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Interestingly, the book I am currently reading (Drive by Daniel Pink) cites some research by Martin Seligman that states that law is a profession that favors people with pessimistic and negative tendencies. I haven't read the source research to evaluate its merit, but found it an interesting proposition that sounds relevant to the OP's situation.
Attorneys are scary people. In my experience a lot of them are intellectuals and very clever but have no conscience or compassion.
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Originally Posted by FarNorthDallas
I have worked in the legal field for 11 years now (staff, not attorney) and the attorneys that don't make it or who are run off have bad work product, are bad writers, are clock watchers, or are too nice. I work in litigation and "nice" is never a good thing for an attorney in this area - granted they shouldn't treat their staff like crap. I have seen lots of attorneys come and go over the years.
I think that is true from my own point of view. They are not positive people at all. Very doom and gloom to say the least.
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Originally Posted by maf763
Interestingly, the book I am currently reading (Drive by Daniel Pink) cites some research by Martin Seligman that states that law is a profession that favors people with pessimistic and negative tendencies. I haven't read the source research to evaluate its merit, but found it an interesting proposition that sounds relevant to the OP's situation.
Lawyers have one of the highest job dissatisfaction rates of any profession. But I think the original poster has other issues... he/she seems to be too easily pushed around. Maybe the childhood abuse issues are somehow connected? In this economy and in a cutthroat profession people like that can get trampled. Maybe switch to some kind of "rewarding" law which doesn't pay as much but where the job environment is more satisfying? Might be easier to land the job too.
Yeah, my personality is one of being nice and helpful and it doesn't exactly go with conducting litigation. Opposing counsel would call and ask me to informally produce something and my natural tendency is to be helpful, "Yeah sure," and that's what I would think in my head, but then I would go to my attorneys and ask them if they want to informally produce the doc and they would say, "Hell, no" even though we would be producing that doc eventually. I just don't think that way. My initial knee jerk reaction is one of helpfulness and cooperation. hahaha - so not compatible with litigation. I have had to learn to be more oppositional in the work place.
There is also sortof a hazing that goes along with being a baby attorney in a law firm. It's just part of the deal.
My experience is that there are some nice lawyers. This is perhaps the exception, especially in areas of law such as litigation, where it is all about tactic. My area of law is IP, so it is a little less confrontational (particularly in solicitor work). As to the allowing people to push me around, as a junior, I simply believed that was part of the job, so I allowed it. When I tried to speak up, the partners would just say "if you don't like it, get it". I worked in another law firm before that, and it could be rough, but not to the extent that I experienced there. I found the woman lawyers harder to work with as compared to the men, and harder on other women compared to the male juniors.
Despite all this, I feel I could be successful in a law firm if I found the right fit. I don't believe all law firms are all the same. At this moment, the point seems moot since I can't find anyone willing to give me a try. I guess with the economy the way it is, few firms can afford the luxury of giving someone a try.
Regarding a history of abuse and other sad things- it's possible that there is an element of PTSD if someone in your work environment acts in a way that pushes an old button (someone being angry, accusatory, whatever it is and maybe the OP's current environment thrives on that kind of attitude.
I have a co-worker who is 68 (now mental health assistant, former computer geek who got laid off one too many times). He has a horrible history of child abuse. He is a wonderful guy, a hard worker, and if anyone speaks sharply to him, he goes into an anxiety attack. (And he does work on one unit where the night RN is a vile nasty person, gets away with it, and seems to target those who are vulnerable. If I were her manager...)
I don't know that all legal environments are the same, but likely coming in as a junior attorney in a regular law job would be pretty much swimming against the tide. Great that the OP went to such effort (with success) to live a life other than that which he/she came up in. But the emotional environment might be too similar, even if the economic/job environment is not.
I agree with the many suggestions of other areas where a legal education could make a great job application. Take federal and state and other civil service exams, pronto. A legal education should help make the OP a good clear thinker, logical, good spoken and writing expression. That's a big thing in many areas. Best wishes to the OP.
Having read some of what others here have had to say, let me say this. I have an aunt and uncle who both worked many years in law. They were partners in a small firm the two owned. My aunt went from working as a lawyer to teaching real estate and family-centered classes at a community college, to working as a community development specialist with a university. My uncle now work as a claims investigator for an insurance company.
Give my condolences to your uncle. If I went to law school and ended up where I am now, I would be punching babies on a daily basis.
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