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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Law & Legal |
Is it a wise career move for lawyer to leave trial practice for an in house counsel job that pays higher now? |
Ive been a lawyer for 1 and a half years. Ive been doing trial work from the start of my career. 2 days ago, a big company called me, and offered me a job as an in house lawyer, no trial work, just consultation and paper work. It pays higher than my salary as a trial lawyer in my current law firm, headed by my dad. Should i accept the offer and leave trial work indefinetly ? Ya know what they say, just because its bigger, doesn't mean its better! I'm not saying that you shouldn't take the offer, but you should consider all of the different circumstances that surrounds the job. More money, yes. More work? Hows the hours compared to what you have now? And never forget what comes with big companies, interoffice drama, and its very impersonal. But in all, you've got to look at it this way,, are you going to be happy pushing papers behind the scene instead of being in a court room fighting for a case? Your still fairly new at being an attorney, and still have got loads to learn, and who better to teach you that your dad. Maybe after you get a few years under your belt, you can move on to something else. Besides, if they want you now, they'll want you later, because you'll have more experience. I would speak to your dad about what he thinks you should do, he's gonna know the law world better than you, and he'll only be looking out for your best interest. Good luck! It sounds like you are still fairly young, and if that is the case, I think this would be an excellent move. You will learn a tremendous amount working in the corporate world and will probably handle matters that you would never get to see as a trial lawyer working for a smaller firm. You will probably also get to develop some excellent relationships with other lawyers at some of the leading firms. All in all, a great learning experience if nothing else. You can always choose to rejoin your dad or start your own firm at a later date. With corporate experience under your belt, you will be coming back even stronger than you are now. My only hesitation about this would be to consider your dad's feelings; will he be in a bind when you leave, or are there other lawyers to take up the slack? I would try and get his blessings for whatever you do, as there are lots of jobs out there, but you have only one dad. Best of luck with the decision. Get a real problem! How old are you? How long do you think you'll have to live? Listen people work to make money. They make money to pay bills and hopefully save some. If you're doing something you like while you work, that's a bonus. But when opportunities like more money and doing something new come around, you don't stay where you are, you MOVE UP. The bottom paying jobs are over crowded. Go and make that cheese! Cash! Jumbo! Yen-um! Ducats! Shekels! You want more? In the words of Jack Nicholson (As Good As It Gets), "think white and get serious!" After a year or 2 if you don't like what your doing then change venue again. How do you like trial work? If you really enjoy it and are good at it, you will eventually make the money. If your trial work means no day is the same, you get out of the office a lot, and you still like going to work, you need to think long an hard about giving that up. You are in a position a large portion of attorneys (myself #1) would kill for. You are in a firm headed by your dad, so unless you really trash the place you probably will always have a job. You probably are given good assignments and your dad may be grooming you to take over his position when he goes 'of counsel'. What a plum position, unless you really hate it, stay. I worked in a corp for years. You come in the same time and leave the same time every day. Most days you sit at your desk all day reviewing paper and paper and paper. BORING!!! While there are deadlines, there is no 'must be done for court' rush you get in trail practice. Besides you have to put up with Corporate life -- bs coming down from the all-high CEO, rules about papers left on a desk, rules about lunch times, rules about starting times, rules about everything except when you go to the bathroom. You give up the excitement of preping for trials, of cross examining witnesses, of appearing in court for what --- the money, the security, the 40 hour work week, the forced retirement at age 65. My opinion corp life stinks, there is no freedom because the CEO, Directors are the kings. It does not even come close to the feeling of power and rush you get in a trial. Good luck on your decision. |
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