DH law profession | Imamother

amother

Aconite ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 10:39 am

Assuming your husband can get into a law school where more than 50% of the class goes to biglaw. If so, you should still be conservative and think about whether you will consider it worthwhile if he stays in biglaw for up to 5-6 years, and then switches to a job earning $100-400K.

If he winds up loving it and excelling and making partner or finding a solid Of Counsel or Special Counsel role, then there is potential for much more. But most people who start out in biglaw fall into the first category.

amother

DarkViolet

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 10:45 am

I heard from majority of the people who have a family practice to go into that’s the way to go.

If you want to get into a big firm - Ivy League schooling or connections

Otherwise it’s a swamped field…

amother

DarkCyan ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:02 am

My husband was in biglaw, then in-house, now private equity. He would never encourage my sons to go into the field. Biglaw was impossible, in-house was financially unsustainable, and hes currently so niche that BH he gets paid well with reasonable hours but in a high-stress, fiscally volatile environment.

amother

Ecru

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:07 am

I myself was in Biglaw for a few years but couldn’t make it work for me. Then I went in-house and like the other poster said, I don’t earn that much (still it’s roughly double a BOE speech therapist, let’s say). I also have very minimal satisfaction from my job. But on the other hand, I’m mostly a remote worker and I can post on imamother during my work day (and do laundry, and cook dinner, and make a potato kugel for Shabbos). That all being said, for sure you shouldn’t force your husband to do anything. And also if you need to take out loans - that could be a huge problem if he comes out of school without earning enough money to pay them back.

amother

Blueberry ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:17 am

Biglaw salaries are pretty standardized. They normally increase every year.

https://www.biglawinvestor.com.....cale/

If you make partner you are likely looking at 1MM+

amother

↑ Aconite ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:18 am

I hope I didn't give the impression above that a law career is only worthwhile if you are in biglaw and stick around. My husband and I are both attorneys. I started out in biglaw, he didn't. We both earn very nice amounts, but neither of us is raking in the $1M+ per year that is often thrown around for biglaw partners.

Biglaw lifestyles can vary significantly based on practice area and the personality of the main partners one works for. In terms of family life, I had a very supportive husband and some grandparent help, and it was doable for the years that I did it, but I would not want to live that way as my kids grew up. My oldest was 5 when I went to work in-house.

P.S. Also worth noting that in biglaw, there are income partners and equity partners, which are very different. I don't have time to discuss the details, but it is a good thing to understand. Biglaw firms usually do not disclose which partners are which kind externally, so you wouldn't know unless you asked an attorney and they told you the truth. The blog Above the Law has a lot of very good posts discussing the ins and outs of this.

amother

Raspberry

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:23 am

Can one realistically stay in big law if they get passed over for partner? I imagine that at some point it is make par the or leave. If not, how is the salary and work life balance at 10 years if you are not a partner?

amother

↑ Aconite ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:24 am

amother Blueberry wrote:

Biglaw salaries are pretty standardized. They normally increase every year.

https://www.biglawinvestor.com.....cale/

If you make partner you are likely looking at 1MM+

The word "biglaw" is used in different ways, it doesn't have a precise definition. Some biglaw firms don't quite pay market, or they pay market in certain offices, but not smaller satellites. Or they pay market salaries, but not market bonuses. Or they sometimes pay market for both, but make the money up elsewhere by doing sneak layoffs or cutting other things like health benefits. Above the Law blog is a great resource to read about such tricks.

If OP's husband wants to limit himself to "market-paying biglaw firms with market bonuses," that will be even narrower.

amother

↑ Aconite ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:27 am

amother Raspberry wrote:

Yes. If you are a reliable and competent workhorse, or have a very niche expertise, and a partner wants to keep you, you can sometimes stick around for years and years as "Of Counsel" or "Special Counsel." The terms of such arrangements are often done case by case. I have seen some very happy Counsel in biglaw, especially in niche areas.

amother

Mintgreen

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:27 am

amother Raspberry wrote:

You can become counsel which is essentially like a more highly paid associate with job security... otherwise yes you have to leave

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:33 am

amother Mintgreen wrote:

You can become counsel which is essentially like a more highly paid associate with job security... otherwise yes you have to leave

What does that even mean.? Surely not everyone can make partner. What do all those passed over then do?

amother

↑ Blueberry ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:33 am

amother OP wrote:

If your husband is in big law how much does he make?
How many years?
Do you work?

Trying to figure out if law is a worthwhile profession in today’s climate.

Husband in biglaw 14 years. Partner. I don’t work. It is a great parnassa bH, it is a lot of work though. There are tradeoffs.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:35 am

amother Blueberry wrote:

Husband in biglaw 14 years. Partner. I don’t work. It is a great parnassa bH, it is a lot of work though. There are tradeoffs.

How long did it take to make partner ?

amother

↑ Aconite ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:37 am

amother Mintgreen wrote:

You can become counsel which is essentially like a more highly paid associate with job security... otherwise yes you have to leave

I don't know about job security. In my experience, of counsel are usually the pets of one or a few partners. If those partners have a downturn in work, make a career change or have a career mishap, the of counsel can find themselves adrift. On the bright side, those who are bright and hardworking enough to become of counsel, usually should be able to get a new job pretty easily.

amother

↑ Aconite ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 11:48 am

amother OP wrote:

What does that even mean.? Surely not everyone can make partner. What do all those passed over then do?

The vast majority of people who start out in biglaw do not make partner. They either depart voluntarily, are coaxed out, or are fired/laid off. Even some of those who do make partner depart voluntarily, are coaxed out, or are fired/laid off (see distinction between equity partner and income partner).

Attorneys with biglaw experience go to all kinds of places, including government, smaller firms, in-house. Some go in-house with the intent of eventually transitioning into a non-legal business executive role, which can be much more lucrative. Also, some transition to non-attorney roles, such as ethics and compliance, EHS, lobbying, HR, regulatory affairs.

amother

↑ Aconite ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 12:11 pm

amother OP wrote:

What kind of personalities make partner? How does the law firm decide?

There are a lot of factors. I would say that being smart, very hardworking and attentive to detail, and socially normal are absolute prerequisites just to be in the running. Many people who meet these criteria still miss out for reasons outside their control.

Again, if your husband is a law student or law school applicant, you should not be making any plans around biglaw partnership.

amother

Tulip ↓

Thu, Dec 19 2024, 12:46 pm

amother Aconite wrote:

Also being in the right department at the right time is a factor. If your department has enough partners and/or there are more promising associates the class below, you won't make partner.

And bringing in clients is a significant factor in terms of partnership. All things being equal a "rainmaker" has a better job at partnership than a reliable hardworking attorney with no network or connections.