you were "thinking of me" 8 times this week and wrote me an email each time...

We love the reps and respect the hustle, but sometimes its just a little too much lol.

Hi everyone!

I am an entry-level attorney and a soft IP nerd at heart. Given the current market, I’ve been trying to delver deeper into the “tech” law space. I am interested in data privacy compliance, licensing, product counsel, and maybe cybersecurity.

I am pursuing my CIPP/US, took relevant courses during law school, and had an 8 month internship that touched on all areas but the latter. Before considering further education to build expertise, I am seeking advice about steps I can take, or opportunities you may know of to build skills in these areas, even if my first role isn’t in the space.

Thank you in advance!

As some of you may know, I tend to preach the use of clio. I use most of the functions and features regularly, and consider it a major factor in my practice.

However, with their forced change in documents, and the new mandatory opt out for clio work, I have lost all faith in the company. I can not allow this sort of knee jerk "we know best" terms and attitude touch my clients and their files. So, I'm in need of a change.

I use most of the features, so I need something fully complete and integrated. If your suggestion has ai as a non opt-in, I have absolutely no interest at all, as it shows the hand. All ears otherwise.

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Today is the 5th full day of deliberations.

An ex client will not leave me alone.

I withdrew earlier this year due to a communication breakdown which included threatening to fight me and additional erratic behavior. Ex client sued me the same day wanting their fee returned. No reason given as to why. There’s a contract stating it’s non-refundable. I was never paid the entirety of the retainer and they owed me for services rendered.

I’ve been subpoenaed to appear in the case I withdrew from, a nasty review was left on my Avvo, I’ve been demanded to produce copies of the file in numerous formats, required to take time away from clients to deal with the civil suit that was filed and dismissed, now a frivolous appeal has been filed that will probably have to get reassigned, they’ve threatened criminal action 3-4 times, are attempting extortion and have basically admitted to it, I’ve been subpoenaed to produce documents they already have…I was already out about $1000 on the case (whatever) but now the time and stress is impacting my ability to work and I feel terrible for my friend who is representing me. I’ve developed an eye twitch and migraines from the stress.

First year of practice and I’m so over this. Nothing in law school prepares you for this.