Why do senior associates without loans and kids do biglaw?

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Complete financial freedom in the future and the fact that I don’t hate my life/job

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Sure, I grew up pretty poor as well (lived in a small 2bdr apt for most of my life). If you don’t have money, money is very important. However, once you have some money, I feel like money becomes less important relative to your time.

The job gets easier in some ways as you get more senior. Years 3-5 are by far the hardest.

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This is reassuring

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People with kids survive without big law pay, believe it not. If anything, the big law lifestyle is easier without kids…..

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A11 - I would encourage you to Google median household incomes of families with kids even in the highest COL cities and neighborhoods. Your statements are simply out of touch with reality.

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What an odd question, really.

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I think we here at Fishbowl are pretty self selecting. Some people, believe it or not, like the job. They really do. And some people don’t really care for it but they can certainly tolerate it.

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Maybe they don’t have loans or kids because they are still in big law

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Right but my goal is retiring early and not working *at all*

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Pays well

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I love fishbowl where it's both impossible to do biglaw and raise kids, but biglaw is the only way one could possibly afford raise kids. So every time there is a post where people are like "oh I do this for the money" it can only mean they have kids!? Some of us have been doing nothing but grind since graduating high school - the grind of biglaw just makes sense and feels like a natural progression. And the easiest way to make a boatload of money as a lawyer.

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Trying to retire by 50-55.

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They’re not, and I’m not going to pretend like I’m not lucky. But I think the majority of in house gigs pay decently enough, unless you really really like nice things (which, if you want to retire early, doesn’t seem like the case).

I was at the government and really liked it. Things got weird, so here we are. Doubt I’ll make partner; I’m just hoping to make it through this administration.

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My wife got DOGE’ed so I can no longer take pay cut for a few years and go in house. I would like to pay off the bulk of my mortgage too. My firm is not that bad right now, close friends with the partner I work with.

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Because they like the smell of money

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Opportunities. Worked in different countries. Building independence for the future with alternative revenue streams. Also I like the work and have more mastery over my days of late

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Hey you, weary teacher, I see you.
I hear you sigh,
eyes closed,
Head in your hands...

I know the things you think,
the doubts,
fears,
the frustrated pain...

I know you are trying.
I know you work hard.
Sometimes it seems like you’re the only one
in the whole damn school who cares...

I know.
I see.
I hear.
I care.

You are the difference.
You are power.
Through you flows the future.
You author the stories of the world.

I care about the tale you are creating.
Please keep writing. Please.

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likefunny

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