Any solicitors out there?

[MrsFogi]

I'm thinking of changing from being a mid-level city solicitor to becoming a solicitor in a small practice doing anything other than finance, tax or corporate law (i.e. an area of law I have never practiced in). Has anyone got any views on the feasibility of this + any views on whether or not this is a good idea (I love being a solicitor but am fed up of working in the city + the hours of being a city solicitor).

[Sallie]

Same here - would love to hear whether anyone else has made this step. I am in a top ten city firm and specialise in commercial litigation.

[lisalisa]

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[Allyco]

have just left a small firm - long hours, crap pay (ie Legal Aid rates!) far far too much work to cope with. I always thought City firms and commercial stuff would be dead glamorous. Am I wrong :O

[Sallie]

Very wrong allyco!!! I wouldn't advise anyone to sell their soul to the City firms!!!

[Issymum]

Just a very quick one because I'm supposed to be working. I trained in a big City Law Firm and practised for some time in another, but moved 'in house' at 4 years PQE. I genuinely love my job and whilst it's hard work, I've found it much more flexible and supportive than a private practice environment. The pay's pretty good too. I was recently at a dinner hosted by a law firm for in-house lady lawyers (note to self: get a life) and they all spoke with real enthusiasm about their careers and were mostly balancing family and work. I'm sure that there are legions of unhappy in-house lawyers, but it seems like a lot of us have relished the move. Worth a thought?

[lisalisa]

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[Issymum]

Hi LisaLisa - you'd know if you knew me. I actually have two daughters - one adopted from Vietnam and one from Cambodia - and that makes me virtually unique. PPH identified me almost immediately when I started posting here!

[bottle]

i was a caseworker and now trainee sol in vol sector legal advice sector, downs are depending on where you are the level of expertise can vary hugely, pluses are family friendly - i get almost 7 weeks holiday, seven hour days, toil, and no stress from managers as we don't have any - can be a minus this too... but since i had ds have really appreciated t and c, pay is ok generally better that small private practice legal aid firms and less stress, lack of resources and being self servicing not so good but for me it is fun and can be very rewarding providing access to justice - though don't know anything different - had toyed pre ds re going into city and now don't think i could cope as trainee with young family so probably destined to second rate hack

[lisalisa]

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[Issymum]

Hi LisaLisa:

I was surprisingly cool about being rumbled. My Mumsnet persona is much more measured and 'closed' than my RL personality and I don't think I had or subsequently have revealed anything on Mumsnet that I wouldn't have shared with PPH.

Spewing details about my sex life is fine, what makes me really cringe is thinking that PPH might read the typos, grammatical errors, poor syntax and pompous nonsense I've written.

[chickpea]

Just spotted this thread. I am a solicitor in a smallish provincial firm (9 partners) specialising in com prop.

I have trained here and have been here since. I am fairly happy here (there is always something you would change about your firm I'm sure) but important to me is that I live close to work so can walk. This means that if I want to work late I can still be home to put my kids to bed. Oh. my husband is at home, that helps too.

I'm surprised how many solicitors are on mn.

[sfg]

MrsFogi, I think you should find out how many of the female partners at any prospective employing firm are mummies. I've worked at a firm in the top 100, an American firm, a firm linked to accountants and a top 40 firm. I reckon it's other mums who make the difference to the culture, not the size of the practice. Trailblazing is fantastic but frankly I find being a working mum all I can do, and much prefer it when other people have blazed the trail for me.

Also, I cannot speak too highly of a short commute, which might impact on the feasibility of it all.