The conditions for juniors at litigating lawyers have progressively been getting worse and are at an unbearable point. Full-scale demonic exploitation has spread its fangs already and is pressing more heavily. 14-16 hour workdays involving running around in courts; crazy deadlines to be matched for churning out drafts; work being concentrated into a small number of litigating firms and chambers; along with that, the teams at these firms and chambers are getting smaller just as their work increases; low pay (obviously); no breaks, especially now since in court holidays as well there are several arbitrations etc. always going on; and more.
New juniors coming in to the profession from law school are finding it unbearable to fit into the system and with such pathetic conditions, we shouldn't be expecting them to fit in either, its gross. While a lot of the points enumerated above are systemic of the stage of capitalism we are presently in, a lot can still be salvaged by making a push for basic level changes such as fix working hours, larger teams with better balance and pay etc. This may be wishful thinking, but is required.
Only one. This has been going on many years now. One would assume that many of the freshers who went through this in the early 2000s are themselves fairly successful now and are hiring juniors of their own. Why do you think they, other than a few exceptions, are not behaving any better than their predecessors? Is this similar mentality to what perpetuates hazing/ragging?
I would say it's the greed.. they see their friends/colleagues successfully run their offices with lower resources and expenditure and want to do it too, i.e., getting more work done from a lower number of people. Profits is what it all boils down to. It's a numbers game.
Thanks for writing this. I have been crying about it for 2 years now. Litigating lawyers is an ignored sector of economy - unregulated sector.
Infact, the amount of exploitation is same in law firms but they get paid atleast.
I want to add few more points :-
1. You can only litigate efficiently as long as your LEGS are fine.
2. You need highly connected social circle to get best cases. With so much time in office you cant socialize much.
3. No opportunity to do remote work, unlike other fields like CA or Software jobs.
4. Crazy work hours will not allow you to devote much time to family or friends. You become a dead person with no soul. Dark eyes. Tired all the time.
5. Over time you become unhealthy, no work life balance , back issues , common survical pain. You get diabetes around 40s.
6. Bar is a toxic acid spewing Monster
7. Problem of uncle judges and papa justices.
8. As economy/inflation is rising, other pvt sectors are getting remunerated proportionately . It is not uncommon for youngers to do CA / CS / Software jobs and crack Big4/MAANG companies and earn 15-20LPA easily at age of 20-23 .
In contrast, income in govt jobs and litigation practise (or CA practise ) does not increase as steeply.
9. High Chance of diorce in litigation and law firm due to work hours
It really is very bad... I am being 25k as a fresher at a chamber in New Delhi. But the work hours are just so oppressive. Haven't had a weekend (or even just a Sunday) since I started 3 months ago. Work involved everything, lots of drafting, court tracking, appearances, client co ordination.
Honestly, I'm getting tired and burnt out already. Thinking of wrapping up 6 months PQE and then try and switch. Will it work?
Those 2-3 more years in litigation will take away from me my soul and spirit, leaving me to be nothing more than a money monster. I don't want to be one, you see.
Litigation never has been about 5-6 days a week. Due to the nature of work, it has always been 7 days. That's why we have long summer/winter/and many other breaks. Also, that's why in older times, senior's chamber was not guided by 'one is suppose to work for these many hours a day', it was always, 'you do your work and then do whatever you want'. Also, it was lawyers, who in most cases, dictated the time lines for churning out the drafts, instead of clients dictating terms. So everyone got a decent time to relax. Things changed since we transformed this profession into a service industry where Client dictates almost everything. While off-course, Clients must be given due respect and their concerns must be considered but that's where it all ends, and from this point onwards a lawyer should decide what and when. This maintains some balance in everyones life. Also, we litigators may like it or not, litigation is not about fixed number of hours and days. We only work and that's what we do. That said, you are free to decide how much you want to work and for how many days - no one can dictate. If you don't like the way your senior operates, move, there are many offices who would open to take you. Money, unfortunately, is something we make when we make for ourselves working for ourselves. Till then..... money will always be an issue, but apart from that, you are free. All litigators are free, even Courts can't control you.
It's because of the supply and demand. Unless the BCI strictly enforces some minimum standard on law schools and limits the number of law graduates, this will continue to happen. The BCI will not do cuz the ones in power are actually the ones who exploit their juniors by paying less
I don't really agree that there is a supply and demand issue. There is soooo much work in litigation, it's just that it is concentrated into a few hands. Equitable distribution is what's needed.
