INTERESTING QUOTES AND COMMENTS OVERHEARD THIS WEEK FROM FRIENDS, ACQUAINTANCES AND STRANGERS. (Names have been eliminated, but the quotes are real. Too real!)
SENIOR PARTNER BIGLAW: “The law business sucks right now. It’s awful. I’d hate to be a young lawyer starting out. There’s no money in it anymore. No chance at partner. It just sucks. Luckily, I’m 55 and have a big book of business. So I’ll squeak by for another ten years.”
JUNIOR PARTNER BIGLAW – I billed 300 hours last month. I can barely see straight. I have two kids, a husband… I hate my life. I thought making partner might change things. It’s only made everything worse. And it’s not like I’m getting rich or anything. I make just enough to keep me from quitting. Then again, that’s the whole point, isn’t it?”
HOT SHOT ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER – Not to sound like an asshole or anything, but I look at BigLaw geeks and laugh. They’re smart, work their asses off, give up their entire lives… and for what? Money? I make as much as a Partner at Skadden and I barely practice law. I talk to clients, negotiate deals… I work hard, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t work weekends. Ever. It’s not even on the table. I get to the office at 9 and leave at 5 – and I take a two-hour lunch. Anyway… I just think this BigLaw thing is a joke. Billing 3,000 hours or whatever. Sad thing is, there are lots of really smart and talented people out of there doing it. Oh well…”
LAID OFF ASSOCIATE – I never thought I’d be 30 and unemployed. It literally never even entered my mind. I went to the right schools, worked incredibly hard… I was always the A student. I always thought I’d make partner… or be working in-house… or land a job as an investment banker. No matter what, I certainly didn’t imagine being 30, jobless and $100,000 in debt… I went to Stanford Law School for God’s sake. If I just played by the rules, I thought things would work out. But they didn’t. And it sucks.”
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
A pie eating contest where the prize is more pie? Capital idea!
Is this supposed to make me feel even worse about my pathetic life? Only good news is, my grades suck and I won’t get a job in BigLaw anyway.
I think we all should be positive about our lives as lawyers. I know that if I were to think negatively, things would not be as good. So I think about the positive things; like I have a job, the people respect me and I hope to be able to take a vacation this year after Labor Day. I do not dwell on the negatives, so do not care if I do not have a boyfriend right now. I am thinking of going into my own business soon, but have to have an idea to make it work.
I am still interested in Alma. She seems like the kind of woman I can be proud to stand next to in a line for a Yankee game. At the same time, knowing that a woman like that will share my bed is something to look forward to. Alma, let me know if you will date me.