What Defines Success in the Legal Profession? Finding an Answer Isn't Easy
In a time-consuming and competitive industry, success means something different to everyone, and reaching it feels harder than ever.
March 10, 2020 at 02:00 AM
4 minute read
A junior lawyer recently explained to me her dilemma. She wanted to have a successful career, to be well-thought of and become a partner at her large international firm, but she did not want to do all that at the expense of her other interests and her mental health.
The offer on the table at her stage of career feels like a binary one: Devote your life to your work, with long hours in the office and little time for anything else, or choose another path. The other path could be working as an in-house lawyer or moving to a smaller firm—neither of which guarantee less stress or fewer hours—or something else entirely.
She is typical of many millennials, who are increasingly disillusioned with the prospect of working brutal hours in order to make a lot of money further down the line. Can they have a successful career without becoming a partner? If they do make the partner rank but their private life falls apart, can that be called a success?
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