Job Responsibilities
My major job responsibilities encompass most aspects of defending
corporate clients in complex products liability litigation. On a
weekly basis, I maintain written and verbal contact with
plaintiffs' counsel, co-defense counsel, and local defense
counsel across the country (~2-4 hours per week); draft
pleadings, motions, and discovery (both propounding and
responding) (~5-15 hours per week); and perform other aspects of
litigation preparation (document review, legal research, etc)
(~20 hours per week). With varying frequency (anywhere from
several times a week to once every three or four weeks), I also
attend court appearances, depositions, and settlement mediations.
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Job Requirements
To become an attorney, one needs to undergo the wonderful
experience that is law school. At most reputable academic
institutions, it will be a challenging undertaking, which is
followed in most cases by the equally thrilling experience of
taking the bar exam of your choice. The entire process is
challenging on several fronts, but certainly not insurmountable.
More than anything, it simply requires perseverance.
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Uppers
If you want to be mentally challenged in your career, then being an attorney may
appeal to you. At least in the litigation context, the opportunity to constantly
learn something new is ever-present. The rules that form the latticework of
litigation extend to both what can form the basis of a lawsuit and how a lawsuit
must proceed, and these rules will often change depending on the nature of the
lawsuit and where it is filed. But even within such a rule-heavy career, there
is still room for creative thought in terms of how to approach an issue, how to
deal with opposing counsel, etc. Working as an attorney should provide you with
ample opportunity to exercise your mind.
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Downers
The downside to being an attorney is that all too often, you are
presented with too much opportunity - so to speak - to exercise
your mind. Workloads can be heavy, and if you do not know your
limits and/or do not learn when it is appropriate to say no (and
there is an appropriate time and place to do so), then you may
rapidly find your workload spiraling out of control, leaving you
with too little time to devote to the other aspects of your life.
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Lifestyle
Based on my experience working at a national law firm handling complex
litigation matters, the lifestyle is generally busy and fast-paced. Hours can be
long (too long if you don't manage your time carefully), business travel can be
frequent, and the dress code generally ranges from business casual (in the
office) to suit and tie (for any out-of-the-office engagement). Generally, the
life of an associate attorney at a large law firm is probably best suited to a
young and energetic single person. But there are plenty of exceptions, myself
included. The bottom line is that if being busy and confronting challenging
tasks appeals to you, then the lifestyle of an attorney can be tremendously
rewarding.
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Compensation
The base salary for an associate attorney at the firm where I
work varies based on your level of experience, but it generally
starts in the range of $115,000-$125,000 and goes up from there
as you progress. Fixed bonuses are available based on the number
of hours you bill during the course of the fiscal year, and
additional performance-based bonuses are also available for hours
worked well in excess of the pre-set bonus marks. Benefits are
probably comparable with those of most larger employers across
the country.
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Advice to Jobseekers
If you are considering a career in the legal field, the best
advice I can give is to simply know yourself. What is important
to you? What makes you happy? What are you looking to
accomplish in your career or your life in general? Be aware that
at most large law firms, there is all too often more than enough
rope available for you to hang yourself with in terms of having
so much work to do that you find yourself spending all your time
at the office. For some people, devoting their life to the
practice of law - and to the exclusion of all else - may work.
But if that is not you, then give careful consideration to what
your limits are because the time and work demands can vary
significantly depending upon the type of law you practice and the
employer you choose. In the end, the opportunities are abundant
to find tremendous satisfaction in the practice of law, but you
must know yourself, know what you are capable of, and know what
will bring you happiness in your life and career.
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