As a new attorney, I figured being stressed was part of the job, or I must be doing it wrong. How many fictional characters do we watch on TV or in the movies who are attorneys who are stressed out of their minds? And, I don’t know about you, but when I polled every attorney I knew about why they became attorneys, all of them brushed off the question and told me not to follow suit and become a lawyer too.
Plus, haven’t you heard that joke when someone introduces themselves as a “recovering” attorney?
It seems the legal profession is synonymous with stress, adrenaline rushes, and burnout. However, it doesn’t have to be. Here are three areas of law that are relatively low-stress.
The first semester of law school brings about numerous changes. New friends. New professors. New campus. Maybe a new city. New subjects. New study techniques. It can be daunting. And, by the end of the first semester, you might be simply trying to catch your breath.
In law school, there are tons of resources at your disposal. Most schools have career services offices and career counselors to help you find the right career path. There are classes in just about every field of law. Libraries chock full of books on every legal subject. Classmates with diverse backgrounds and professional experiences, internship opportunities, career fairs, alumni networks. The list goes on and on.
As a kid, I loved back-to-school shopping. I loved finding fun pens, picking out a new backpack, or being able to personalize new folders. Even as an adult, I get giddy seeing the back-to-school supplies stocked in stores. Just for fun, I still buy a new pack of pens every August when the school supplies are set aside.
When I went to law school I was certain that I would never, ever, not in a million years need to know anything about trusts. I was going to be an advocate for animals or children or the poor. What would I need to know about how to shelter a lot of money?
When I initially went to law school, I had some vague ideas about what I wanted to practice. I wanted to help people or animals or both. I took