To quit at this point (law)

[LostInLaw]

Sorry, I know AIBU might not be the best place to post, but following from someone else’s post about leaving a career in law and the helpful advice there, I wondered if anyone could help me. Long time poster/lurker (cancel the cheque!) just name changed.
I’m just over half way through my TC, due to qualify in 2018. Currently sat in a seat which I do quite like (employment).
But I hate my job. I hate the people and the culture, I hate the inconsistent hours and the “presenteeism”.
I have been severely ill whilst training- I almost quit two months into the job due to this illness. I was off last month due to severe anxiety and depression. Until I started this job, I had barely ever been ill and never missed a day of work/school/uni in my life.
I’m not bad at my job. Being ill etc has made it hard to fit in, and life-wise I’m in a different place than a lot of the people I train with, so I’m quite lonely. But I’ve had very good feedback from all my supervisors and each have offered me qualifying positions so far, if I want them.
My issue is as to whether to stick it out until September and then qualify into a different firm, and hope and pray that it’s different there, or whether I just accept that this career is simply not for me and quit now. But where would I go? I like employment law so I’m considering HR or something similar, and I considered teaching or lecturing, but any other ideas would be great. Ideally I’d like reasonably standard hours and maybe the option to work from home. I don’t mind retraining or going back for more qualifications to some extent.
So. Do I quit? Or do I try to cope for another 9 months? Is life too short to stay in something you hate?

Absolutely stick it out. Maybe go in house after? I work for a national firm but go on as many secondments as I can because I love the in house experience and every place I've been so far has been great and completely different to the day in day out drudgery if private practice. There's a reason so many firms lose people they've put on secondment!

Hi - can I ask what you decided to do in the end? I am having the same dilemma!

I really think you should stick it out. Not all firms are created equal, and with employment law especially you might find a smaller, boutique firm which has much better hours etc. Or, you may fancy going in house or changing to a field like HR - those options are open and easier to access if you complete your TC.

9 months isn't a long time in the grand scheme of your life and the opportunities it can bring you!

Definitely stick it out - being a trainee can be absolute shit at times, but it's much better after you qualify and there are heaps of different types of firm and loads of in-house possibilities.

Just get the qualification and then move on to something else. By quitting halfway through a TC, you're not only closing doors in terms of qualified solicitor jobs but also in terms of interviewers who might not give you a chance because you abandoned the training halfway through. Of course, there's always a way to sell these things positively but it will inevitably close some doors.

You can always defer for a bit if the timing isn't right - I know people who've done that because of bereavement, etc.