Question for attorney spouses out there

[MarissaNicole]

To those of you doing contract work, is that document review? I am hoping to find some sort of contract work like covering hearings and the like until I get busy with my own clients. I have am waiting on my mediator certificate to come so I can get some work doing court appointed mediations. If you are using a national company to do that contract work, and if you don't mind, can you please PM me and let me know who to contact. I am in Orlando, FL.

Thanks.

I do contract work as in I'm an indpendant contractor rather than an employee. I get health insurance through through DH's residency program. The work I am doing is appeals, and I get paid hourly. Its not prestigious or exciting, but its relatively interesting and convenient/flexible.

I'm not sure if you do family law but can you give your information to be appointed a Guardian Ad Litem or Child Rep?

[GrayMatterWife]

Greymatter has three, but honestly I don't know how she does it.

I don't know how she does it, either. But I've heard she's a real basketcase. Hard to recognize insanity when you're part of it.

Hahaha.

No, it's not that bad. I don't want to do this forever, but I've got a good gig with flexible hours--which is what makes it manageable.

[Finding Equanimity]

Oh my goodness, Graymatter! Three? How old? What's your work situation? Any tips or advice to share?

[NYCHoosier]

Question for attorney spouses out there

Not a lawyer, but I spent a few years working on the support staff side of BigLaw.

Clerking is definitely one great option. Another would be working for a big firm in a non-billable role. My former boss is the Chief Corporate Knowledge Counsel. Knowledge management seems to be a growing field. She keeps up with all of the latest developments in transactional law and works to offer various resources to the entire corporate practice. I'm under the impression that my former firm has one of the less developed knowledge management groups. If you're in an area with BigLaw, that could be something to look into. My former boss works 35-40 hours a week, makes dinner for her family every night, manages her son's soccer team, is mom-of-the-year to her 3 adolescent children, and still demands tons of respect from her colleagues.
Lawyers have also filled other non-billable roles in the firm as well, though unlike my former boss are no longer practicing attorneys. They've worked in client development/marketing, recruiting, and attorney development.
I've also seen quality of life improve for attorneys who go in-house at major companies, so that might be something worth looking into as well.

Good luck and welcome!

For those of you who have clerked -

My husband is a PGY-4 obgyn resident and we have a 4 mo. old son. My husband's schedule varies, but he often works weekends (incl. overnight call), early in the morning, and late at night. I'm starting a dist. ct. clerkship next month during which (according to former clerks) I'll be expected to work 60hrs/wk (although I only need to be in chambers between 8:30am-4:30pm). We can get a spot at a daycare 30mins away open from 6:30am-6:30pm M-F. Any tips on how to make this work without hiring a maid and a nanny? TIA!

[GrayMatterWife]

For those of you who have clerked -

My husband is a PGY-4 obgyn resident and we have a 4 mo. old son. My husband's schedule varies, but he often works weekends (incl. overnight call), early in the morning, and late at night. I'm starting a dist. ct. clerkship next month during which (according to former clerks) I'll be expected to work 60hrs/wk (although I only need to be in chambers between 8:30am-4:30pm). We can get a spot at a daycare 30mins away open from 6:30am-6:30pm M-F. Any tips on how to make this work without hiring a maid and a nanny? TIA!

Paper plates and plastic flatware. The cheapest ones. Live by them I know I sound like I'm joking, but I'm not. Sounds weird, but on the weeknights, when it is just me and my kids, we go disposable, with simple meals. Saves on prepping and clean-up.

Why would you need a nanny? Drop off the kiddo at 7:30 AM, you're in Chambers by 8:00 AM. Work until 5:00 PM (working lunches), and you're at 9 hours a day. Over five days, that's 45 hours. Then, all you have to do is make up 15 hours outside the office over seven days. Work two hours a night after kiddo goes to bed and you can still be done by nine, for a free hour or two for you. Then you need to work only five hours on the weekend (ie, during naptimes!).

[GrayMatterWife]

Oh my goodness, Graymatter! Three? How old? What's your work situation? Any tips or advice to share?

I have three: DS (6), DD#1 (23 months), and DD #2 (17 weeks).

As a mentioned, I am a career law clerk to a federal bankruptcy judge. I have a LOT of flexibility in terms of my in-office hours. I could not (and would not) do th job without the flexibility. Being a mom is my first job--I want to be there for school plays, and sick days, and early dismissals. I want to be a room mom and bring in twelve dozen cookies to help out at the bake sale. But, for this flexibility, I also am available essentially in24/7. My office phone rolls to my Blackberry. And there's no "gosh, it's the weekend, so I'm not working." If it has to get done, it has to get done. Period. I have a crib in my office and my son keeps a box of toys, crayons, etc. there. The kids occasionally come in with me several times a month on the weekends. However, if DH is "off-call" on the weekend, it is understood: he should expect to watch the kids for at least a couple of hours, so I can go to work on Sat or Sun.

Advice for landing this kind of gig? Honestly, bring experience to the table. I had two prior clerkships before I applied for my current job, plus I'd practiced in the bankruptcy law field. My judge was buying expertise both in bankruptcy law and in clerking when he hired me. I know that is completely unhelpful to new law grads, but it is the raw reality. You probably could not negotiate the kind of deal I have without having had "earned your stripes" to prove yourself first.

I would start with the appropriate first step: do a term clerkship with a federal judge, and earn a great recommendation.

