u/Appropriate-Quote840

I'm in private practice and I'm bored to tears doing small town civil litigation and family law. I want to truly become good at some niche area and it seems to me like government work may be the way to build up experience.

Is this the case? I really would prefer not to touch criminal work, and never have. Aside from my state's AG Office postings, where should I be looking? I would like to be able to get some exposure to something niche any way I can.

Then, I would like the idea of hanging my own shingle after a time - maybe after my loans are forgiven.

What I primarily need is: Intellectually challenging + Niche area that I can master. Preferably low-stress, with WFH, or hybrid work. Is that reasonable or not?

Truth is, though, I am also trying to figure out what practice areas to zero in on. My interest has been piqued in consumer protection law, but I want some other suggestions.

Any suggestions anyone has will be helpful. I'm just trying to explore and think about my next career moves.

I am a first year, brand new associate at a small firm. I started last fall. We have one partner who does primarily family law and estate planning. We have another associate as well. The other partner and I do civil litigation. I enjoy litigation because it is engaging and I enjoy research, brief writing, arguing, etc. That said, I work mostly with the litigation partner on everything.

They knew when they hired me that they were hiring someone BRAND NEW, with no experience. I need exposure to the basic components of litigation, and more than that, I need wisdom and practical guidance with how to approach certain situations so that I'm effective at what I do, and can learn from a seasoned professional how to navigate a tricky case. I thought that's what I was getting when I came to work there. It seems that so few firms are willing to take on someone fresh from school because they aren't willing to teach anyone anything. That's just the curse of being the generation that's coming up after the greedy, lazy Baby Boomers. They just want to watch their 401(k) grow and spend their retirement years rotting on the beach somewhere while the rest of us can't afford basic necessities. And this guy is a typical Boomer in every respect, if that helps paint the picture.

Anyway, I started noticing some things a few months ago right after I started. I was in his office one day and he was explaining something to me about insurance (or the like) and I said "Oh, interesting" to which he flatly replied "No, not really." This was the first of a few times that he's done this. I don't remember if it was that exchange or another one when he said something I'll never forget. He said something along the lines that he hated his job. He then said "Oh, I've hated it for 35 years." Yes that is a direct quote. No I am not paraphrasing. No I am not misremembering it. That is what he said VERBATIM. And take a wild guess at how many years he's been practicing.

I began to have doubts back then as to what kind of a mentor he would turn out to be. If you hate your job and don't want to be here, how willing are you going to be to teach me anything? And, as if on cue, his nice facade began to wear down. He is so impatient its not even funny. Back in the winter I came to him with a matter and asked his advice. It was a new client I had just retained and I needed to give him quite a bit of backstory before I got to the main point. He would not let me finish. He would not sit quiet long enough to hear the whole story before peppering me with questions that were totally irrelevant to the client's problem. I went to the other partner. He actually listened, and gave his advice on the matter and was happy to impart some wisdom along with it.

If you go into his office at a bad time (which is all the time), he will audibly and loudly sigh and ask "What?" in a tone that you cannot mistake for anything other than annoyance. He does it to staff, and now does it to me. How am I supposed to feel comfortable asking questions with someone who treats your presence in his doorway like a severe nuisance?

Today we got an inquiry from an accident victim. He asked me if I wanted it, and I said I'd like to consult with the guy. Apparently the guy called in and scheduled a consultation. I asked the receptionist to put it on the attorney's calendar too. I then mentioned something about it to him later and he gave his characteristic sigh and huff and went "I don't have to be involved, do I?" Yeah, lazy ass, you do actually. I'm a first year associate. I would like to not have to lead a consultation, nor take on a case like this entirely by myself. I would like your guidance and collaboration on the case, and I would like you there to answer any questions during the meeting that I am unable to answer. I want the person to feel like they're getting quality legal representation. More than that, I want to actually give quality legal representation. Him? I get the impression he couldn't care less.

I'm not quite sure what to do. I need out. This guy is an ass, and I don't think he's even a good attorney, or at least not anymore. He's lazy, impatient, disinterested, and terrible to work for. Not one person in the office likes working with him. He's not helpful at all when I ask questions, he lacks in wisdom (really bad trait for someone his age). So in short, he is not someone I want to be mentored by, because I don't think he is even capable of being a mentor.

And I don't think he and the other attorneys bring in enough business to even keep the firm afloat. I'm honestly not sure how the lights are staying on because there does not seem to be enough business coming in the door to bill hours for. This firm used to be much more highly esteemed in our area than it is now, and from what I've been told we've lost a lot of clients since it's just been these two in charge.

So like I said, I need out. But I've only been there six months. I'm not sure I want to leave just yet, because I don't want to be thought of as a firm-hopper in interviews. Should I wait until the 12 month mark? Or will this not matter? I've been looking into government positions which would require me to relocate, which I'm ok with, even though I love where I live now.

In the long run, the ideal would be to somehow build up experience in a practice area(s) that are niche enough to attract clientele from all over my state, become a respected authority, then hang my own shingle in my own small town. Meet clients virtually, or in person if they're close, and travel when needed, bill hours, keep overhead low, make bank. But I don't want to do that with the usual: Estate planning, divorce, DUI's, etc. And it's clearer to me every day that staying where I am is NOT the way to make that happen.

Idk. I'm at a loss. I need out, but I'm not sure if this is the right time. Anyone else with similar experiences, insight, or wisdom, please feel free to comment. Thanks if you made it this far.