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Ho, ho, ho! Happy holidays from Dioptra! www.dioptra.ai

https://reddit.com/link/1h4xih3/video/rxdak2svdg4e1/player

I am at a crossroads in my career. My managing partner is going to be a Judge in March and I have to figure out my next move.

Seven years ago this firm poached me from the DA’s office of my jurisdiction. I was happy being a prosecutor and I thought I’d be doing it forever. But then their offer came in while my wife was pregnant with our second child and I decided to chase the money.

It has largely worked out and now we are financially comfortable. We avoided lifestyle creep and live a modest lifestyle. The word has gotten out that I will be a free agent soon and I have been saying Yes to any firm that has reached out to meet, including the DA’s office.

The DA could pay me about $95k per year in a LCOL area. The private firm offers have been in the $125k-$200k range with bonus/firm equity/benefit incentives. The financial difference is vast but I believe I would probably feel more fulfilled and happier about my work if I go back to prosecution. The DA did say that I could continue to work select files on the side if there was no conflict, so there is potential to make up some of the difference. If I go to the private firm that made me the largest offer, it would likely preclude me from ever working at the DA’s office again in the future.

I am 40 years old with a wife and two kids- 7 and 8 years old. I’ve been a lawyer for 12 years. I want my next move to be something that will last the next 8-10 years.

What would you do? What questions should I be asking? Overall I feel blessed to have options but overwhelmed with the gravity of the decision.

Joined prosecutor's office out of law school, but left after a year to go to a law firm. The firm experience there is probably one of the better ones (good pay, flexible work from home policy, doable billable hours, and a good work environment).

My main motivator for the switch was that I was concerned about how I was developing trial skills as a new litigator. I was started in felonies, with next to no training, no mentorship, and no administrative support (I'm sure a common experience). With not enough time to learn the procedure I was practicing, I felt like I was learning how to "get the job done" with shortcuts and bad habits that would follow my through my career. That, in combination with getting lip service from the administration on changes that never came, left me feeling used and not appreciated (again I'm sure a common experience).

Now, I'm an associate in a litigation group, so still have opportunities for court time (although much much less). I have opportunities for training and mentorship, and have plenty of administrative support. I am also doing really well there, and feel like my work is appreciated. I just yearn for more criminal work (90% civil), and am struggling with the monotony of assignments.

I've always known I wanted to prosecute, and know I will go back one day. I don't want to jump ship too soon, especially before I get the chance to observe partners in trial and run cases myself. I know there is value in grinding in a prosecutor's office, but it's more important to me that I develop skills the right way, and have the time to learn the law I'm practicing.

Anyone else have a similar experience? I want to stick it out for at least two years, but am only a few months in, and am wondering if it gets better.

Hello Ivy Leaguers!

Do you feel like you get downvoted on this sub for mentioning your Ivy-Leagueness? Do you think your Ivy League education offers anything of actual substance to your posts and comments? Do you feel misunderstood, black balled and possibly ostracized because of it?

And I don’t want to hear how education is equal in these comments. I and probably all Ivy Leaguers realize there are tons of US institutions where the education is equal or equivalent to, and/or excellent (if not better!) than the quote/unquote Ivy League.

However, I transferred from three years in state college to my Ivy League college and can avow that those three years were filled with mass lectures, flash card memorization, multiple choice tests on scantrons and being penalized for thinking critically and crossing disciplines, as compared to dozens of books and critical essays in numerous advanced interdisciplinary seminars at my Ivy League college. I cannot comment on comparative law school quality, but I know I attended a T14 and I was encouraged in and rewarded for critical thinking, pushed to challenge myself and others, and not penalized for it.

To me, all of this means something. If I need to shut my yap and stop dropping H-bombs because people around here get touchy… fine I’ll do it, you fuckers.

EDIT: And yes, I definitely worked my ass off to get into elite institutions so I can gloat about it. It feels really fucking good looking down on the asshats who doubted me, too!! :D

Also, where is your go-to for fashionable ties?

By this I mean the way that the vast majority of employers only want to hire an attorney once they've had experience, making it so you need experience to get any experience. Clearly there's a way attorneys do it, but how did you do it?

Or is it based on experience level? I have about 4 years of experience and don’t have an office so I have to always book a conference room to take my (obviously confidential) calls. I’m wondering if I am at a level yet where I can ask for an office now that one is opening up.

Hi all, I am doing a credit card collection bench trial for plaintiff. Please let me know the structure or any details since I have never done a bench trial? There will be a witness for the CC company so I will call them this week for more information. Thank you for any help.

Title. What practice area(s) see consistent client demand yet suffer from clients failing to pay on time, late, or altogether?

Edit: asking for U.S.

Hi y’all,

A 5th/6th year in insurance defense at a midtown manhattan firm. Salary is 140,000k with 1900 billable. Bonuses are about $2K-$3K discretionary a year and raises about 4-8 percent.

With end of the year reviews coming along, trying to gauge if I should be asking for more money or should be happy with where I am at. I really love the firm and the partners I work with, so I rather not leave but also don’t want to sell myself sort. It seems to me there has been a jump in pay for 5th/6th year associates across the board.

