Finished law in the early 2000s. Started practice in an old solicitor firm and worked in a couple of Tier 1 firms. Made great money, lost it all in impulsive shopping for watches at Phoenix mills. Joined a young and growing law firm a few years back. Some random thoughts to share (please permit an ageing man to ramble a bit, if you don't mind :)).

Law makes sense as a career if, after 8-10 years, you have a clientele of your own and you have some personal and professional independence. I am going to be 40 soon and while I definitely do not make as much money as my peers in larger firms do, I do not regret my choices of studying law, working in a law firm, staying on in India (since some earlier comments talked about leaving this country) and continuing practice. The biggest reason is because the wise men and women I worked for in my early years gave me the prescient advice of focusing on client building in order to achieve long term sustainable success in law. The goodwill you earn from ONE client for ONE well drafted supply agreement will go a long way in your career. Believe me.

The initial years of law (meaning the first 10 years) are difficult, and that has something to do with toxic working environments but even more to do with the enormous lifestyle changes that come from going from college to a law firm. In other words, even if you joined a law firm with a "great culture" (define that as you like), it will not change the fact that you will feel a lot of anxiety and apprehension(s) and sometimes disgust over the career choices you have made. Your daily routine is no longer the same as it was in college; the way you spend your time is hugely different; you spend time with people you CANNOT stand; the clothes you wear will not be as comfortable as your college attire. It is unsettling for EVERYONE. Even if your bosses are lovely people, sitting in an office all day with barely any sunlight and ploughing through large unreadable documents is soul crushing for anyone. Some firms are kind enough to allow WFH / WFWTHYL, most of them do not.

The thing that does happen though in all those long and dreary days spent on the laptop in dark offices is that sooner or later clients will start noticing you, paying attention to your views, waiting to get your feedback and wanting to get more of your time. And that is where the real tipping point in your law career starts (and NO its NOT the first salary, the first watch, the first mont blanc pen, the first car, etc).

I mentioned personal and professional independence somewhere up there. Let's talk about personal independence - to me, this is being able to spend time with family and friends, go on (budget friendly) holidays, exercising and looking after your health. That can happen if after a few years you have built a practice of your own (i.e you have your clients and your own work) and you aren't running after some big name partner in a large firm to keep your P&L in the green. Professional independence comes in the form of being able to say no to clients (sometimes literally telling them to bury themselves in a fudge tart), focusing on work that genuinely interests you and staying away from things that are not your concern, growing your practice the way you like. For both personal and professional independence, the degree of autonomy in both are a function of having your own book (the letterhead that you 'owe' your allegiance to is just a detail).

So now that I have finished my little ramble, let me answer the question - my life has turned out the way I hoped for (in fact the clientele I built helped me achieve what I wanted a LOT sooner than I imagined). And if I had to go back in time, I would not change anything. In case this response has proved baffling, my apologies for confusing you. Have a great day. :)

Well this takes me back. When I graduated from Law School, I felt I had made it because an Amarchand job was the ultimate target in those days. Then hustled my way through living and surviving in Mumbai, made partner in my 8th year. A few years later, joined the equity partnership, so the money has been quite good - bought a few nice houses, cars, and a sizeable investment portfolio. But lately (post-Covid), been wondering what it was all for. I am actively contemplating a very early retirement - I have made money beyond my wildest (middle-class) dreams. I want to go back to the countryside where my parents grew up and try my hand at organic farming or some such. The next transaction doesn't mean anything for me anymore, so work has really plateaued. But then my wife and kids have gotten used to big city life and its trappings - fancy school, brunch places, weekend excursions, annual foreign holidays - I think this is how they keep you hooked. At least I'm grateful that I don't have debt bondage. I see a lot of younger kids just joining firms (or a few years in) who live beyond their means, and are now stuck in a job they hate just for the money. Its all quite sad.