You're completely right about the BCI part, of course.
I strongly disagree here. We need more law colleges and more graduates if we want to change the status quo. We need at least 700-800 new colleges nationwide.
And then are those who glorify this grind on social media! No one should have to work this much, at all, under any circumstances. Bring back the 8-hour work rule, please..
I started off my career with 11k at a cosmopolitan city and the money I was paid meant I did not have the financial capacity to take a bike on an EMI.
Fortunately, my brother agreed to give his Honda Activa to me and with that, I managed my daily commute.
I spent three months at my first office with a senior who expected me stay in the office from 9.30am to 8.30pm on the weekdays and upto anywhere between 3-4pm on weekends.
I quit in my fourth month and joined a law firm as I came from a law school. I was initially paid a paltry sum but within 2 years, I managed to find a job with a very good salary.
Litigation offices can have bossy people all around who give a damn to your personal and emotional well being.
The senior I worked with was a gentleman who worked more than I did and really took care of me like his younger brother. However, it was not me in time to spend the whole day in the office and yet think thrice to go attend a family's event at 8.30 pm, for that required me to walk upto the senior and ask for a permission to leave the office before he did. Leaving office before your senior does is frowned upon, but that is an established practice and here to stay.
If you intend to continue litigating, you need to forego quite a bit on the personal front in the first six to eight years of your practice.
New juniors coming in to the profession from law school are finding it unbearable to fit into the system and with such pathetic conditions, we shouldn't be expecting them to fit in either, its gross. While a lot of the points enumerated above are systemic of the stage of capitalism we are presently in, a lot can still be salvaged by making a push for basic level changes such as fix working hours, larger teams with better balance and pay etc. This may be wishful thinking, but is required.
Comments?
Infact, the amount of exploitation is same in law firms but they get paid atleast.
I want to add few more points :-
1. You can only litigate efficiently as long as your LEGS are fine.
2. You need highly connected social circle to get best cases. With so much time in office you cant socialize much.
3. No opportunity to do remote work, unlike other fields like CA or Software jobs.
4. Crazy work hours will not allow you to devote much time to family or friends. You become a dead person with no soul. Dark eyes. Tired all the time.
5. Over time you become unhealthy, no work life balance , back issues , common survical pain. You get diabetes around 40s.
6. Bar is a toxic acid spewing Monster
7. Problem of uncle judges and papa justices.
8. As economy/inflation is rising, other pvt sectors are getting remunerated proportionately . It is not uncommon for youngers to do CA / CS / Software jobs and crack Big4/MAANG companies and earn 15-20LPA easily at age of 20-23 .
In contrast, income in govt jobs and litigation practise (or CA practise ) does not increase as steeply.
9. High Chance of diorce in litigation and law firm due to work hours
Honestly, I'm getting tired and burnt out already. Thinking of wrapping up 6 months PQE and then try and switch. Will it work?
You're completely right about the BCI part, of course.
Paise chahiye to kaam bhi karo.
Even if Junior starts to work independently that high an amount comes maybe after 25 years into profession.
Moreover, that amount per hearing is for 0.01% of Lawyers like Salve and that too only in Bombay Hc , Delhi HC , NLCT(/AT) , SAT , NCDRC , NGT or SC.
There is not THAT high amount of fees in other High Courts.
I started off my career with 11k at a cosmopolitan city and the money I was paid meant I did not have the financial capacity to take a bike on an EMI.
Fortunately, my brother agreed to give his Honda Activa to me and with that, I managed my daily commute.
I spent three months at my first office with a senior who expected me stay in the office from 9.30am to 8.30pm on the weekdays and upto anywhere between 3-4pm on weekends.
I quit in my fourth month and joined a law firm as I came from a law school. I was initially paid a paltry sum but within 2 years, I managed to find a job with a very good salary.
Litigation offices can have bossy people all around who give a damn to your personal and emotional well being.
The senior I worked with was a gentleman who worked more than I did and really took care of me like his younger brother. However, it was not me in time to spend the whole day in the office and yet think thrice to go attend a family's event at 8.30 pm, for that required me to walk upto the senior and ask for a permission to leave the office before he did. Leaving office before your senior does is frowned upon, but that is an established practice and here to stay.
If you intend to continue litigating, you need to forego quite a bit on the personal front in the first six to eight years of your practice.
All the best !
Check it out - https://www.barandbench.com/columns/preventing-brain-drain-in-the-litigation-sphere-how-do-we-make-things-easier-for-young-lawyers