What is the most stressful part about being a lawyer?

Hey Phinix, I hear a lot of my lawyer friends at big firms talk about not seeing their families enough and getting burned out by big firm life. But, remember -- prosecutors are government employees who work in the public sector, and they do NOT work in big law firms (which is the private sector.) Prosecutors do work hard and, often, long hours, but I do not hear about similar levels of burn-out in the public sector. The great thing about all this is that you will have the opportunity to take internships when you are in law school (or even in college) that will allow you to experience the lifestyle of private and public sector jobs and give you the chance to have honest conversations with lawyers in both those environments to figure out which environment is the best fit for you.

I work at a law firm, so the most stressful things for me is the hours. Your schedule can be very unpredictable, as you don't always know when your opponents are going to file things that require a response. It can also be tough to be working for a lot of different people at the same time. You have to be good at managing your time, so you can get everything done!

Easier said than done, but the key is to manage work-life balance. At the end of the day, you are a service provider and your clients have high expectations of you. It's important to manage these expectations and to take things in stride. The work you do as a lawyer (or prosecutor) is meaningful and with that comes responsibility. If you can't manage the stress of it, this will be a challenging profession. If you're lucky, you'll become enraptured by the contribution you're making and the work will feel less like work and more like opportunity. Good luck!

A prosecutor represents the government in a court of law. Some lawyers have a passion for being trial lawyers. Other lawyers find it very stressful to be in a courtroom as it requires one to think fast on one's feet. There are many television shows and movies which depict scenes of a prosecutor handling a hearing or trial in a court of law. Some shows and movies do not adequately capture or fully depict what it is like for a prosecutor to manage a hearing or trial. I would advise you to visit a criminal court and observe a hearing or trial in session to determine whether you would enjoy working in a courtroom.

I would not overly worry about work stress at this stage of your career. Many very rewarding and fun careers are also stressful, because you have others relying on you for your advice and hard work (as others mentioned above). It is very hard to separate have a fulfilling and deep relationships at work, with a stressfree job. For many rewarding jobs, your peers and employers expect you to consistently make valuable contributions. Also being a lawyer you will hopefully have the opportunity to pursue different jobs so you can hopefully control the stress level over the course of your career. Good luck!

You will need to focus on stress and time management. In order to manage stress you have to manage your time wisely. <span style="background-color: transparent;">You have to set a routine for yourself and stick to it for the most part. Once you get into the groove of a routine it will be much easier for you to manage your time and have enough time for everything you need to do (including relaxing). Make yourself to-do lists on a weekly basis, use Google calendar or a planner to keep track of events, deadlines, and due dates. In addition to setting a routine and sticking to it, plan out relaxing activities into your day. Or set aside a time, after everything is done for the day, that you can have "me" time. I have also personally found it essential to not only find time for myself but also make use of that time in a way that is best for me and my holistic wellness. I have found the HeadSpace app to be an essential tool in helping me relax and generally feel more relaxed throughout the day, Guided meditation, even if you have a busy schedule, will make you feel more at ease and relaxed throughout the day as a whole (not just when you have the time to relax and focus on that "me" time).</span>

<span style="background-color: transparent;">Set a routine.Use Google Calendar.Set aside Me TimeWrite weekly to-do lists and use a planner.Find a peaceful and restful activity that will help you feel relaxed.</span>