Need help deciding btwn 2 offers:

A: 170K, small firm, long commute (3.5-4 hrs), but target practice area. RTO 3x/wk. likely good mentorship prospects + exp that would make it easier to go in-house eventually (goal) or transition to a larger firm. Full time.

B: 140K (trying to raise to 170K), in-house at a small company, short commute, flexible RTO, but practice will involve some litigation (not my preference). Limited resources, but opportunity to build it from the ground up. IC role.

WWYD?

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Do not pick the commute. It’s not sustainable long term. You may be able to do it for a little but imagine a couple of snags in the commute and hours can be added on. Either look for a firm doing that law closer or take the other job. In-house lit isn’t that bad, unless they expect you to handle the cases and court appearances instead of assist outside counsel.

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Thanks for your feedback! I agree with everything you’re saying. I’m also in a HCOL city so I don’t think $155K would be feasible unfortunately, but as I’ve been on-and-off looking for the greater part of 7 months (really amped up my search over the last few weeks and unfortunately due to personal circumstances, I am now on a timeline), so I’m ready to take whatever I can get. If I can avoid filing an appearance in court, that would definitely make the second job more appealing, though the company owner does seem to think that we should be able to handle some court appearances. That was my biggest reason for hesitating too (plus the lower pay and the request to be an IC instead of FTE)

I agree with the comment saying that it sounds like you don't have enough confidence. I can empathize with you. This is something you should work on. Try reading a self-help book to help you change the way you think. In-house is easier than a law firm. You can always rely on or consult with the outside counsel or other in-house lawyer. Don't be scared. You know more than you think and can always learn. Commuting is very draining. Good luck to you.

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A 4hr commute would be a deal breaker for me. I would take offer B unless you have the ability to move closer to office A immediately upon starting.

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It is rough :’) I won’t be able to move unfortunately. (I also like living where I currently am, so I wouldn’t move even if I could.)

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No way I'm doing a 4hr commute unless the offer comes with a personal driver and a car. Nope!

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That kind of commute is a dealbreaker for me. I wouldn’t take that unless I was desperate

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I am desperate (to leave my current hellhole of a firm), otherwise I likely wouldn’t have considered it either 🥲

Do not commute 4 hrs/day. That is all.

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Lawyer 1, he has a job. The difference is $170k vs $140. Taxes will eat half of that difference, so it’s really close to $15 or $20K difference in take home. That isn’t worth the hell the OP will put themselves through if they commute. You’re telling them to take on additional expenses (buy an EV car) to justify the commute costs. That’s backwards if they’re so cash strapped as you suppose. And where/when are they supposed to charge the battery? A gas station takes 3 minutes. A Tesla takes 30 minutes to an hour to fully charge. The OP barely has any time to shop for groceries, get a haircut, etc. Whatever… it your lives to make miserable. Do your thing.

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I wouldn’t do a 4 hour commute for double my salary tbh. Unless you’re somewhere with really nice transit such that you could work on the bus/train.

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I don’t foresee that happening (supposedly it’s a lifestyle firm and most people are out by 6 or so), but were that to occur I would presume they would either let me leave early and work on the train ride home or reimburse the Lyft.

I recently made the choice to take the long commute for more money and it’s why I’m on this app now. I spend 3.5 hours in my car every day. I have no life. So a 4 hour commute would be a hard no. I’m currently looking for something remote or hybrid closer to home for this reason.

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Thank you

I commuted to Georgetown law school once a week for almost 15 years to teach my class. It was an 8 hour RT commute from NYC but I sat in the quiet car and prepared for my class. On the trip home I answered emails or just chilled or listened to music. If you can truly be productive during that commute I would choose Option One. You might even be able to negotiate fewer days in the office if you tell them you have another competitive offer with an easy commute. I started my career as a litigator. If that’s not what you want and the pay discrepancy is significant, Option 1 seems best fit. I would say the opposite if you were driving 4 hours a day.

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There you go! Option A seems to be the one that he wants to take and the best one in my view as well. 2 hours each way is nothing if you use them well! I vote for A!

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In house. No brainer. The litigation work is probably managing outside counsel and it’s not a bad skill to develop.

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I’m on a timeline now unfortunately and I’m scared I won’t find something better in time :/

I would never work at a firm for $170K, much less with a huge commute.

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B. That long commute is insane.

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I don't like either option but if I had to choose one then in-house.

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While I’m grateful to have options, I also agree that neither checked off all the boxes for me :’)

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A. Hands down. You will be happier. You will learn more. You can use those 4 hours for reading up on your cases, catching up or sleeping if you're not driving. I have always made good use of long commutes if I know that it will be the better choice. Take A.

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Couldn’t you explain to firm A that you live far away and ask to be fully or mostly remote? Assuming total billable requirements are around 2000, a 4-hour commute thrice per week would be rough.

No billable requirement, but also being fully/ mostly remote is not an option for the firm. There might be a possibility of being able to commute to a closer office sometimes, but wouldn’t be the norm (nor, I suspect, their preference).

Or… hear me out. Use that extra 30k to move?

I won’t get paid enough to justify that extra expense unfortunately, and I sometimes have plans in the city (that I live in), so I would rather not stay in hotels and have to tack on the extra living expenses (plus food, etc) :/ both offers unfortunately are a downgrade in terms of compensation compared to what I currently make, but staying at my current firm is also not feasible.

is that round trip? three hours four each way

oh if ur end goal is to go in house, go with B

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DO NOT TAKE THE IN-HOUSE OPTION AT THIS POINT. PLEASE! You will be severely underestimating how big of a role it is and if you have never done it and have no experience it could ruin things for you. TAKE OPTION A. THE FUTURE YOU IS BEGGING YOU TO TAKE A. LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND THEN LOOK FOR IN-HOUSE, BUT NOT NOW. PLEASE!!!

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