Can you practise law part time?

[Rick_C137]

Suppose you had an overseas contract that you would be able to continue in perpetuity so long as you are able to commit minimum 3 months (consecutively) of the year towards. The salary made in this three month period is enough to make many people, including myself, content for the entire year. During this absence, you will have time to dedicate to remote working or learning if and when needed for your legal education/career obligations. 

My issue is that I worry not being actively involved, year-round, fully submerged in the study of law (law student) and the practise of law (lawyer) may inhibit my abilities to become/remain a great lawyer and by extension jeopardize my clients' interests. 

Is it possible to attend law school full time, work overseas during the summer, then practice law part time-ish (9 months of the year)?

Ideally, I would like to keep my overseas contract, but if forced between choosing between the two (assuming I am admitted to law school, of course), I will choose law school/ lawyer. 

[CleanHands]

Paging @epeeist.

[epeeist]

4 minutes ago, CleanHands said:

Paging @epeeist.

OP's question is of a type where I don't think I have any special insight. Especially since practicing law full-time for 9 months of the year is not exactly what I'd call part-time (noting something might arise needing attention during those 3 months sometimes also).

Since OP hasn't even started attending law school yet, why would they want to go to law school if they can support themselves comfortably (and pay for law school) working only 3 months per year? I mean, if they're desperately interested in becoming a lawyer and can afford it maybe...

[CleanHands]

1 minute ago, epeeist said:

OP's question is of a type where I don't think I have any special insight. Especially since practicing law full-time for 9 months of the year is not exactly what I'd call part-time (noting something might arise needing attention during those 3 months sometimes also).

Since OP hasn't even started attending law school yet, why would they want to go to law school if they can support themselves comfortably (and pay for law school) working only 3 months per year? I mean, if they're desperately interested in becoming a lawyer and can afford it maybe...

Yeah my bad, sorry. I fired that off super quick based on the thread title honestly, and then upon review started to think about how logistically there is a huge difference between putting in, say, 10 hours a week on a continuous basis rather than full-time 9 months then dropping it for 3. You're right.

[123]

1 hour ago, Rick_C137 said:

My issue is that I worry not being actively involved, year-round, fully submerged in the study of law (law student) and the practise of law (lawyer) may inhibit my abilities to become/remain a great lawyer and by extension jeopardize my clients' interests. 

Maybe this varies in other practice structures and areas. But at least with what I do, most files take more than a year to complete. If I was taking three months off from practice per year (I'm not sure if you would need to take the time off?), files would need to be transferred or referred out before resolution. That means other lawyers would need to get up to speed, they would probably want to bill for that, there would be redundancies or things missed, and I imagine I would have a lot of unhappy clients. Again it may vary if you find something without full carriage of files or where files are closed in less than nine months (my experience is mostly litigation, where files can take years to resolve). But this would seem impractical in my area of law. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by realpseudonym

[Rick_C137]

6 minutes ago, epeeist said:

OP's question is of a type where I don't think I have any special insight. Especially since practicing law full-time for 9 months of the year is not exactly what I'd call part-time (noting something might arise needing attention during those 3 months sometimes also).

Since OP hasn't even started attending law school yet, why would they want to go to law school if they can support themselves comfortably (and pay for law school) working only 3 months per year? I mean, if they're desperately interested in becoming a lawyer and can afford it maybe...

Thanks for your insight. I have many things to consider before submitting my law school applications before the deadline in November, this situation being among one of them. 

The "something... [arising] needing attention during those 3 months" is what I had assumed may happen, and it seems my physical presence would be required in such circumstance(s). 

My reasons for wanting to go to law school are a bit too detailed, and far too identifiable, for me to begin discussing. In short, law school and becoming a lawyer has always been a dream of mine, one in which due to familial and socio-economic circumstances I was not able to pursue. I am now able to embark on literally any endeavor I so choose (barring entry requirements of course), and I still have this undying and insatiable desire to become a lawyer. So rather than semi-retiring and doing "nothing at all" -- letting my contractual work and  streams of passive income fund my lifestyle -- I would rather give back and help others for the betterment of society as a whole. Seems super cliche, I know, but that really is the reason. I came from "nothing" and did a pretty good job at helping myself (and my family), and I feel a sense of obligation to now help others. The desire to help others, coupled with my love to read, write, and contribute to important societal issues has lead me to believe that a legal career would best suit my desires.

I have no plans on working in big law, more social justice focused (Crim. defence, Immigration) FWIW, and I will be graduating with no debt. My financial freedom will allow me to focus on areas of the law that I believe I will get the greatest fulfillment and which seems to also be the areas of law which do not pay as well as others -- forcing many students into certain areas of law over others.

I have much to think about as it seems highly unlikely to balance both an overseas commitment and my legal aspirations. Thank you all for your input. 

