Related Posts
Which Kimpton do I choose in Portland?
Mentor
Any one like. to wear nosepin?
Conversation Starter
Additional Posts in Law
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
Most partners are golden prisoners. They make big money but pay for it with their souls. Don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s worth it unless you genuinely love the grind.
The partners at my last firm did not make big money, but they acted like it. It was a mid-sized firm for a mid-sized market. When I told them how much mid-level associates were making at other firms, they scoffed, mostly because it was more than they were making. 🤣 They were all also miserable.
Some misconceptions here about partnership. It varies widely by firm. Just because some (maybe many) partners at your firm are miserable, that doesn’t mean you will.
The job changes when you make partner (equity or not). You become much more involved in the business side of the practice. “Partner” is short for “business partner”, after all. Responsibility (and control) increases, and compensation does too. The details vary by firm, but that’s the general principle.
Do you want that? Working with people who you like and trust makes a major difference. Do you want to be in business together with the other partners at your firm?
In our business, yes. Partnership is the industry term for the business entity (set aside for the moment the various types of structures), and also the term for group who owns and runs the firm.
When someone is on partnership track, they are on a path to becoming an owner of the business. Not everyone wants or should have that life. Maybe being a highly compensated employee is a better fit. Whatever you choose, don’t be miserable. This work is too damn hard to choose a path that makes you miserable too.
I was having a discussion with a colleague just last week about how everyone at our firm seems to truly love what they do. I've been at two firms now, both small firms in Atlanta, and the partners at both genuinely seem very happy and well-rounded and seem to love practicing law. I say that as someone who despite that, still knows it isn't for me. I don't see myself in any of them, if that makes any sense. I don't have the same personality type that they do or the same drive or passion for the practice of law. But if you enjoy law, there are places where partners are happy.
I'm a big advocate of defining success for yourself, rather than what society tells you it is. That will make the biggest difference in your happiness.
Being an associate is a grind. Being a partner is a grind. It doesn't stop. Consider the trade-offs you have to make to be successful in this model, and if it's worth it to you, then go for it. If it's not, there's nothing wrong with figuring out what your exit point is and pivoting. Get a career coach if you're thinking about what else you could do, but aren't sure. I have a good referral for one if you'd like.
I recently moved and have been networking with other local attorneys and have yet to meet a happy one. It’s made me want to leave the profession even more than I already did before.
Some partners are happy, fwiw. Happy partners unite here. ✨️ Big law is a business, but it doesnt have to be your entire life.
If you want money and prestige, partnership is the way to go. If you get the chance, you should take it. Most are not even close to such an opportunity.
This is really firm dependent.
It depends on what you want. After my first year of law school, I worked for a mid-sized firm of 40-50 lawyers. I would work Saturdays and Sundays and there would ALWAYS be partners in the office on Saturdays and Sundays. I asked myself if I wanted to bust my ass for seven years so that I could have the privilege of working weekends? That's when I sought other opportunities.
If money is your ultimate goal, then by all means stick with it. Having a family that sees me andhaving a life is far more important to me than being rich.
Being an attorney is hard, for sure. But when we need one for our own issues, we're sure glad to be able to rely on one! I wonder to what extent there is a self-selection in the posts in this group. Are the partners and other attorneys who are happy with a good work-life balance (perhaps in smaller firms or sole practitioners) not on Fishbowl and therefore we don't get to hear their take on this subject here on Fishbowl? Reading the comments, it would seem that it is just miserable all around. But maybe there are actually some happy partners and attorneys that we're just not hearing from on this kind of forum?
It's important to remember it is a job and it's work and it does take effort to be a success in the traditional sense, and it is an income - do you like/love the area of law you practice? If it is not the end all be all, look for other opportunities or passions to satisfy you outside of work. New hobbies, new travel, everything you could want and wish for! Go for it. Live to work, not work to live!
There are a lot of factors one should look at before becoming a partner at any firm. Some firms are not a good match at the partnership level because of how they do business, their expectations, etc. My last firm ran their business in such a way that it was not feasible for me to even consider partnership there. Never mind that they all hated each other and were miserable.