Is Academia A Loan TRAP?

[Martha]

Lawgirl, do you work part time in a law firm? I have read that it is very difficult to actually manage a part time career in a law firm environment, and it is easy to slide the slippery slope to de facto full time. I am planning on trying part time at my firm next year and wouldn't mind hearing any of your thoughts on how it works for you.

Tommy, I had a different career before becoming a lawyer and worked a relatively low level job with a government employer. If I had stayed there, I would never had made even close to what I make today. So the time lost for law school was quickly regained. My firm always has paid the "maintenance" costs, like MP insurance, license fees and continuing education. However, in the old job I would be entitled to fairly generous retirement benefits and most important of all, health benefits for life. These have a huge value. On the other hand, I was bored silly and I have never been bored as a lawyer.

Martha

 

[LawGirl]

Martha,

No, I don't work for a firm. I have my own practice, mostly doing work for my prior corporate employer. There were several women who tried to go part time while I was still at a firm, and it really did not work well for most of them. Part time tended to mean that you made a lot less money, stepped off the partnership track and still put in 40+ hours per week. This is why I left the law firm once I knew it was time to start thinking about a family. I could tell that the partner I worked for would not have truly been supportive of part-time, although she said she would allow me to do. This has been several years ago, though, and I know a lot of firms have tried to make changes.

If you can manage to go out on your own, even if you work from home, you can have a lot more control over your schedule. You'll still end up working more hours than you'd probably like, but you may also make more money and have more control. You can do a lot of the work when it is most convenient for you, rather than having to put in "face time" at certain hours.

 

[Martha]

Lawgirl, thanks for your thoughts. I think I have a pretty good shot at making the part time schedule work partly because I am a partner and face time isn't so important after 20 years at the same job. I worry more about client demands and making sure the work gets done. Do you want to job share?

 

[LawGirl]

Martha,

Getting the work done is always the hard part! I think job sharing is a great idea. Anything that allows us to earn some money and still have a life is a good thing. My only problem is that no matter how much I reduce my hours, I find myself wishing for just a little less work. Oh well, a good problem to have for now.

Lawgirl

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I dont have any hours.

I still want less work.

 

[bow-tie]

I dont have any hours.

I still want less work.

booooooo-hiiiiiisssssss the full-time employee jeers

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Yeah, I woke up early today at 8:00. My first thought: "Wow, if I was still working I'd have just overslept and I'd be late for work".

Giggling to myself, I slugged off to the kitchen to make myself some coffee before flopping down in front of the computer to read the news and apparently for an appointment to rub a cats belly.

 

[Hyperborea]

I dont have any hours.

I still want less work.

Hahaha, you've just gotten married to your new supervisor.  Give it a couple months for the honeymoon to wear off and she'll have the job jar all ready for you.  

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

ROFL. That started WAY before the wedding. Like 4 1/2 years ago.

 

[brewer12345]

One of the reasons I got my MBA at night while working is that I got most of it paid for by employers. Naturally, the ROI is very high, but I just could not stomach the thought of losing a couple of years of earnings and blowing $100k in order to be looking for a job in a tough economy.

Having said that, I definately "paid" for my degree. How? Blood, sweat and tears, baby. Working full time and carrying up to 9 credits at a top 10 MBA program is not for the faint of heart. My wife was also working full time and pursuing a Master's degree (two actually) on the side, so it was pretty ugly for a while. There was about a year where we had to schedule a regular Friday night "date" (mostly dinner and a bottle of wine at home) in order to actually get some time together. It has paid off, though.