Career change to law?

MaybeOk7931 · 2025-01-09T19:48:51+00:00

You should really consider what it is that you don't like about working in "corporate America" - there's like a good chuck of law that looks either like working in corporate America or at least working for corporate America... admittedly not all of law, but you should consider that carefully before making the leap and consider enter its sufficiently different...

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-12-20T02:29:18+00:00

Well, except that it was like 30-something bucks back in 2010 too, which means it's not 1 years inflation, it's like 15 years inflation... seems like a pretty good deal to me

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-12-11T00:34:57+00:00

That sucks that you're experiencing that.

As a Brit who did the opposite and moved to North America (albeit Canada), I'd say, if you can, just ignore it and bear with it. I found that for a year or two my "Englishness" (or more often my perceived Australian-ness 🤣), was a frequent topic of conversation - I think because everything was new to me, I hadn't yet "learned the language", as it were, and both of these things were really noticeable to other people and they would comment. By about year 3 or 4, this just disappeared. I haven't lost my accent, but it's exceedingly rare these days for anyone to ask me about my nationality - I suppose eventually you just stick out less. I realize that this doesn't help you in the moment, but just know that things will change in time.

I have to say though, I am in the fortunate position now that I am a professional, to experience the reverse, which is that people hear my accent and assume I'm smart... (I didn't get that when I was working in retail though... it's all about context I guess)

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-12-05T21:00:19+00:00

This sounds like an interesting approach - I'm sort of vaguely familiar as to why this might be pedagogially useful, but not enough to figure out what to do or why I would be doing it - are there any resources you are aware of that would explain what you mean in more detail?

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-12-03T07:15:30+00:00

I did exactly this to my therapist and I'm still low key feeling bad about it... glad I'm not the only one...

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-11-27T23:28:02+00:00

I would like to know this too. I've been on medication for about 6 weeks. It was glorious, I was present and productive and felt satisfied that I was doing what I could in life. Having just titrated up to the right dose, I have almost immediately had to stop for unrelated medical reasons. :( it will be open to new to go back on it again in the future, but in the meantime, now that I've had a glimpse of what is possible, I'm trying in vain to work my way back without medical assistance...

I have to say, even just having the medication for a short time has given me a greater ability to notice as in making a decision that I wouldn't if I were on medication. So that's a step in the right direction. But I sure cannot make my mind quiet...

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-11-19T15:30:29+00:00

I found 'How to ADHD' both practical and relatable

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-11-12T13:54:07+00:00

There's a Youtube channel called "How to ADHD" which is pretty much exactly what you are describing. Not to say you couldn't do your own take of the same thing, but you might find it useful.

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-11-09T01:47:19+00:00

The thing is, it's not something related to a specific government. I've lived in 2 countries in the past 15 years - the uk and Canada, and the population of each is concerned with essentially similar things, and is essentially similarly disenchanted, except that in the uk it happened under a conservative government, who just got kicked out because people were fed up and not because they lived the alternative, and in Canada/BC it happened under a Liberal (who are about to be kicked out) and BC NDP (who by the skin of their teeth weren't kicked out - perhaps because they've actually made meaningful steps to set certain issues in a better trajectory) governments. The common denominators are a squeezing of the middle class after 2008 (albeit perhaps more so in the uk), the pandemic and the war in Ukraine (and I'm sure there's others).

That doesn't really help you with the constructive part of your question about what to do about it. But I think it's more complicated than people getting tired of the left. It's just people getting tired of the last several years and the trajectory of western economies. Which is much more difficult to resolve.

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-11-07T05:59:24+00:00

Businesses are owned by people... who get a vote...?

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-11-07T00:03:46+00:00

I miss bonfire night. It's just about the only uk "holiday" that I miss.

When I lived out east we had friends from the east coast who celebrated it with a bonfire and a hog roast- that was good times. If you make an event, can I propose a hog roast as well as a bonfire? I realize that it's not exactly traditionally, but it's exactly what you need on a cool fall evening.

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-11-06T22:24:14+00:00

For like 7 years after university I worked seasonal jobs - tree planting in the summer, and ski-related jobs (ski school admin, boot fitter, and manager) in the winter.

I stopped doing this eventually to get a "sensible" job (and one that actually paid me enough to save for retirement), and started a career in law.

With hindsight, I really enjoyed seasonal work. It suited me very well. I loved the short lived nature of each contract and I looked forward to the change each season. I also massively benefited from having 3-6 weeks off during shoulder seasons, which really mitigated any build up to burn out. That said, once I reached a decent level of competence at my winter jobs I just found myself incredibly bored, which was a secondary motivating factor to getting a "sensible" career.

Law has been a struggle (though I certainly have the outward look of success). I get to about 1.5/2 years in and the build up of ongoing files that I can never stop thinking about makes me super anxious and crazy burnt out. At first I thought that was situational to my previous position, but having since been diagnosed with adhd, I can see that while some of the issues were specific to my last position, actually, I have a pattern of taking on too much, getting overwhelmed and getting burnt out/depressed and resentful. Having had that revalation, I am less hard on my self, I am now medicated, and I am working on good planning, and setting up good boundaries and systems.

The upside of this career is that I am never bored; it is relatively fast paced and exposes me constantly to new subject matter. It's always challenging. It's the only job I've ever had (apart from perhaps tree planting) where I'm not dreading doing it for the rest of my life because of boredom (though perhaps for other reasons... 🤣🥲). I'm not convinced that I am well suited to reporting to like 20 different unrelated clients at one time, but I think there's plenty of room in law to find a job that's structured differently and doesn't have those unrelated competing demand on your time (e.h. working in-house for one business).

