Want a solid strategy to prepare for summer job interviews and stand out from the competition? 👉 DOWNLOAD THE "BEST QUESTIONS TO ASK IN LAW FIRM INTERVIEWS" GUIDE: launch.angelavorpahl.com/best-questions-to-ask-visit
Mrs. Vorpahl - a quick question about working in a big law firm in general. If someone leaves a big law firm to pursue other interests, are they ever able to come back? And if they do, do they start out at the same year and pay grade that they were in when they initially left?
You can always go back. Pay grade will have nothing to do with your pay when you left. Depends on your experience upon return, book of business, where you practice, etc.
Hi Andrew! Good question. The short answer is yes, it's possible. The longer answer is that, depending on how long you're gone for, what you do in the interim, and how strong the relationships were that you had when you left will determine how difficult it will be to come back. That being said, if you're thinking that you'd like to try something else, I'm ALL in favor of going and trying that thing and not not trying it out of fear that you won't be able to come back. If there's something you really want, in my experience humans can find creative and resourceful ways to get it. :)
Depends on what you feel inside of you. If every day you think about being a lawyer, then you should be a lawyer. If it's something on your mind from time to time, do some more reflecting on that one career path that you really do think about all the time.
Ooh good question. I have a lot of thoughts on this. I wouldn't say that there's a "natural" sign that is the same for everyone. And for most of us, we don't actually 100% know that we want to become a lawyer before we pursue that path. In fact, I would say that for most of us it's more like feeling that law school is our "best guess" at the thing we'd like to try next. For some of us that's because we have exposure to lawyers in action and we think it looks fun/interesting/challenging, or we like researching and writing and analyzing, but for most of us it's because a career in the law seems like a "solid career path" to important work that pays well and has a level of prestige associated with it. I'm guessing this isn't that helpful of an answer, but just so you know, the vast majority of people who pursue law school do it because they really can't think of anything else they'd like to do more. :)
It's definitely true that these interviews are essentially "sale" sessions. It's our goal to "sell" ourselves to the law firm by letting them know all of the wonderful reasons we'll bring value to their team and their clients. So I like to think of it more as highlighting the information that's important for them to come to a decision, rather than sharing information that won't really move the needle on them recognizing what an amazing associate we could be for them.
