I wasn’t sure which bowl to solicit advice from so hoping to catch a bite here. I’m currently in ID. Of course, I want OUT! My interests are L&E and corporate. My options are 1) wait it out where I am in hopes to switch to L&E or 2) in house oil and gas industry transactional work. What would you do and why? Please tell what you do now so I can put your opinion in perspective.
I don’t know much about oil and gas transactional work, but if you have a viable escape from ID, I’d take it.
I don’t know how to say this without sounding insulting, so I’ll just be plain. The majority of people who end up in ID seem to end up there because they don’t have better alter stoves. That, of course, means it will also be hard to find an alternative as a lateral, especially because people tend to be pigeonholed once they are in ID.
So if you have a chance of getting out, take it and run unless others tell you that oil and gas work is also an unsatisfying grind.
20+ year real estate transactional lawyer who has been in-house for 3 years.
I love the directness. That’s why I came to fishbowl. My career advisor in law school isn’t a lawyer and was very much a confidence booster, but she isn’t very knowledgeable about the legal profession specifically. Others close to me say “you’ll be fine.” I came here for the raw and cut truth. So thanks.
I don’t like the subject matter of ID. And there is ceiling on the pay you can make. I’m not sure about the ceiling on oil and gas, but the opportunity pays more than I make now.
Do you actually have leads/ contacts/ experience in corporate and L&E or is this just wishful thinking? How did you end up in ID in the first place?
I completely agree which is why I came here to gain insight!
Unfortunately, finding new contacts to do a deep dive will take more time than I have. So this is a starting point.
I’ve expanded my network 10 fold, but I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head who could give specific advice to this situation.
I’d take the oil & gas transactional job. My first in-house gig was in energy development. I did that for 10 years then went to manufacturing. Retiring from that at the end of the year.
Sure. I left energy because I did not want to relocate to Texas. Getting a job in Houston would have been easy.
You can’t go wrong. Getting out as soon as possible should be a priority.
So oil and gas.
Thank you!
How long have you been practicing? You may be able to transition to L&E depending on how much litigation experience you have.
I’m a first year. I’m able to switch to oil and gas so early because there’s no expectation at this point that I have a background in it.
If you want to do L&E, go to an L&E firm. Transitioning practice areas at an ID firm is still just going to be a lot of ID.
Oh. I’d go in house then. Better quality of life.
Years as L&E before moving into (acquired by) major oilfield services company. Very different culture and legal models - the majority of their lawyers had “grown up” in that or similar companies so had broad “general business” backgrounds aligned to the legal model there. The O&G “business lawyers” oversaw L&E for their clients so they developed that competency. That path also offered far more relo, including international, opportunities which further develops competencies. Love L&E so I left.