[reciprocity]

Super late responding*, but:

5th year litigation associate at a very large international firm based in Chicago

I don't intend to even try to do what's necessary to become a partner here, but I am going through the motions for the next 3-4 years until it's time to move. I'm sure experiences are different at different firms, but all my experience is in IP (mostly patent) litigation, and it's a ridiculously demanding field. In the past two years I've cancelled no fewer than a dozen little (sometimes big) trips because of last-minute assignments. There's absolutely no respect for personal limits on your time and attempts to establish some boundaries (eg: "I'm going to be out of town and unable to access the internet") are met with hostility (sometimes veiled, sometimes not, always negative come review time).

I don't really see how I could get to a position in this sort of practice where I had the flexibility necessary to be any good at the rest of my life. Which sucks, because I'm quite good at lawyering! I've considered looking into a clerkship when it is time for residency, but honestly, I think I'll just retire for a few years...

I've also thought about switching firms (I know that the environment here is downright toxic) but a) the market sucks right now b) I don't have the traditional background for a patent litigator, so I'm not a great lateral candidate (especially considering a) and c) I have a sneaking suspicion that it is almost as bad at most other big firms (or, as the Bard says "we would rather bear those ills we have than flee to others we know not of")

*my excuse is that in the past month, I've been out of town (on work) for at least 50% of the time - three day trips to St Louis, two 2-day trips there and a week trip to DC... At home, I've pulled four all-nighters in the past month as well. Hooray for the practice of law!

[MrsK]

I have three: DS (6), DD#1 (23 months), and DD #2 (17 weeks).

As a mentioned, I am a career law clerk to a federal bankruptcy judge. I have a LOT of flexibility in terms of my in-office hours. I could not (and would not) do th job without the flexibility. Being a mom is my first job--I want to be there for school plays, and sick days, and early dismissals. I want to be a room mom and bring in twelve dozen cookies to help out at the bake sale. But, for this flexibility, I also am available essentially in24/7. My office phone rolls to my Blackberry. And there's no "gosh, it's the weekend, so I'm not working." If it has to get done, it has to get done. Period. I have a crib in my office and my son keeps a box of toys, crayons, etc. there. The kids occasionally come in with me several times a month on the weekends. However, if DH is "off-call" on the weekend, it is understood: he should expect to watch the kids for at least a couple of hours, so I can go to work on Sat or Sun.

This sounds a lot like my arrangement right down to the "earn your stripes" advise. . . except for "in-office hours" are in my home office during which I am 100% available to my firm and 0% available elsewhere. I'm hoping to reduce those in-office hourse to less than the 50 or so hrs/wk that I'm doing now so that I can be the room mom and the like. I do make it to all the PTO meetings, drop off, pick up, doctor's appointments, sick days and the like. But I'd love to be able to, for instance, take the baby to the zoo with the moms' group on a Thursday morning from time to time.

[GrayMatterWife]

I don't intend to even try to do what's necessary to become a partner here, but I am going through the motions for the next 3-4 years until it's time to move. I'm sure experiences are different at different firms, but all my experience is in IP (mostly patent) litigation, and it's a ridiculously demanding field. In the past two years I've cancelled no fewer than a dozen little (sometimes big) trips because of last-minute assignments. There's absolutely no respect for personal limits on your time and attempts to establish some boundaries (eg: "I'm going to be out of town and unable to access the internet") are met with hostility (sometimes veiled, sometimes not, always negative come review time).

I don't really see how I could get to a position in this sort of practice where I had the flexibility necessary to be any good at the rest of my life. Which sucks, because I'm quite good at lawyering! I've considered looking into a clerkship when it is time for residency, but honestly, I think I'll just retire for a few years...

This is the most honest, accurate, naked summary description of working as a mid-level BigFirm associate that I've run across in a long time.

I have no intention of returning to that life. Or that lack thereof. Once my current gig comes to a close (either we move or my judge retires...or whatever), I may retire or go into pro bono child advocacy work.

[DCJenn]

Abigail-

Go work for this group: www.advocacyinc.org when you get back to TX.

J.

[GrayMatterWife]

Abigail-

Go work for this group: www.advocacyinc.org when you get back to TX.

J.

Hey, they work with the Bar's Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation. They do a lot of good work with children's legal issues. THANKS!!

[houseelf]

MrsYoung,

I was a state district court clerk, so it was a less rigid position. Fortunately, I didn't have to sit in Court that often which rendered me able to read or listen to transcripts anywhere. It was far less prestigious, but very flexible. The stories were worth the price of admission. Think: Please don't show up for your DUI arraigment drunk; Please try not to fight over your homemade sex videos in your divorce.

I wish you the best of luck. Lay low and see what the culture is to see what seems reasonable.

[reciprocity]

This is the most honest, accurate, naked summary description of working as a mid-level BigFirm associate that I've run across in a long time.

And here I was trying to be diplomatic to avoid being a total debbie downer!

I mean, I didn't even get into the personal politics or the billable hour...

Perhaps this is an incredibly naive question but how does one go about applying for clerkships, whether at the state or federal level? Also is there any one out there who has started their own practice? I want to do criminal defense/criminal appeals and the economy being what it is I have been mulling over the idea of "hanging out my shingle", does anyone have any insight on how this would work with a spouse in residency? Thanks!