join my legal AI startup 

My understanding is that in-house experience can vary greatly so maybe I’ve been lucky but I haven’t once regretted moving away from big law. 

I can’t say I enjoyed working in an environment where the culture is not to say no to client demands (however ridiculous) and found it liberating to have control over my time rather than being at the beck and call of clients. But above all not a day goes past where I don’t feel grateful for having escaped the tyranny of the timesheet and having to record my life in six minute segments. 

There is definitely life outside private practice. It depressed me no end to look at the partners in my old law firms. I did not want to become them. They were so miserable as they only seemed to have work in their life. They spent all their life trying to reach partnership and then once they got there they weren’t happy as they instead become terrified of losing that status. In contrast my senior colleagues in my current role have much more rounded, rewarding lives IMO. They even know their own kids’ names. 

Good luck with the hunt. 

I'm just astonished that his thread is not one started by Laz!

My understanding is that in-house experience can vary greatly so maybe I’ve been lucky but I haven’t once regretted moving away from big law. 

This with bells on. Just getting away from time recording and BD was huge.  But having said that, I know plenty of PP lawyers in Dubai who work in transactional roles but still appear to have plenty of time for outside interests. The City life can just a uniquely depressing experience if you’re not deriving any joy from the things that some people use to sell it (money, prestige, proximity to some great restaurants / museums / theatre).

Do you have a SO/kids? If not, what’s stopping you from trying a stint offshore? You may find it’s not the profession you hate, just the role and/or location.

Go pat. 

If you don’t need the cash just move down a few rungs as plenty of old school gentlemanly law firms that pay reasonably well and don’t expect you to kill yourself.

Uh oh. No more rungs left. 

Join Crafty Counsel - its free - and its a great network of in house lawyers who do conventional in house things but also a huge number of people doing unconventional things - like fractional in house / consultancy. It will also give you an insight into legal tech and other things that lawyers are getting into. 

Speak to some recruiters - there are some good ones - who can tell you about some of the options. 

Get active on lInkedin following who is doing what - as that will expose you to an understanding of the options.  

Jumping onto a different ladder that is taking you somewhere you ultimately don't want to be / can't enthuse over is the worst thing you can do.  Hoping its better abroad / in house / in a smaller firm is not a solution.  You have to find what you want to do / who you want to be / where you feel you will fit in - and take it from there. 

I moved in-house and then back to PP and then shortly back in-house and then left law completely for while and then back in house.

Lawyers underestimate their transferrable skills. However lawyers get paid well. It always amazes me how the operational lead in a big business who has to manage loads of people, make a profit, plan ahead, make big investment decisions etc etc gets paid around the same as the wealsey lawyer who does not have anywhere near the same day to day grind.

Moving back to PP was a dreadful mistake.

I would definitely say move offshore for a while to build up some capital.

A lot depends on how much money you want.

Big law is tough but if you are someone who is going to be an equity partner at a MC/US law firm then it is hard to get that amount of money without getting lucky at a PE firm or setting up your own business (or inheriting it).   

However if you are going to be a salaried partner at a lower down firm then you are much better off going somewhere that has lower taxes as in-house counsel and then make a move into an operational role. 

Oy snippo where was that advice in my thread yesterday?!!

Thanks all esp Parsnip – you always come through with the good advice! Have put in my ‘application’ to join Crafty Counsel – its’ being reviewed as you need to work in house to join apparently! Will see but will keep an eye on the website anyway!