Good non-law jobs for a lawyer??

I am an insurance agent and have been to countless seminars put on by insurance carriers.  Some of the real highlights have been when their in-house attorneys discuss various items that come up for them to consider.

It would appear from the outside that many of the carriers have departmentalized legal teams, some for litigation and others for claims assesment, etc.  I work primarily with health and disability insurance, so I'm not talking about the same type of stuff you've been fighting from the other side...well...maybe in a way I am, but distinguishing if someone has lied on a health insurance application, or is cheating you on a disability claim is a lot different than personal injury work.

Maybe this is part of what you want "out" of, but thought I'd pose it as a possibility

Do you have any marketable skills?

Aggie lawyer.

So.......many........jokes.......

Yeah, join the club..........About the same boat, 11 years or so

My problem is I don't like litigation but I like the guys I work for.  Many bosses are a holes, mine are decidedly not.  Makes up for some of the c**p.  Actually for a lot of it.

I actually took a year off after fifth year and traveled for 6 months.  Now THAT's a job I liked

They always say "you can do so many things with a law degree......."  My ideal job has nothing to do with law (of course, that's about all I know about it :^ )

My BIL is a litigation attorney; he was suffering burnout after around 10 years. He pondered chucking his legal career and becoming a truck driver instead. Instead, he tookup sky-diving (EVERY weekend) and he changed his mind about becoming a truck driver. He's still a litigator and partner in a firm.

Not sure how that story might help you, but there it is.

Dennie Crain Dennie Crain....

FBI are always looking for people with prior law experience.

I always said I'd only practice until my student loans were paid off.... welll, that was two years ago, why do I still do it?

Several reasons:
Inertia - As I said, I have good bosses, it's fairly comfortable, I wear jeans to the office, etc.

Money - I can travel, buy dive equipment, buy tri stuff and not worry about paying the rent.  I'm not rich, hell I can't even afford to own a house in LA, but it's better than digging ditches

Sometimes it is fun - winning that motion, cross examining the idiot expert, etc etc....

Not tied to a 9 to 5 schedule. Sure, sometimes it's 8 to 10, but usualyl it's closer to a regular workday, and I can schedule my hours as I see fit (calendar permitting)

Fear - of what else is out there, of not earning enough, of stepping out of this role.

The one big huge downside to litigation is lack of control over a long term schedule.  Motions get filed that have to be responded to, trials get set, depositions noticed.  Usually that works out, I've had to cancel one vacation in 10 years or so, so that's not so bad.

I take that back, the biggest drawback i a hole opposing counsel (none of which I assuem are in this thread).  My fatehr was a lawyer and used to talk about how you could have oral and handshake agreements with OC.  Now the rule is never trust anyone.  I try to practice like my father would have.

The one word that helps me get through it all is:  Perspective.  It's just a job (a pretty stressful one at times, but what isn't?)

Re: transactional.... I've done a little bit here and there, agreements and such, and find it boring.  I also knwo a couple in house lawyers, it's not always the nirvana we firm lawyers make it out to be.

However, if I could make just half of what I do at something I love, underwater photography, for instance, I'd jump in a fat second.  But that ain't happening.

Chris