2 answers
Melissa
Student
Miami Lakes, Florida
1
Question
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How would you describe the working conditions of being a lawyer?
Would you describe the working conditions of being a lawyer as stressful or pleasant? Please explain why.
#law #lawyer #law-practice
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2 answers
Deborah E. Johnson, Esq.
Attorney / Entertainment & Sports LawRepresenting celebrities, public figures, & professional athletes
13
Answers
Fort Worth, Texas
Updated
Deborah E.’s Answer
I hate to admit, but being a lawyer can be stressful. No matter what area you are practicing, you are advocating for an employer or a client. Many times, important issues are at the center of a debate with an opposing party. My best advice is to practice in an area of law that you find extremely enjoyable, so that it does not feel like work. This may take some trial and error to find that "sweet spot" of practice for you. It is different for every lawyer as we are all wired differently and are unique. Some thrive off the excitement of going to court; while others are more comfortable handling transactions from behind a computer. It is important to understand what your passion is and the rest will fall into place.
Andrew Berman
Associate General Counsel at USG
2
Answers
Washington
Updated
Andrew’s Answer
It depends on the environment in my opinion. Specifically, larger firms can have a billable hour requirement that can be viewed as stressful. What that sometimes means (for certain firms) is every 6 minutes your time has to be billed to a particular client and/or the firm. Some people view that billing and tracking requirement as stressful. Medium and smaller size firms sometimes have an billable hour requirement but time does not have to be tracked in the same way. However, there could be other stressful aspects of those firms such as the need (even as an associate) to bring in business or speak at events so as to assist in drawing clients to the firm. The USG does not have a billable requirement but there are less attorneys around which is viewed by some as more stressful. Overall, in my experience, I have found that the people I work with make the difference and help to determine the environment. That includes, stress, number of hours I work, typestime to complete projects etc. Hope this helps!
Thank you for your response. I found it to be very useful as I have a deep interest in law yet have a little understanding of what being a lawyer is like.
Melissa