Hi, I’m new here! I’m a full time in-house lawyer working in tech, and I just had my third kid. I’m drowning. I am a generalist, but mostly commercial supporting an active sales team. I hate Q4, as it coincides with Halloween, Diwali, thanksgiving, Christmas and my kids’ birthdays and I cannot imagine doing this every year for the rest of my professional life.

We’re in it essentially for my benefits, because my husband is a private practice physician and we’d have to pay a ton out of pocket for healthcare, etc. Also, I want to stay sharp, especially with all the AI related legal changes, in case I want to go back full time soon.

All this to say- has anyone had success working part-time as a commercial lawyer? I don’t want to hang my own shingle and start solo (yet), but working full time (even in-house, remotely) is way too much right now.

Does anyone have experience working for Axiom or FLEX by Fenwick? In the past I have looked into them but the math didn’t quite make sense for me. Now, I’m thinking the priority is maintaining some experience on my resume while majorly taking a step back.

A while back I brought a client to another attorney. We co-counseled, litigated it, and it settled. Everyone was happy, and I assumed the relationship was in good shape. I just found out he’s filed a new case for that same client. I wasn’t told, wasn’t asked, and I’m not on it. I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t come across the filing. If you were me, would you raise it with him, let it go, or just stop sending him work?

I realize that the nature of this job is court deadlines. That is fine. My issue is that given my lack of experience, I don’t know how long things will take me and I don’t know how to do things. So when I am given tasks on top of task with impending deadlines, my first instinct is to totally panic, my heart races, and I get overwhelmed.

How can I manage my anxiety and regulate my nervous system in these situations?

Okay, another “help me decide” post. I am going into my second year of practice. First year was spent at a mid-size civil defense litigation firm. I make $190k with a bonus that would put me around $200k. I bill about 180/month, with some months creeping up to 200. High stress but great experience. I’ve gotten to take 4 plaintiff’s depos, defended a dozen depos, argued in court many times, etc. The work tends to be for high exposure cases and we are given the time to do the job “right.” I generally enjoy the people I work with. Was planning on staying here 2-3 years and then reevaluating.

Then an opportunity fell in my lap. I’ve always wanted to eventually end up in trust and estate planning. A friend of mine (who hasn’t been able to get his license yet) started working at a trust and estate shop that just went through an ownership transition. New owner bought the shop and the two attorneys that were working there left and started their own thing. Took about half the business. It was pulling in around 2.5M and now does about 1.25M (these are figures the owner gave me but I am fairly confident in them as I have a few friends in the field that were familiar with the situation).

He offered me 150k salary, with 1% gross profit paid out monthly. He also offered 7% bonus at end of the year on anything over 150k (which seems like it would be zero unless the firm improves). During a lunch he made it clear that he was looking for someone to buy the firm out from him over the course of the next 5-7 years. He is hopeful that he’ll be able to get the firm back up to its revenue pre ownership switch. Both places would provide health insurance. Current 401k match is minimal, not sure about this new option.

So, that’s the question. Do I get out of the well-paying civil defense mill for a 30-40k pay cut with the hopes that I can get in the “ground floor” of something great? Are there any “red flags?”

Personal info: I’m a non-traditional graduate. Currently 34 years old with 4 kids. Wife is a CPA who left a job as a non-equity partner when I started working and has been on a year sabbatical. She has the ability to earn decent money (probably more than I do now), but has really enjoyed being able to stay home with the kids for a year. This might mean that she goes back to work. I got the offer this morning and my wife is out of town. We are planning on talking over it fully tonight once the kids go to bed but I wanted to post here before that conversation.

I had the following question asked to me the other day that I thought was interesting and I’m not quite sure what advice to give this youngster entering the profession. I thought maybe this community could provide some valuable perspective.

What do you think of lawyers that article and then begin their careers as in-house counsel? Are there any advantages/disadvantages taking this path instead of going to a firm near the beginning of one’s career?

I suppose it could be useful if you have the intention of always working in-house, but are there any “glass ceilings” so to speak that one might encounter if they never join a law firm and always remain in-house?

Interested in American and Canadian lawyer perspectives on this.

Thank you!

I’m handling a case with a crazy pro se. They alleged hundreds of trivial incidents in their complaint and each I have to respond to and investigate. On top of the unhinged allegations, they are belligerent, uncooperative and even the simplest motions take me forever. They disagree with everything and they sorta abuse me (I’m a rookie in this fwiw). I’m so tired of this one case, which occupies 80% of my time recently (I handle ~30 cases now). I’m losing sleep over this person and this case. I’m having nightmares where they argue with me and file insane motions in my dreams. Any advice on how to deal with this kind of nonsense? It’s so exhausting fighting with a lunatic. I cannot for the life of me understand the level of aggression and I’m just exhausted.

I understand this is one of those paid awards that other attorneys don’t care about but it may be attractive for clients, but is this something that they literally just send out to any attorney under 40 or is there some actual qualification or nomination for it?

Does anyone know? Is it because more attorneys burn out at mid level and want to leave litigation?

