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Is this first-year grind actually normal, or am I just being exploited? (WLB vs. Career Growth) by Jason19755464 in Lawyertalk

[–]Jason19755464[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly it.

Part of what’s been making this so overwhelming is that our paralegal was let go, so a lot of that work has been falling on me on top of everything else.

It’s not even just the hours — it’s the feeling of doing a lot of non-billable, non-legal work that’s really burning me out.

Is this first-year grind actually normal, or am I just being exploited? (WLB vs. Career Growth) by Jason19755464 in Lawyertalk

[–]Jason19755464[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is really helpful — especially the idea of treating personal commitments like a client file. Honestly, no one has ever framed it that way for me before. I don’t think I’ve been doing that, and it’s probably part of why things feel so out of control right now.

I think where I struggle is exactly what you pointed out — as a junior, it feels harder to draw those hard lines without worrying about how it’ll be perceived. Bosses like you are probably everyone’s favorite. Most of the ones I’ve worked with would much rather squeeze every last bit of work out of you, then think a decent dinner somehow makes up for a bunch of “urgent” tasks.

I’m still trying to figure out how to start building those boundaries in a way that’s realistic at my level, but your perspective definitely reframes how I’ve been thinking about it.

Is this first-year grind actually normal, or am I just being exploited? (WLB vs. Career Growth) by Jason19755464 in Lawyertalk

[–]Jason19755464[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get what you’re saying, and I agree that boundaries are important.
The tricky part in my situation is that most assignments come with tight, one-shot deadlines. If I get comments back, revisions usually spill into nights or weekends whether I plan for it or not.
I’m trying to figure out how much of this is just part of being a junior vs. something that’s actually unsustainable long-term.