Thanks in advance!!!

California PI lawyer. Wife wants to move back to her home town Charleston. I get the sense that getting a job would be difficult because they’ll want locals. In California, Arizona, and other states, no one cares because so many folks are transplants. However, telling someone you’re Californian is like saying you have leprosy in certain quarters.

Thoughts?

I interviewed with a firm that compensates associates by paying 40% of billed hours (not collected). In other words, the compensation structure looks like this: 110 hours (the monthly minimum) billed at the hourly rate, multiplied by 0.40.

I found this compensation model quite unique and am uncertain whether it's fair. However, it seems fairly reasonable to me. There is no base salary, but the firm assured me they have plenty of work to distribute. They also mentioned that there would be an expectation for business development down the line.

Anyone ever seen this? Thoughts?

I have 3 years of practice experience in the real estate realm with HOA and property management/landlord representation in the Washington metropolitan area (DC, Maryland, and Virginia). I’ve been in-house and worked in a mid-sized firm. Prior to that, I was a real estate paralegal for 6 years. I want to transition into real estate finance but I don’t know if I’d need a degree/background in accounting. I also can’t find any entry level associate real estate jobs 😞

Any recommendations on training?

I’m curious if anyone has any legal related side-hustles they do in addition to their full-time job?

Looking for a job that emphasizes lifestyle. As in remote work, flex schedule, benefits, generous vacation and sick leave, federal holidays off and 120k+ salary, and a decent office life when I do go in. Any idea what places offer this or close to it in NYC area or close by?

I’ll go first! Mine is a married couple working together in the firm. Maybe I’m just traumatized but I’ll never do that again 🫣

Also, the “we’re a big family” phrase tells me everything I need to know

Somewhat of a collective belief for personal injury plaintiff lawyers is that insurance companies somehow track how much a particular plaintiff lawyer will settle a certain type of case for, how often they go to trial, etc.

This question is for defense lawyers:

Is there any truth to that? Do insurance companies track and keep data on a lawyer’s past settlements/verdicts? Does that get factored into the offer for resolution that is made? Or how the insurance company handles the case in general?

I've been a prosecutor for 1.5 years now. Made my way to prosecuting serious felony cases and have tried over 20 jury trials to verdict. I started my career with the State Attorneys Office to get a ton of force fed litigation experience, in court experience, jury trial experience etc. I have an extreme level of comfort in front of a jury and in court.

Obviously, the plan is to leave at some point to make money. My thinking now is that I go to a civil defense firm and eat shit for a little bit, but learn all the civil terminology and get used to defense work. Long term, I want to do plaintiff PI.

Are there any former prosecutors that want to share their post-prosecution experience and convince me I made the right decision? I just want a good career path and to hopefully make a lot of money in the future, LOL...

If you know what i mean

Looking into insurance defense as a way to learn civil litigation. From what I gather, it seems there are at least two types of insurance defense work— one that is entirely auto accidents, and another that covers a broader variety of cases similar to a standard civil litigation firm. I’d like to hear from those of you who’ve worked or are currently working in insurance defense. I’m interested to learn more about the different types of ID jobs based on your experiences and observations.

Note: Ultimately I’d like to go solo and practice plaintiffs’ personal injury. I see ID as a residency in civil litigation and want to make sure I get the most out of it.

Anyone have recommendations for places to search for high-quality career coaches for lawyers looking to make a job change?

I've taken a fairly non-traditional path post-law school and am currently in a non-tenure track legal academia job that has some great perks (fully remote, among other things), but also probably getting to the point to be thinking about other options.

Because my path is pretty eclectic, several people suggested speaking with a career coach. I got three recs and spoke with two (will speak with the third in the new year), and both were phenomenal, with plenty of professional experience in the field themselves. However, one is full-up right now and only spoke with me out of courtesy, and one focuses on a niche that isn't mine.

With those as my baseline, I've been really underwhelmed by others I found online. Some don't have much experience, others seem to just be recruiters in disguise, etc.

I'd just like to speak to someone reasonable, professional - I'm less interested in being fed X number of job applications, and more in someone who can help clients think strategically and big-picture about a career. The two I spoke with had the vibes of a counselor or therapist, except strictly for the professional part of your life, and I would value that. I'm sure there must be some good resources, but all my search results are flooded by scammy-seeming options so I thought to ask here. TIA!

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• are there any small business firms?? That aren’t just 1 or two attorneys?
• how much do they typically make?

should start out with ACTUALLY!!

I’m new to Santa Barbra and don’t really know anything about the area does anyone have any ideas for passion projects that relate to law? I saw that there was a housing crisis1-2 years ago and was thinking of doing something like a know your rights website but not sure if that’s still going on? What problems is Santa Barbra currently facing that need some kind of policy change or any ideas anyone has helps

What kind of end of year bonus do you anticipate receiving? What area of law do you practice? How big is your firm?

I haven't worked in house before and happily got an offer for a great position. They offered me the bottom of the salary range, and for a variety of reasons, I would like to plead my case for more. I haven't done this before. My question is, who do I ask? Do I make my case to the HR person who sent me the offer letter or to the General Counsel whom I'll be working for? And any tips for how to make the ask?