How to Leave Big Law and Love Your Life

Why did I leave Big Law, and how did it work out for me?

Let me start from the beginning of my legal career -- law school. I went to law school because I got a good score on the analytical part of the GRE's (and thought that was a sign from the gods, since it is similar to the LSAT), I did not want to get a PhD in Chemistry (and what else do you do with a Chemistry degree?), and it sounded interesting. I did not even think, for a second, about being a lawyer at the end of three years. Amazing, but true.

Got a scholarship for a good law school, and did well. Everyone said go into IP litigation (it was the late 90s), so I passed the patent bar and went into IP litigation. I got interviews at top firms, since I was on law review and was in the top 5% of my class, so I interview at the big firms and took the job.

Worked at Big Law Firm #1 (quit to move to Silicon Valley), IP Law Firm (firm went under), and then went with a group to Big Law Firm #2. Got great reviews, always made my hours, was told I had a "Bright Future." But a Bright Future doing what? What they did? Yuck.

I realized it would take me 20 years to be managing partner of the firm, and I did not want to do what would have to be done to get there. I was a tiny cog in a big wheel -- clients did not even know my name. I was on cases where partners we not allowed to talk to clients. I was penalized because I was fast and did not need to bill as much to get the same job done, as a slower associate. I got in trouble for being "too direct" (?!) with other attorneys.

I was bored, and starting to get angry. Yes, they paid me big bucks, but I knew that I wanted something more.

So I quit to start my own financial and estate planning firm. They thought I was nuts. Asked me, how will I get clients? How would I do marketing? Told me how business is hard. (As if I would not be doing those things in their law firm?)

That first business has morphed into multiple business ventures, both in financial planning and law as well as business consulting and random stuff like traveling with kids. I get to do cool stuff like work with clients one-on-one, have a radio talk show, get my book published, teach classes, be interviewed on the radio, and be featured in magazines. And the best part is that I have a balanced life, I have fun, and I am happy.

I don't yet make more salary that I would be making as if I would be working in Big Law today -- but on a per-hour basis, I'm raking it in.