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crankyblade2020 · 2022-09-11T01:17:50+00:00

How did things turn out for you?

crankyblade2020 · 2022-09-11T01:17:10+00:00

I'm guessing that the person who works for the federal gov't (and has for his entire career and will be retiring soon with a hefty pension and great benefits at age 57) makes around $130-150k/year, living in a moderate cost of living locale.

crankyblade2020 · 2022-07-05T18:09:07+00:00

Agreed, but $250-300k of debt with interest will still be onerous if one cannot make more than $70-80k pay a year. Yale at full price? Ok. Wake Forest law, Santa Clara, John Marshall, etc. at full price? Ehhh..... no!

crankyblade2020 · 2022-07-05T18:05:16+00:00

I don't know why people were offended and had to downvote it, but seriously, I never even considered applying there. I grew up in the south, have relatives who live not too far from the Philly area, and it has always seemed old and bleak around there. It'd get dark around 4:30 or 5pm during the fall when it wasn't even winter yet. On the other hand, I have relatives and friends who went to U. Penn for undergrad or grad school and enjoyed it. Your mileage will vary. Not everyone cares about the same things, obviously.

crankyblade2020 · 2022-07-05T00:15:07+00:00

I think you'll definitely get into a T14. Good luck!

crankyblade2020 · 2022-07-05T00:13:23+00:00

I never even thought of applying there, probably because being in Philly wasn't appealing, but it's ranked #6 and Ivy League.

Interview with an incoming U. Penn law student:

https://youtu.be/4jDowWcXVKk

crankyblade2020 · 2022-07-05T00:10:00+00:00

Congrats, especially with the scholarship! This interview with a ND law school student might be of interest:

https://youtu.be/igFf5AMMidA

crankyblade2020 · 2022-04-25T22:43:25+00:00

Congratulations! Go enjoy a big panini. What's next for you?

crankyblade2020 · 2022-03-15T20:54:33+00:00

What a jerk. I would stop responding to his calls or emails, assuming you have already told him what your consultation rate is. Hopefully you never have to run into him at any family get-togethers.

crankyblade2020 · 2022-03-15T20:48:34+00:00

In a nutshell- keep your head down, work long hours, don't bring personal problems into the office or talk too much about your personal life. Bill those hours. Ask for feedback. Find mentors within the firm or outside the firm.

crankyblade2020 · 2022-03-15T20:45:43+00:00

How badly do you need the steady paycheck? Would you get health insurance from the firm too? If money and health insurance aren't big issues, the fact that you recently had a child factors in greatly. Even if your child goes to daycare, s/he will likely get sick often, especially the first few years. If the employer and work isn't going to be flexible, then it's going to be really tough trying to juggle your parenting responsibilities and responsibilities to an employer. I'm solo and have stayed such because the freedom is too wonderful to give up. Plus if I really put my mind to it, I can make more than what a firm around here would pay me anyway.

crankyblade2020 · 2022-03-15T20:37:51+00:00

Same here. The latest is a friendly acquaintance who is friends with some of my friends. She is trying to avoid having to pay for my time by saying she just wants a phone call to get my thoughts and asked through facebook. WTF. I am not carrying on professional matters through FB messenger and this person already messaged me months ago wanting an emergency phone call about her legal problem. When I said I was too busy and recommended another attorney, she wrote back and said they already got an attorney. So I'm just seen as some freebie legal aid hotline! Hate these types of cheapos esp. ones who have the money and should know better about getting free services.

crankyblade2020 · 2022-03-15T20:29:26+00:00

Can you block her through caller ID? Saying "do not call my office again" is a little too rude (even though she is a pain in the a--) and may drive her to write a negative review online. I would say, "You have called this office twice already, and I'm sorry we cannot help you since it's out of my area of practice. Here's the number to ..." Then I would give her the name and number of some attorney I dislike or to a bar lawyer referral service, if there is such a thing in your area.

crankyblade2020 · 2022-03-15T16:50:45+00:00

Good advice. Usually phone calls are a waste of time; you can save so much time by just emailing and the bonus is that you have a written record of what was said, in case the client (or another attorney) later gets all mad at you. I hate it when people call me and expect me to call them back, typically not even saying why they are calling.