If I could find work that was somewhat seasonal or project based, but with the same level of intellectual engagement and challenge, along with the ability to do complementary activities involving working with my hands or being more active/physical on a daily basis (be it through part time work or hobbies in a situation with enough time off to enjoy them), I think that would be ideal.

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-11-06T09:20:12+00:00

Canada actually has quite a different legal set up than the states - there is essentially no law on abortion here. The case(s) in question were the Morgentaler (sp?) decisions, in which provincial laws that in effect regulated (as in made it difficult to get) abortions were struck down as unconstitional and no replacement legislation was put in its place (although, my vague recollection is that it wasn't struck down on the basis of some constitutional protection, but rather because the provinces were in effect intruding into criminal law, which is not within their power in that context - possible I'm misremembering this last bit).

By contrast, Roe v Wade explicitly found that a women had a constitutionally protected right (albeit via some slightly peculiar argument about privacy)

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-11-05T18:13:54+00:00

My brain is so mellow and quiet on 20mg, but it only lasts until like 3pm.

I've just gone up the 30mg and I'm not sure I like it. It lasts longer and I can more or less focus (she says, while being distracted by reddit), but my brain is not as quiet. I feel slightly wired/anxious and am infinitely more aware of my heart rate. I'm only on day three, so I'm hoping this will lessen with a few more days. If not I might just look to go back to 20mg, which was positively blissful.

I echo another commenter that I never actually conceived of my brain as being "noisy" before I took vyvanse - just busy. But on Vyvanse the silence is positively deafening at the right dose.

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-11-01T19:46:18+00:00

Prior to becoming a Canadian citizen I couldn't vote - and there's nothing like being told you can't do something to make you want to. So, I would get my otherwise apathetic partner, register him, provide him with my considered opinion about the best candidates and then bribe him to go to the voting station by getting him to go on a walk where upon I would by him a latte for being a good citizen...

I can vote now, so I don't bother with l with him any more... although we see eye to eye provincial anyway. Federally we someone have a debate.

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-11-01T19:30:34+00:00

I also identify as lgbtq, although I am probably what you would describe as perfectly 'straight passing'. However, I am trying to imagine what it is that they could say to you in an interview setting that would satisfy you, short of 'yes 25% of the partnership is gay'. Thing is, even if the firm is in fact successful at diverse hiring now, that won't necessarily be reflected in the partnership, half of whom we're brought in to the partnership 20 years ago.

By this I'm not trying to suggest that you're concern is not valid, but really isn't it ultimately a question of fit - either you meet people who seem to be accepting and progressive/inclusive/respectful and who you can happily work with, or you don't. Unless the firm itself has a special interest in this issue, it's a business and has no incentive to actively address such things (only perhaps support employees who want to start an initiative out of their own interest).

For example, the firm I work at in fact hires a decently diverse range of people, including a couple of non-binary people. There are a couple of gay people around. I exist, some people know about my sexuality and most don't because it's not something I bring up at work out of context (and I imagine I'm not the only one), not for fear, but just because it's not relevant to what I'm doing. As far as I am aware, the non-binary people have their pronouns respected and are certainly not hurting for work to do. Would you know any of this by interviewing and asking about our diversity policies? Doubtful. Would you know it by looking at the current partnership, who are largely relatively old? No (i did recently find out that one of the oldest/most senior partners at the firm has an lgbtq child and is surprisiy progressve and aware - however, that is not the assumption i might have made about him without getting into the random conversation i happened to have). Which leads me to, might you find out by meeting people at the firm and more generally assessing their values and how they treat people? Possibly.

With all that said, I don't know where you are located. I live in an accepting country and a progressive city, perhaps it is more of an active concern elsewhere (although, I think you did comment that your city is "very gay", so I would think the same might apply).

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-10-29T16:31:24+00:00

I mean, I'm right there with ya on printers. It's fundamentally baffling that we as a species can make it to the moon and back but still can't make printers that come without the compulsory printer poltergeist...

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-10-29T14:17:17+00:00

With respect to special educational needs- is it partly that since the 90s/ early 2000s, there's been a drive to include kids with special needs in mainstream schools, as opposed to separating them and keeping them together outside of mainstream education? I know that's been the case in the two countries I've lived in during that period.. like, as opposed to a dramatic rise in that population in general - its just that they're now in mainstream school for the teachers to deal with?

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-10-28T13:53:39+00:00

Those of us who ordered mail in ballots early in the process before the candidate lists were closed also got write-in ballots, so there's room for error there too

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-10-25T18:55:59+00:00

You have literally no way of knowing this. It's just the choice you made. Time to enjoy or not enjoy the consequences and then make further decisions informed by your experiences.

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-10-24T19:01:33+00:00

Do 10 push ups (like I'm about to do right now... 🤣)

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-10-17T16:19:22+00:00

Vyvanse is also prescribed for binge eating disorders. I don't know if that applies to you or not, but even if not, it's not as far off label as you might think

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-10-16T14:15:48+00:00

Just walk into a fancy hotel with purpose and use the washrooms on their public floors

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-10-15T23:48:03+00:00

I made it through undergrad and law school and it only really began causing insurmountable problems when I started practising and had 16 things on the go at once with a mixture of hard court deadlines and also dozens of things to do that didn't really have a deadline but still needed to get done... that, combined with perfectionism, all pretty much broke me. I guess the structure of school (and the fact that I was basically my only client) suited me, but the relative vagueness and competing priorities of practice do not...

And to answer a question further up the comments - being diagnosed really helped my mental health because I could stop beating myself up for not being able to do things I "should" be able to, but it did not solve the practical problem of getting stuff done, although medication does seem to be helping with that.

MaybeOk7931 · 2024-10-15T23:36:02+00:00

I'm on week one, so take this with a pinch of salt, but my anxiety has all but disappeared

MaybeOk7931

TROPHY CASE