Questions
It's been nine months now since I started my current job, and I continue to have grave doubts. The problem is that I can't tell if the doubts are about the job, the practice area, or law. At the moment, though, my main hunch is that my personality is far more cohesive with the role of a counselor than with the role of a litigator. I would prefer to talk people through difficult matters and emphasize planning rather than to enter upon the scene once the relationship has fallen apart and fight the battle.
If I had paid closer attention, this might have been obvious to me years ago. The real question, of course, is what to do about it now.
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I can empathize far too well. You might not be feeling lucky, but please trust me, you are -- it took me three decades to realize/acknowledge how unhealthy adversity was for my spirit, despite all my advocacy skills and successes.
When my inner voice was giving me that message during my first year out of law school, I denied it -- especially because so many others were telling me I was being silly, or was too good at law to give it up, or shouldn't "through away" my degree (as if throwing away my life and wellbeing were a better idea).
You have MANY options inside and outside of the law that are consistent with your feeling that the role of counsellor fits you better than advocate. Please check out Lawyers in Transition [ http://www.lawyersintransition.com/ ] for many resources to help you think and feel this through. Best wishes, Lucky One.
Hello, I'm guessing you're a woman like me. The actual practice of law is radically different from law school. It's so unpleasant hardly anyone wants to do it, except the very pugnacious, the very greedy and the very competitive.
Divorce mediation is better, but still an unhappy daily experience. Adoption law is life-affirming. Research positions are basically nonexistent. Teaching is a good alternative. Or do like I did. Write legal thrillers.
Good luck, Auto