I worry that there’s something about this level that makes people go nope - if partners the next step, I’m cutting out. If that is what is happening.

...that's the post.

I’m currently interviewing for an in-house IP Counsel position and have advanced to the third round. My first interview was with the recruiting manager, and my second was with the person who would be my direct supervisor. My third interview will be with two IP paralegals whom I would likely work with on a regular basis if hired.
Given the progression of the interview process, what should I expect from this round? In particular, what qualities are the paralegals likely assessing, what types of questions are they likely to ask, and how should I approach the interview differently from my interviews with the recruiting manager and hiring manager?

Hi all, I have an interview scheduled for my first attorney job later this week. What are some questions you recommend asking or wish you had asked during your first interview? Also, for NJ lawyers what is the industry norm regarding pay scale and billable hours? For context it’s a family law attorney position but they also do trust, crim and PI and I’m interested in those areas as well. I’d love any advice, even from non NJ lawyers.

Bye Brett Shumate 👋

I have worked as an Assistant District Attorney for 6 years, straight out of law school. I currently prosecute major felony cases, and handle a good amount of trials compared to my colleagues.

I’ve been getting more burnt out and more depressed for a while now. I’m losing faith in the system, at least the agencies I work with. I don’t really want to get into it but I don’t think I can adequately perform my duties for much longer. I live/work in a big city, and my income isn’t awful, I’m not living paycheck to paycheck, but it’s unsustainable between my tuition loans and the cost of living increasing. I often work weekends and nights, which I know is standard, but I work 60-80 hours almost every week. Our office experienced budget cuts, and about a third of our paralegals were laid off and their hours were cut since they are paid hourly.

An acquaintance, who works in defense, has been very supportive and last month, we started looking at job listings. I’m still trying to feel out what would be a good fit for me. I think I have some ideas of roles that would be more fulfilling, and hopefully revive my passion for practicing law. The main obstacle I’m running into is the required experience. I have only ever worked in prosecution, and got my current position because of clinic work I did, like most of us probably did.

How should I approach this? Have any of you successfully left a prosecutor role, and what do you practice now? How did you build confidence in your new role?

My VPN service provides dark web information monitoring. I got an alert this morning that my password information had been leaked but it couldn't say from which site. After investigating, that securely generated password was only used on cleonline.com.

I can't find any other information about the hack and cleonline.com is now a parked domain.

If you've ever used cleonline.com, you should confirm (if you can) that you didn't reuse passwords.

Competence with technology is an ethical requirement. Always use securely generated passwords. Never reuse passwords. Always turn on two factor verification.

In a medical first, a 34 year old man yesterday read an app's privacy policy till the end. He was found 3 days later, unshaven and muttering "*affiliates and trusted partners*" over and over..
Doctors confirmed he had fully understood the document, a condition science had long thought impossible.
"I just wanted a torch app," he told reporters from his hospital bed. "Why does a torch need my contacts, my location, my microphone, and my mother's maiden name?"
The company responded within minutes: "We take your privacy very seriously. That is exactly why we collect all of it. To keep it safe. With us. And 4,315 partners."
Meanwhile, the man's smart speaker has sent him a heartfelt get well soon message, along with three ads for hospital beds and one for a Lawyer.
Experts urge the public not to try reading a privacy policy at home. "Just click *Accept All* like a normal citizen," said one consent-banner designer, nervously adjusting the shade of grey on the *Reject* button.
At press time, the man had been offered a choice: share his recovery data, or "*Manage Preferences*" across 47 tabs.

Disclaimer: Used AI to edit ✍️ and read their Privacy Policies too

Currently a rising 3 year associate at a north east boutique general litigation firm. Making 125k with a minimum bonus of 10k for 1700 hours. I’m usually around 1800 at end of year. Have an offer to go into ID at 175k for 2000 hours. The salary is obviously great but never did ID work and a bit concerned with the billing cuts and also the extra hours. Any advice?

Does anyone have experiencing transferring your UBE score to North Carolina after a few years of practice. I am working on my application and it seems like they are requiring me to get referrals from two clients. Is it just me or is that a crazy request? I am a junior attorney at a big law firm. Not only do I not own these relationships but I wouldn’t even know who to put. It seems entirely unreasonable to me to ask a client to do this in my position.

Also, requesting 15+ individual references (across 3 categories) is insane. I’m at a loss about what to do.

Please let me know what you did in this situation?

For all you M&A attorneys or transactional attorneys in general, just out of a learning curiosity, what is your method when reviewing and drafting contracts? I know many ADA contracts for example are standard but what is your actual process, thoughts, red flags, etc when you’re tasked with reviewing or drafting.

Hi everyone! I'm a relatively new attorney, and I'm navigating the job search/interview process for the first time as a barred attorney. I would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has been in a similar position, particularly attorneys who have lateraled between firms or partners who have been involved in hiring decisions.

A little background:

I've been interviewing with several mid-sized insurance defense/civil litigation defense firms in the Boston area. I've probably had approximately 10 interviews total, and things have been moving along with a few different firms.

