Any lawyers here balance two careers or practice only on the side?

[KOMODO]

1 hour ago, LawAspirant said:

Who is that

Paging @epeeist

[123]

1 minute ago, KOMODO said:

Paging @epeeist

[epeeist]

3 hours ago, KOMODO said:

Paging @epeeist

@LawAspirant

I practiced IP litigation FT for several years before changing to a non-law (lower-paying but happier) job. But I maintain a part-time civil litigation practice based on occasional referrals because I like the practice of law, not the business of law, if that makes sense.

But while I'm happy and it works for me, definitely not advisable because:

1. Unless independently wealthy and want law degree, there are almost no circumstances in which it's worth the time and money to become a lawyer without intending to practice law FT (which I did intend to do, and did for years  until followed a different path, and tuition was much lower then; I did not intend to practice law PT when I went to law school).

2. On top of articling FT, you really need to practice FT a few years to pick up skills. How does that work with the non-law job you want to keep? And I restrict my practice to civil litigation (not IP litigation) because I have the background and can focus in it and with just a handful of active files it's manageable PT including dealing with the steps in litigation.

3. I choose (with permission and discussed with LSO) to operate without a trust account, meaning no money paid to me in advance, settlement or trial verdict cheques payable to client, I choose clients I'm not going to have a problem getting paid by (or family or good friend I'm willing to provide free or low cost services).

4. My FT job was fine, for a variety of reasons, with my continuing to practice law PT. I suspect most places wouldn't be.

[Mountebank]

I think the short answer, which you've already received, is that there are many ways in which you can practice part-time later in your career and basically no ways you can competently practice part-time at the beginning of your career.

[Diplock]

On 8/10/2022 at 3:45 PM, LawAspirant said:

Thanks for your response. Do you know family lawyers who are making a lot of money? It seems tricky to ask a lot of money from such vulnerable parties. Part of me feels like because I didnt capitalize on OCI and law school recruitment, I have missed my chance to be something in this profession and make decent money.

I missed this thread a week ago when it started. But let me say, I'm really impressed at how constructive this stayed, considering the original premise of "I missed my chance to be something in this profession so maybe I'll do family law instead."

I'm not a family lawyer. I do criminal law. But leaving aside the difference in practice area (which is huge) the basic nature of my business is very similar. It's an area of law dominated by small shops and sole practitioners, serving individual retail clients, some of which are on legal aid and some of which have private funds to pay decent retainers. The third area of practice that can be lumped in with this set is immigration, btw. You can, absolutely, have a very good career doing this. You need to be entrepreneurial to do well at it (at least financially - actual practice is another issue) and it's definitely a kind of work not everyone can handle. Yesterday I was on the phone with police waiting to apprehend my client who was having a psychotic break of some kind and as we waited for ETF to show up there was a non-trivial chance my client was going to end up getting shot. But provided you can learn to live with the issues involved and the clients you serve, it can be a rewarding and yes a lucrative kind of career.

Anyway, whatever else you happen to decide, please do not imagine that being a family lawyer is somehow the opposite of having a real career in law.

Edited August 19, 2022 by Diplock

[Judgelight]

I’m a waiter on Friday and Saturday nights. One of my friends got me into it - she makes close to a thousand a week in tips, I make a few hundred over the course of the weekend.

[Rashabon]

2 hours ago, JanBaclar said:

I think this idea is a bit crazy. I don't say it is impossible, but it is pretty hard for you mentally and physically. Each job has its stresses, and imagine having pressures combined from both positions. Maybe you'll always have money, but no free ti and a good mood. I think it would be great if you could find a side job, not depending on schedule, or just a part-time job or stuff. My friend from oxnerpermarlaw.com  works as a lawyer, but sometimes he makes money on programming as he is good at it, but it is more like a hobby. He still is pretty popular and makes most of his money on lawyer cases

Not much of a programmer if his spam bot places ads for US worker's comp firms on a Canadian law website.

[AllWellAndGood]

Just now, Rashabon said:

Not much of a programmer if his spam bot places ads for US worker's comp firms on a Canadian law website.

When I saw a user share a direct link for a firm I've never heard of on here out of the blue, my office's technology guidelines re: alarm bells on phishing started ringing...

[123]

2 hours ago, JanBaclar said:

Maybe you'll always have money, but no free ti and a good mood.

3 minutes ago, Rashabon said:

Not much of a programmer if his spam bot places ads for US worker's comp firms on a Canadian law website.

Just now, AllWellAndGood said:

When I saw a user share a direct link for a firm I've never heard of on here out of the blue, my office's technology guidelines re: alarm bells on phishing started ringing...

You guys are just salty, because you have no free ti or a good mood.