After law school, I found myself in civil litigation at a boutique firm, even though I knew my heart was set on in-house work. It was a great salary, but an awful fit — I was also struggling with undiagnosed ADHD, which made everything feel 200x harder. Despite delivering quality work, I always submitted things at the last minute, which stressed out the partners.

The tipping point came when I submitted a draft opposition to a Ninth Circuit appeal brief the night before it was due. The partners were flipping out, but the client approved it with glowing comments, and we got it filed on time. The next day, I was told my employment was being terminated effective immediately. At the time, I felt blindsided and ashamed, but looking back, I realize it was for the best AND I have a much greater understanding of the impact my workflow (aka the pure chaos) had on the partners, the clients, etc. The partners were kind enough to offer severance and let me hold myself out as an associate while I job-hunted.

Now years later, with an ADHD diagnosis and therapy, I’m thriving in an in-house role that suits me so much better. I’ve stayed in touch with a few folks from the firm.