Unhappy Lawyers
* “Miserable With the Legal Life,” June 27:
Although I am not without any complaints regarding the legal profession, it has more to do with my inability to find a position where I earn enough to pay back the enormous debt I had to incur to attend law school than it does with the profession itself.
I entered the legal profession somewhat later in life than the average person. I attended college while working full-time. I graduated in 1991 at the age of 36. I worked nearly full-time while attending law school.
I graduated in 1994 at the age of 39. Unfortunately I also entered the profession during an economic downturn. An overabundance of qualified new associates vying for a limited number of positions has made finding a suitable position difficult.
I now read a story about a colleague earning $150,000 per year who “is so unhappy he is considering chucking his law career and doing something else.” At the same time there are others of us who are under the same pressures who earn sometimes less than a third of what this poor soul earns. I think he may find there would be a long line of attorneys willing to trade places with him.
To those who say they want to leave the profession, I say “Please do!” That would relieve some of the overcrowding in the profession. The rest of us will stay and work to make the law a respected profession once again.
J. STUART MACK
Calabasas
* So it turns out that a sizable number of lawyers despise their jobs, huh? Glad to hear it. Maybe someday, would-be lawyers will do us and themselves a favor and consider criteria other than money and “prestige” when choosing a profession. Until then, let’s stop using the phrase “doctors and lawyers” to denote the highest levels of personal and professional status.
MARTIN STEELE
Santa Monica
* The article on unhappy lawyers strikes me as ludicrous. I would like to see The Times publish an article on professionally satisfying occupations, such as nursing home attendants, garbage men, auto wreckers, CPAs and journalists.
Most people lead miserable lives, and lawyers are no exception. I don’t feel sorry for them.
ARTHUR HOBERMAN
Van Nuys