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She’s a real bugger...
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Ollie, yip yip!
Anyone in Austin tomorrow for USGP?
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What’s your least favorite thing about your job?
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Rising Star
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Take the money! You can always go to government later. Maybe negotiate WFH as needed so you can plan more weekends to visit family. I make 100k now and it’s not much. 165k will be a lot more comfortable.
Was 8.5 years a govt attorney got poached to a medium firm trying to play big law, 1800 billables, $150k, unlimited PTO
I got a total of 5 days off that year and worked 2 of them. Worked every “holiday” that we had “off” and most saturdays.
2 years later to the day I was back in govt
Saved my marriage. Saved my sanity. Money wasn’t worth it
Are your loans federal or private? If federal, I’d stick with government for two more years to just get them forgiven under PSLF.
Another vote for waiting two years for forgiveness. There will be other good opportunities in two years and you won't have the loans hanging over your head. And congrats for making it 8 years into pslf!
PSLF combined with fact you never actually know what firm culture/lifestyle will be until you’re there cuts toward staying in government in my view
Agree. Stay put. Firm life is awful
What type of work is it? 1800 is honestly not easy to hit depending on what you're doing and especially if you have a family. I have young kids and am at a market paying firm with a sub 2000 billable requirement and it's not easy when you've got little ones.
Although if you are 2 years away from pslf you'd be nuts to jump now.
I would stay with the government. You are not looking at costs outside of salary like benefits, vacation, paid holidays, stability and security. Money is AWESOME, but quality of life is more important.
I would also consider SS benefits when you het to retirement age, and look into the windfall exemption.
I vote stay. It sounds like we have similar personality types (work to live, not passionate ab being an attorney) and the work life balance from government is hard to replicate in a firm. It would be different if you were just out of school but being 2 years away from PSLF is the deal maker there.
Stay with the gov if you’re qualifying for loan forgiveness or whatever the program is.
And then leverage it into an in-house role. After 8+ years in gov you should be able to land a gig in house getting $200k+ and perhaps in your city. Or remote option to allow you to stay put.
Sounds like family is a big deal and 8 hours away is a huge change for you & your family if they’ve been used to the support system.
This is good advice.
Rising Star
That’s a killer gig right there. 1800 isn’t terrible and $165k base PLUS bonus? Come on. I’d take that in a heartbeat
OP is making over $100K with benefits + near family + getting loans paid off. Might also get a pension if they're there for a little while longer. I'm in biglaw and bill 1900 hours — I would take a good gov job any day of the week.
Stay for the PSLF and being close to family.
Will trade you in a heartbeat. Go gov!
I would stay in the government job. 1800 billable doesn’t sound like much, but it’s definitely occasional-nights-and-weekend hours. You can always go private after your loans are forgiven and your child is older!
Gov. Take the loan forgiveness. Also with that much experience, there may be other firms paying more.
Stay for the better WLB and being close to family. I formerly worked in L&E making slightly less (as a 4th year) with an 1800 billable requirement. It was actually incredibly difficult to hit those billables given the nature of L&E work. No associates in our group hit their hours, but we still worked evenings and weekends. If you have good WLB, that’s priceless.
Rising Star
$60k after taxes would be how much? Not sure if that’s worth it to be that far away from family. Sounds like you can get a similar offer and still be close to family. If family helps with the kid/you guys visit often it might not worth it. If they don’t actually visit often/help with the kid it is probably worth it
bear in mind that the *best* case scenario is billing about 80% of your hours worked and that's generally not sustainable over the long term.
We are basically the same person—8 years in, just now making 100k, in government. I have significantly more loan debt I’m waiting to get forgiven, but I would hold out for PSLF and then look. I’m sure there will be another similar opportunity in 2-3 years if you wish to take it. Your kids will also be older and presumably you’ll have more flexibility to work a bit more.
I would stay closer to family while your kids are younger. Esp if have good benefits good balance and like the govt work
L&E attorney, parent of 2 young kids here--I would trade you your lower-paying gov job for mine in a heartbeat. The billable hour is a monkey on my back at all times. Also moving away from family would be a nonstarter for me. My dad was a big part of my kids' lives and died suddenly last year--I am certain they would not have had as strong of a relationship with him had we lived apart.
I will never, NEVER go back to billing. Especially now that I have kids.