[CleanHands]

7 minutes ago, Rick_C137 said:

I have no plans on working in big law, more social justice focused (Crim. defence, Immigration)

Okay yeah, you won't be able to pack up and leave for 3 months at a time doing that.

[Whist]

Might I be privy to what this three month contract that covers your yearly expenses is? Asking for a friend.

[Rick_C137]

1 hour ago, Whist said:

Might I be privy to what this three month contract that covers your yearly expenses is? Asking for a friend.

Sure, but you would have to wait either until I've received a rejection all across the board from the law schools I've applied to, or alternatively, and hopefully, when I have graduated law school and have become a practising lawyer. For anonymity's sake. 🙂 Check back for updates. Hopefully there will be none for the next few years! 

Also, for your friend to consider, the more money you make, the more of your life you have given up to your career obligations. At the outset this may seem normal, like yeah, sure I get it, work follows me home, etc;. But it is more than that. A lot more. You don't get extra "rewarded" for anything above-and-beyond you do, like, say, increase profits for clients by up to (amount unheard of before you assumed the role%) -- because it's expected of you even though its actually not. You are responsible for EVERY issue that happens regardless of how far down the relegated chain (or how far up the delegated chain) the issue occurred, and whether it was avoidable in the first place.

The math on paper looks amazing, and it is, it's life-changing; but money wont make you your friend happy. I can not stress this enough. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity, I turned out to be one of the best in my field worldwide, but I've just about reached my financial objectives and I am ready to turn a new chapter in my life. FWIW over the past four years, having been going at this full-time, I've seen my family for a total of four weeks. I miss home. More than you can imagine. 

I'll end with a very important quote before I fade into obscurity for I need to focus on my application/LSAT and allow the time spent by the contributors to answer questions for students a bit further along their law school/ lawyering journey. 

"Do what you love to do and you won't work a day in your life" -- I forgot 
('Making money' isn't a thing you do, its the product of the thing you do so don't try to convince yourself otherwise)

[CleanHands]

14 minutes ago, Rick_C137 said:

Also, for your friend to consider, the more money you make, the more of your life you have given up to your career obligations. At the outset this may seem normal, like yeah, sure I get it, work follows me home, etc;. But it is more than that. A lot more. You don't get extra "rewarded" for anything above-and-beyond you do, like, say, increase profits for clients by up to (amount unheard of before you assumed the role%) -- because it's expected of you even though its actually not. You are responsible for EVERY issue that happens regardless of how far down the relegated chain (or how far up the delegated chain) the issue occurred, and whether it was avoidable in the first place.

The math on paper looks amazing, and it is, it's life-changing; but money wont make you your friend happy. I can not stress this enough. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity, I turned out to be one of the best in my field worldwide, but I've just about reached my financial objectives and I am ready to turn a new chapter in my life. FWIW over the past four years, having been going at this full-time, I've seen my family for a total of four weeks. I miss home. More than you can imagine. 

Dude, you are like the worst person possible to try to impart this wisdom when it's in the context of a discussion about you working 3 months a year and making enough income from that to sustain yourself throughout the year, pay for law school, etc. I'm sure a lot of people here work a lot all 12 months a year, in positions involving serious responsibility that they can never leave at the office, and are rolling their eyes at this. I know I am.

Edited September 30, 2021 by CleanHands

[QueensDenning]

24 minutes ago, Rick_C137 said:

Sure, but you would have to wait either until I've received a rejection all across the board from the law schools I've applied to, or alternatively, and hopefully, when I have graduated law school and have become a practising lawyer. For anonymity's sake. 🙂 Check back for updates. Hopefully there will be none for the next few years! 

Also, for your friend to consider, the more money you make, the more of your life you have given up to your career obligations. At the outset this may seem normal, like yeah, sure I get it, work follows me home, etc;. But it is more than that. A lot more. You don't get extra "rewarded" for anything above-and-beyond you do, like, say, increase profits for clients by up to (amount unheard of before you assumed the role%) -- because it's expected of you even though its actually not. You are responsible for EVERY issue that happens regardless of how far down the relegated chain (or how far up the delegated chain) the issue occurred, and whether it was avoidable in the first place.

The math on paper looks amazing, and it is, it's life-changing; but money wont make you your friend happy. I can not stress this enough. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity, I turned out to be one of the best in my field worldwide, but I've just about reached my financial objectives and I am ready to turn a new chapter in my life. FWIW over the past four years, having been going at this full-time, I've seen my family for a total of four weeks. I miss home. More than you can imagine. 

I'll end with a very important quote before I fade into obscurity for I need to focus on my application/LSAT and allow the time spent by the contributors to answer questions for students a bit further along their law school/ lawyering journey. 