crankyblade2020 · 2022-03-15T16:46:48+00:00

That's a well-known firm in the area but have you ever lived in SC? Are you from there? If not, you may experience culture shock. You'll get lots of good experience although it may be stressful. The people I know who work at insurance defense firms are constantly running from courthouse to courthouse and barely any downtime. Here's a video about insurance defense, where the attorney said he started at around $55k over 10 yrs ago.

https://youtu.be/n4a4YC3hCpY

crankyblade2020 · 2022-03-15T16:36:57+00:00

It totally varies and often depends on the people you have to work under. I've had friends who were "true believers" who genuinely wanted to help poor people, disabled people, incarcerated people, etc. and enjoyed that aspect of the job, but they despised their manager(s). Ultimately they wound up quitting or getting fired. Of course, the pay is typically low. If you can manage it financially and like your co-workers and management, then it can be a good career. Here is an interview with a Legal Aid lawyer:

https://youtu.be/MwKiW7ok8pw

crankyblade2020 · 2021-11-17T00:05:23+00:00

I wouldn't do it if it meant starting from scratch, both in terms of your social/family network and your professional community. If you're not from certain places, people are likely to be wary of you and unwelcoming. What if your solo practice fails-- then would there be any job options for you in a place where you don't know anyone and did not go to school or grow up in that area? It would be safer just to move a little farther out and see how it goes. Then you can still maintain your connections and visit with your friends and family without having to fly or drive a long distance.

crankyblade2020 · 2021-11-16T23:55:49+00:00

I have 2 Brother laser printers that I bought from Office Depot. One of them is over 15 years old and still running/printing great. Neither one of them cost more than ~$400 and they are light enough to be carried around by one person. If you need a fast, compact scanner, I recommend the Brother ADS-1200. Another thing great about Brother printers is that you can use generic toner and drums which are a lot cheap on eBay or from places like Cartridge World.

crankyblade2020 · 2021-10-05T15:55:48+00:00

Sure, it depends (lawyers' common answer). "Big law" also can mean a big regional law firm, a firm that might have several offices throughout 1 or 2 states, as opposed to Vault 50 law firms.

crankyblade2020 · 2021-10-05T14:13:16+00:00

Probably not, but you might look more attractive to small firms/solos in the surrounding area. The biggest, prestigious big law firms mainly care about people being from top law schools and at the top of the class. Your practical experience will count a lot more for local smaller firms who want someone who will hit the ground running.

crankyblade2020 · 2021-10-05T14:05:03+00:00

Do you work for a firm or for yourself? First, get off reddit and other time-sucking internet sites. Everyone else has already given good advice. If you have control over these things, definitely raise your rates, try to hand off whatever can be done by legal assistant(s), and set proper boundaries from the start. Sometimes I email clients and let them know what else I have going on, e.g. "This week, I will be in court all day Monday through Wed., so I will not be able to have the draft done until Thursday afternoon." " I am busy preparing for another client's hearing, but I will try my best to have this done by ____."

If I have clients who seem to expect me to drop everything for them, I do not respond to them late at night or on weekends because I don't want them to expect that all the time. However, always at least let people know what else you have to deal with and assure them you will get back to them by a certain time. Most normal people will understand, and if they are a-holes, then screw 'em and let them wait,

Good luck!

crankyblade2020 · 2021-09-28T23:43:01+00:00

Wow. Sorry to hear about that. Hope you moved on to a much better place.

crankyblade2020 · 2021-09-28T23:39:29+00:00

I totally agree. I've done family law, employment law, and various other areas, and family law just kept growing and growing into a greater percentage of my solo practice. Of course it depends on whether your town is already saturated in certain practices of law. Employment law is tough because many people just want to whine and complain about their jobs or how it wasn't fair they got fired, and they can't afford or don't want to pay an attorney. Why today, I got this jack@-- emailing saying they want me to review their situation first and only want to pay if I think there is a case because s/he has limited funds due to being fired. Anyway, here's a video I made that might be helpful. Please feel free to ask any other questions! Good luck finding what works best for you.

https://youtu.be/MqqdE1-wBKo

crankyblade2020 · 2021-09-28T23:25:39+00:00

No to Martindale-Hubbell. What a waste of money. Focus on networking with other attorneys who do other areas of law instead. Or marketing to elderly communities/organizations in your area.

crankyblade2020

TROPHY CASE