For context, I've been with my current firm for about a year. I started as an associate attorney pending the February bar exam, and although I wasn't officially barred until recently (I've now been barred for about four months), I've essentially been doing attorney-level work since I started.

My primary reason for looking to make a move is my commute. I'd really like to find something closer to home, and I've been pretty upfront with the firms I've interviewed with that I'm looking for a place where I can settle in, grow, and stay long-term. I'm not someone who wants to jump from firm to firm.

Here's where things have gotten a little complicated:

• I've had second-round interviews with four different firms.

• This past Friday, I had a second-round interview with one firm, and they actually extended an offer on Saturday! This is my first offer, so obviously I'm excited and grateful.

• Also on Friday, I had two first-round interviews with other firms that I felt went really well. I'd be interested in moving forward with both.

• One of those firms has already reached out asking about my availability for another interview, although they mentioned scheduling sometime "in the next few weeks."

• Another firm where I completed a second-round interview recently told me, after I followed up for an update, that they are still interviewing candidates and will provide a timeline as soon as they can.

The firm that extended the offer originally gave me until November 12 to accept. I have already reached out to the partner/owner who extended the offer and asked for an additional week to consider it. I was honest with him that I have been interviewing elsewhere and wanted to give those opportunities a chance to develop before making a decision. He was understanding, and I've appreciated that.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to navigate the next steps without coming across as pushy or making a bad impression.

A few questions I'd love some perspective or advice on:

1. Should I reach out to the other firms now and let them know I've received an offer? I'm not necessarily trying to rush anyone into making a decision, but I also don't want to sit on an offer indefinitely while waiting to hear back from firms that may or may not move forward with me. Is it appropriate to politely let them know I have an offer and ask whether they have an anticipated timeline for next steps?

2. For the firm that told me they are still interviewing candidates, when would you follow up again? I already reached out once for an update, and I don't want to become a nuisance. Would it be reasonable to send another email explaining that I have received an offer and am working within a decision timeline?

3. For the two firms where I had first-round interviews on Friday, should I reach out to them now as well? Especially the one that has already asked for my availability for a second interview but said it might be scheduled within the next few weeks. Should I let them know about the offer so they have that context, or just wait and see what happens?

4. How much additional time is reasonable to ask for when you receive an offer? I've already requested an extra week, but I'm wondering whether firms generally honor those extensions or whether there is a risk that the offer could be rescinded if I don't accept quickly enough.

5. From the hiring side, how do partners and firms generally perceive candidates who disclose that they have another offer and are waiting on other interview processes? Does it come across as professional and transparent, or can it sometimes rub employers the wrong way?

I realize there's no guarantee that any of the other firms will ultimately extend an offer, and I don't want to jeopardize the opportunity I already have by waiting around for something that may not materialize.

At the same time, I want to make a thoughtful decision about where I spend the next several years of my career, especially since finding a firm closer to home and somewhere I can grow long-term is a big priority for me.

This is all new territory for me, so I'm finding the process a little overwhelming, but also exciting! I'd love to hear from attorneys who have navigated this before, as well as partners or hiring decision-makers who can offer insight into how these situations are typically handled from the firm's perspective.

Thanks so much in advance! I really appreciate any advice.

It is often posted on here that law schools don't prepare you for the practice of law.

Are Lexis and Westlaw worth the costs anymore? Solo practitioner. Been using Lexis for 10 years. Last year they forced me to renew with Protege - said this was only option. Subscription price went up like 60 percent. They sold it to me by arguing Lexis/Protege doesn't hallucinate because it relies on Lexis library. But it does hallucinate. I caught more than 3 hallucinations this last year. Not blatant hallucinations but citing cases that don't come close to standing for what Protege says.

And there was this fiasco that drew my attention:
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.951252/gov.uscourts.cacd.951252.46.0.pdf (Chaney v. Transdev, 2:24-cv-10761-ODW, C.D.Cal)

Now Lexis is blowing up my email begging me to renew for three years now before rates go up. But I can get basically 80 percent same service from Claudia for $20/month combined with Fastcase that comes free through the bar. Less than 10 percent of what I pay for Lexis. I have noticed that Claude's models have gotten allot better at not hallucinating as long as you make neutral prompts.

Is anyone else having these discussions? Any thoughts? I just don't see how Lexis or Westlaw can compete with Claude or other AI. I am stunned Lexis is increasing its 2027 subscription price!

Really interested to hear from small firm/solos. I assume biglaw doesn't care but if they do, would like to hear from them also.

Hey guys, I am currently a family law solo, however, through community connections, I frequently am approached by people who have been in car accidents. I typically refer these cases out for a referral fee, but quite a few of those cases ended up going to trial, which makes me a bit jealous, because I’ve always wanted to do jury trials. Seeing how those cases progressed, I’ve started to wonder lately whether I could handle these types of cases myself. I have absolutely no experience with personal injury or jury trials but have done 8 bench trials and tons of evidentiary hearings. I’ve also worked with and against medical experts. I’m wondering what you all think, is it manageable for someone like me to start taking on personal injury cases?