"Do what you love to do and you won't work a day in your life" -- I forgot 
('Making money' isn't a thing you do, its the product of the thing you do so don't try to convince yourself otherwise)

The most cliche post I've seen on this forum.

[Rick_C137]

26 minutes ago, CleanHands said:

Dude, you are like the worst person possible to try to impart this wisdom when it's in the context of a discussion about you working 3 months a year and making enough income from that to sustain yourself throughout the year, pay for law school, etc. I'm sure a lot of people here work a lot all 12 months a year, in positions involving serious responsibility that they can never leave at the office, and are rolling their eyes at this. I know I am.

You either misread what I wrote, or I wasn't being clear enough to be fully understood. In any case, I'll try to address the misunderstanding here.

I was specifically talking to @Whist when I was "imparting this wisdom". It seemed like they were interested in a career other than law for the simple reason that it paid really well. I don't get how I am like the worst person possible to try to impart anything, wanting to leave a career that pays really well for something I truly think I would love doing. 

I saved up enough money to pay for my own legal education, in full. As a result of that financial freedom, my career trajectory will not be impacted by any financial constraints. 

I think you've taken my comment(s) out of context, ironically. Otherwise, I really dont care to engage in a verbal tennis match with someone who is rolling their eyes at me for advising someone not to chase money as the sole means of their career choice -- especially someone already enrolled in law school. 

[CleanHands]

18 minutes ago, Rick_C137 said:

I was specifically talking to @Whist when I was "imparting this wisdom". It seemed like they were interested in a career other than law for the simple reason that it paid really well. I don't get how I am like the worst person possible to try to impart anything, wanting to leave a career that pays really well for something I truly think I would love doing. 

The issue is that you complained about having to take your work home with you, having burdensome responsibilities, not getting compensated on the terms you would like, etc. To quote you directly: having to "give up more of your life." This was the rationale you provided for not chasing money. There are several things wrong with this in the context of this thread:

• You work 3 months a year. Even if those 3 months are stressful and demanding, that is nothing compared to the work responsibilities of most people. Let alone professionals (which most people on this forum are, or are working towards).
• You didn't actually say anything about your current work being soul-crushing, or not meaningful, or not socially beneficial, or whatever. So all of the specific gripes you had with your current work apply to any kind of serious legal career, to a much greater extent than your current career does based on what you've written. Maybe that was implicit--that all of this sort of work actually would be worth it if you were doing something socially valuable, but you aren't. But that was not explicitly articulated. As it stands it seems incredibly silly to go to law school given what you've stated that you don't like about your current situation.

18 minutes ago, Rick_C137 said:

wanting to leave a career that pays really well for something I truly think I would love doing. 

Which you haven't done yet, so again the lecture isn't really appreciated by those who have.

18 minutes ago, Rick_C137 said:

someone who is rolling their eyes at me for advising someone not to chase money as the sole means of their career choice -- especially someone already enrolled in law school. 

Most people go to law school to "chase money." I can say this with confidence as someone who actually has attended, and graduated from, law school.

And those of us who don't or didn't don't need the lecture from someone in your position.

So both the messenger and the audience was off here.

You actually seem like a decent dude and I don't mean to have a cage fight with you here, but you also seem intelligent enough that you should realize why being in the position you're in and talking about it the way you are is going to be annoying to most people.

Edited September 30, 2021 by CleanHands

[Rick_C137]

3 minutes ago, CleanHands said:

The issue is that you complained about having to take your work home with you, having burdensome responsibilities, not getting compensated on the terms you would like, etc. To quote you directly: having to "give up more of your life." This was the rationale you provided for not chasing money. There are several things wrong with this in the context of this thread:

• You work 3 months a year. Even if those 3 months are stressful and demanding, that is nothing compared to the work responsibilities of most people. Let alone professionals (which most people on this forum are, or are working towards).
• You didn't actually say anything about your current work being soul-crushing, or not meaningful, or not socially beneficial, or whatever. So all of the specific gripes you had with your current work apply to any kind of serious legal career, to a much greater extent than your current career does based on what you've written. Maybe that was implicit--that all of this sort of work actually would be worth it if you were doing something socially valuable, but you aren't. But that was not explicitly articulated. As it stands it seems incredibly silly to go to law school given what you've stated that you don't like about your current situation.

Which you haven't done yet, so again the lecture isn't really appreciated by those who have.

Most people go to law school to "chase money." I can say this with confidence as someone who actually have attended, and graduated from, law school.

And those of us who don't or didn't don't need the lecture from someone in your position.

So both the messenger and the audience was off here.

You actually seem like a decent dude and I don't mean to have a cage fight with you here, but you also seem intelligent enough that you should realize why being in the position you're in and talking about it the way you are is going to be annoying to most people.

