I Sorta Hate Being a Lawyer and Think My Family Members Are Making a Mistake
I’ve been a lawyer for 8 years. There has not been a year that I haven’t felt like I hate my job. I’ve worked at law firms and as in-house counsel. I thought going in-house would change my attitude, it didn’t as I feel less respected by business folks than firm clients. I also work after hours in house and sometimes have to bill.
I’ve had four family members ask me about going to law school and one of those four is currently in law school. I must make it look glamorous or easy, or perhaps my poker face is too good. I think all four family members would be making a mistake but don’t want to sound discouraging or like a hater.
I feel like I’m wasting the best years of my life chained to a desk. Not to mention the student loans one may rack up for a law degree just to be unsatisfied. Practicing law can be soul sucking and I’m looking forward to the day that I can use the funds I make practicing law to do something else that gives me more freedom and fulfillment. Also, like most careers who knows what the practice of law will look like in the next few years thanks to artificial intelligence (“AI”). Non-JDs can now just resort to ChatGPT and other AI platforms. I guess they’ll have to learn the hard way, or maybe they’ll like it as crazy as that sounds (trying to be a little positive here).