I recently switched from a boutique firm where I was living the 9 to 5 lifestyle with little to no work pressure to a Tier 3 firm. It's not even been a month and I already want to quit. I cannot keep up with the crazy deadlines. I don't understand what goes on half the time. I got limited work exposure in my practice area in my previous firm. I have anxiety and because of the pressure on me I end up taking extra time and make a whole lot of mistakes. Every day I get home at 10-11 pm. I have breakdowns every single day. I have never felt more worthless in my entire life. I never had doubts on my capabilities but now I do. I am so weak and I have realised I really am not made for the law firm life. I never had law firm aspirations but I did want to get exposure and make an in house transition in my late 20s. But I don't see myself surviving here or any other law firm for that matter. I just want to hear from someone who has been in a similar boat. How were things after you quit?
Don't continue, it's seriously not made for the long term. Law rims reduce average human life by 10 years because of eh work pressure and lifestyle stigma. I see so many people coming from average backgrounds or small cities getting cultural shocks in the law firm life. People who are already meddled in this lifestyle als quit after a few years./ Try doing something you will enjoy or at least are comfortable in doing for the rest of your life, it may be govt job, in-house or even a non-legal job. So make up your mind.
I graduated last year from a Mumbai law college and got a low paying job at a boutique firm which was very chill work wise but toxic in other ways. I quit and joined a Tier 3 firm and life is
Thank you. I am thinking of switching to in house for sure. What worries me is how to explain the short stints I have in this firm and the previous one where I worked for just 8 months. I don't want this to reflect badly on me
Leave before you are shattered. Why don’t you start your own business? There are lots of inspirational stories on Shark Tank. If you lack the expertise and confidence you can do an MBA first.
It was a small firm where my practice area was even smaller. I learned the absolute basics of it quite well but that was about it. I switched because of the pay and the politics so going back is impossible pretty much.
Worse situation. I'm a A0 at a tier 1 firm. Everyday I close my laptop at 2-3 am and start again at 11 am in the morning. This has been happening since last 2-3 months continuously. Some weekends too are spent in work. Have gained weight and motivation for extra curriculars has been lost.
I am making double of what I did in my previous firm. Granted neither of those pays are particularly glamorous. It's very less but I am okay with slow career growth.
Nonetheless working till 11pm is also not great as the entire day goes by, and you don’t have time to do anything else.
Did you switch to the Tier 3 for a little more money or exposure to a wider range of practice areas or both?
Could you try going back to the boutique? - If the exit was good? Your PQE may make you valuable elsewhere.
Trying to still hang in though