There is a misunderstanding which is likely on my part here. Forgive me for that, and thank you for the kind words. 
 

just for clarity sake, I will reply for no other reason than to understand where my miscommunication was made, and perhaps make a correction so that I am fully understood. 
 

will reply later, again to learn from my lack of clarity and grow from it moving onwards. Thanks in advance for bringing this to my attention!

[CleanHands]

Cheers man! Happy this exchange could end so amicably. And great on you for being able to create the position for yourself that you have (seriously that's impressive and enviable). If you do go all the way and pull the trigger and give that up for social justice-oriented law, that will be deserving of some mad respect.

[123]

2 minutes ago, Rick_C137 said:

There is a misunderstanding which is likely on my part here. Forgive me for that, and thank you for the kind words. 
 

just for clarity sake, I will reply for no other reason than to understand where my miscommunication was made, and perhaps make a correction so that I am fully understood. 
 

will reply later, again to learn from my lack of clarity and grow from it moving onwards. Thanks in advance for bringing this to my attention!

I’m sorry, but this sort of humility and pleasantness has no place on the internet. 

[Rick_C137]

5 hours ago, CleanHands said:

snip

 

You are absolutely correct. What I had implicit meant, I failed to explicitly articulate, and you hit the nail dead on centre in covering what I meant to say. Thank you for paving those huge gaps.  In lieu of an undergraduate degree, my hopes are that a legal education will equip me with the skills and ability to coherently articulate my thoughts so what I mean to say is exactly what I am saying. 

I came here seeking advice, which I received, and then went off on a tangent thinking that my position was falsely receiving an elevated sense of worth above and beyond a career in law. To that end, I was lecturing the poster, while completely forgetting that I am speaking in a virtual auditorium full of many other people. My bad! Really. Again, failed to articulate how lucky he/she was for being in the position they are and not to lose focus towards a career totally unrelated to law. I could have, and should have taken some time to collect my thoughts and compose a draft before sending it into the forever abyss that is the internet. 

FWIW, I will clarify that I do not work 3 months of the year, that would have been the minimum I would need to be overseas in order to maintain my contract as it stands now. I have worked almost 4 years straight (literally 1,432 days consecutively) before seeing my family for 28 days. I won't go on about the gripes I have with my job because I know I am in no position to do so, and even if I have an issue with it, nobody needs to hear it because nobody is forcing me to do the work I do. 

I had no intentions of offending anyone, and I thank you for the quick lesson on argumentative structuring! Glad we were able to clarify the misunderstanding here. 

All the best!

 

 

[Rashabon]

You may have a rough time getting into law school without an undergraduate degree.

[GGrievous]

48 minutes ago, Rick_C137 said:

I will clarify that I do not work 3 months of the year, that would have been the minimum I would need to be overseas in order to maintain my contract as it stands now. I have worked almost 4 years straight (literally 1,432 days consecutively)

So you work for a company basically non-stop for 4 years and they're suddenly going to be ok with you only working for 60-90 days a year? Like I get that's their minimum, but they're just going to be cool with that? Is your job something with a lot of turnover, or do you have a very specialized skill?

Edited October 1, 2021 by Barry

[Rick_C137]

27 minutes ago, Rashabon said:

You may have a rough time getting into law school without an undergraduate degree.

 I anticipate the journey being rough. If I do not get in, I will complete an accelerated undergrad degree and reapply again in the future. I have been accepted to University for a Bachelor of Arts Degree (2022) and they are aware of my plans. 

Edit: For me it is worth the time, effort and cost to apply to law school now in hopes that my lengthy work experience, and the succes(es) therein, would demonstrate that I am able to successfully complete a legal education and just as importantly, add to the diversity of the student body.

 

11 minutes ago, Barry said:

So you work for a company basically non-stop for 4 years and they're suddenly going to be ok with you only working for 60-90 days a year? 

Not quite. I work with companies, but for myself. Again, I would be required to be absent ( overseas) for 90 days of the year, not working only 90 days a year. Work never stops, responsibilities just get delegated to others with my oversight but no direct involvement 365/yr. 

Edited October 1, 2021 by Rick_C137
elaboration

[Rashabon]

None of this really adds up tbh. Sounds like cosplay.

[Rick_C137]

Just now, Rashabon said:

None of this really adds up tbh. Sounds like cosplay.

No worries man. I have no desire to prove anything to anyone at this time. I have been truthful while also trying to preserve anonymity as much as I can. I respect people's time and just as importantly my own. Thanks for you input!

[GGrievous]

edit: nvm you already answered this

Edited October 1, 2021 by Barry

[Apple]

Well...this forum is the strangest thing I've read in a while. 

[cherrytree]

Maybe OP uses his portal gun to access a dimension where time passes really quickly so that the business he conducts in 3 months (our time) is equal to a full year's pay