Folks, I'm a corporate lawyer with a leading firm. I'm fairly good at what I do. I've adviced on high stakes matters, closed complex transactions, and saved my clients many monies. I've been at it for few years (but not too many).

Lately though, I'm struggling to see the relevance of my work. If I disappear tomorrow, I can't foresee an impact at all. Sure, the firm will take a couple of months to find replacement, but society at large won't notice. (Of course on a personal level, friends and family will care)

Even the so called Tier1s themselves are hardly relevant in lives of people. If you walk up to a woman on the street and tell her you work at Amarchand Mangaldas, she'd assume you compete with Haldirams in selling sweets and samosas.

Sure, your CV might say you adviced Facebook on investment in Reliance. Such a massive deal, it was on front page of every financial daily. In reality you just spent 6 months with 3 hours of sleep per day to make Zuckerberg and Ambani slightly richer. Both of them don't know you exist. Oh and now your WhatsApp will be filled with ads from Jiomart you need to block. You get the gist, this plays out across all the deals reported. It plays out across all the billable work.

Before the litigators start mocking, the irrelevance is true for litigation as well unless you're running around to stop demolitions and executions. The high stakes commercial disputes have no impact. Public might notice Big Bazaar is now called Reliance Bazaar or whatever, they care zilch about how courts upheld SHAs and emergency awards.

So folks, what do/did you do when fail to see your relevance?

I think as humans we try to find meaning in our work - which you find lacking in your day job. Now the point is, there is no rule that says you need find meaning in your day job. If your day job helps you pay your bills, or helps you maintain the lifestyle you maintain and you’re comfortable doing it, it’s not a good idea to quit your job.

Instead try to pick up a hobby, where you’re learning a skill, or maybe join a NGO where you can physically assist them and get to see the impact of your work. You’ll have something to look forward to and you’ll also feel you’re making a difference in this world.

But managing the free time to do the above will be a challenge with your law firm job.

All the best!

i have felt the same way all my law school life and now that im an associate too. im glad that others feel the same way . it's just that we are shy to admit all this but deep down we all know that koi farak ni pad raha kisiko bhi emergency awards se etc etc - but to be honest most people's jobs are similar - i mean koi investment banking bhi karle jp morgan pe - the layman is only going to care about his salary and not how he uses dcf methods to arrive at a correct valuation - but atleast he has the brand jp morgan going for him - indian law firms ko to koi ni janta and salary koi aage se poochta nahi hai to ye tier 1 ka only sukh tumhare mann me hee rehjata hai - bande jab kehte hai na ki ye konsi company hai - iska to naam hee ni suna - dil se bura lagta hai bhai ki itni mehnat karke im working for a lala nobody cares about

Your better off as Corp lawyers in a corner that no one cares for.Because litigators make the worst impact......by destroying people's lives, the ones opposite the big Corp clients or law firm represents.......And what impact was made will be fully revealed when karma comes after them or you.......not even Reliance or JP Morgan name will help....

.........justice gets done evens if heavens are falling, even if man made judiciary is deaf

even if u have a basic role in companies like google or ur an inhouse at a nice company say ranbaxy etc -it still looks so cool ki banda google me hai ya banda ranbaxy ka vakeel hai - ye partners and law firms and ye vo - khud ki hawa hai bas - im too fed up of this - people think i am not important at all and im working my ass of everyday yaar - google me entry level bande ke merse zada respect hai - nobody is interested in ur role and designation - bas company ka naam sab hota hai - and law firms to koi janta hee ni hai bro - and litigation to bhool hee jao - ram jethmalani and salve ke alawa merko ni lagta law ke bahar ki dunia ko ek bande ka bhi nam pta hai - disrespect ni kar raha but sach ka saamna kar raha hu guiz

most people will feel the same way in their jobs so dont let this distract u , everyone is replaceable and in the bigger picture, koi marne ke 2 din bad bhi kisiko yaad nahi rakhne wala, people have already forgotten about pele maradona and tu law me inse bada naam kabhi ni kar sakta ,- to chod na bro - paise kama ghar aa and parivar ke sath baitha kar apne- khush reh yaar

I see your dilemma.
I am in-house IP lawyer with a very strong focus on IP. I also got this vibe of my work really not meaning anything to the world.
So, I started working with civil society organisations for their IP related matters and also teaching. It bought me some 'thehraav'.
If this comment gets published and you feel like talking to a middle aged fellow, we can find a way to connect.
& remember, you matter to some people - that's what's most important.

Rab raakha.

I disagree with what you posted, you're worried that no one will notice big bazaar changed its name, what about the person who makes the bill in big bazaar at the counter, what about the sweepers, if they disappear no one will care right, every single person doing good matters, if u just go out and give food to someone starving you have made a huge impact on someones life, now if u want to go down in the history books and be remembered for the next 1000 years thats another case

I read somewhere that most of us find out work rewarding if it fulfils all the three criteria of beauty, benefit, and good.

Beauty - you find your work pleasing

Benefit - it is financially rewarding

Good - it creates value for the society

I too am a corporate lawyer. I find goodness in my work since it helps businesses thrive which in turn (albeit to a small extent) helps bring food on the table for many employees of my clients.

I am not saying that you agree to my viewpoint. But try to discover the goodness in your work yourself. Also, nobody knows a grocery shop owner except for those who buy grocery from her. But she too is an integral part of the supply chain.