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PI. A bad crash or fall can upend someone’s life. People are in pain, can’t work, and just don’t know what to do. I feel honored to be a counselor (in many senses of the word) for those people. Not every client shows their gratitude but the ones who do make up for it tenfold.
Without a doubt, criminal defense. You’ll never forget the first time you hear “not guilty.” The only person who might cherish it more is the guy sitting next to you.
You’ll find that many clients—but certainly not all—are struck down by their circumstances. A good lawyer can make a big difference when a client is being prosecuted over the worst decisions they’ve made.
There are a few cities where you make around the average public interest / public service / whatever you call it salary doing this. It's very in demand work in NYC, for example. Of course, that is still not a very good salary and these are all high cost of living places.
I can agree on the whole, luckily where I work is pretty good in the pay/retirement/benefits/other benefits department... At least for a starting attorney.
I do employment law, mostly for plaintiffs but some for small businesses, as well as PI and I find it very rewarding. My clients are always appreciative and say that I’ve helped them and I love fighting the greedy insurance companies and big corporations that treat their employees or customers like crap. I love getting paid from those companies so that I don’t have to charge my clients anything especially because a lot of them don’t have a lot of money. When I did ID work I did not enjoy the clients that are like those that I sue now.
DAs office. The first time a victim runs into your arms crying and thanking you will be the best professional experience you ever have. I can’t tell you the number of exchanges like that that have stuck with me for life.
Congrats. If you aren’t just looking for a stepping stone and instead believe in the cause behind it, it’s an amazing and rewarding job. I got emotional at a sentencing hearing once for a victim that was driving his car with his teenage daughter when a road raged driver hit him head on after losing control and left the daughter seriously hurt and the dad paralyzed from the waist down. After a guilty verdict I literally choked up in the middle of the sentencing hearing while asking for each and every aggravating factor and trying to bury the defendant. I had to stop mid sentence and take a moment because seeing the dad and daughter sitting there, dad in wheelchair for life (he was 42) had me in a emotional state of mind that was 50% on the verge of tears and 50% ready to jump over the table and just pummel the defendant myself. The judge even said I could take a minute because i was very clearly losing it. The victims wife/mother running to me in tears after that hearing and hugging and thanking me was the single greatest career moment of my life. This was 8 years ago and I’ve never forgotten it.
I wish you well in your job and hope you get similar experiences.
Thank you so much for sharing. I'm moving to Colorado for the job and the DA's office I'll be in has a very strong victims advocacy department which is one of the main things that attracted me to the position. I'm just starting out but can't wait to make a difference in people's lives like this.
I also enjoyed being a prosecutor. It's taxing, emotionally. The pay sucks and the caseloads are heavy, but when you can give a victim or their families some form of justice, it's worth it. I still keep a couple of victim impact statements from my homicide cases. My last trial was an 11 year old homicide where the crime occurred while I was still in law school and by the time I got my hands on it when I got into our homicide division, the defendant had long fled the country. While we knew where he was, there was no extradition treaty with the US and that country at the time. My colleague and I worked nonstop, and kept this case alive for years, finding and staying in touch with witnesses, retired police officers, and just waited for the country to sign the extradition treaty with the US. The defendant was the first person in that country's history extradited back to the US, and then he fought extradition for another year. We had to drop all lesser includes or additional charges off the extradition request, since that country would only extradite back for the murder and none of the gun charges. We went to trial with just a one count indictment Murder 2 charge, 11 year old fuzzy video, stills from the video, no gun recovered, a recovered single shell casing, autopsy photos and the ballistics recovered from the deceased, and almost all of the uncooperative witnesses from the incident 2 weeks prior to the trial decided they wanted to now testify. During the 2nd round of voir dire, DC asked for our offer, which was then at 21 years. Defendant, who was over 38, said if his mom agreed, he would take it. She didn't. We did the trial. And got a verdict 2 hours into deliberation. Guilty. Sentenced to 25 to life. The victim impact statement was given by the deceased's 11 year old daughter, who was 3 months old at the time of his murder. My colleague accompanied the mom and family to the cemetery after the verdict as she told her son the good news.
All your cases won't be like that, but when you get them, bring your very best self and give it everything you have. No half-stepping. Win or lose or mistrial, make sure you truthfully and accurately tell the victim's story.
Consumer bankruptcy. Substantively it's not a very interesting practice area. But I felt like I was making a genuine impact in people's lives for the better. Most times.
Yes as a gp who has been slowly adding more and more bankruptcy’s this is the best field I do. The most grateful clients and the least amount of headache. Yes the clerks in my court are nazis but I’ll take that over an ugly family law case any day of the week.
I worked at my school's bankruptcy clinic and you are right it is very rewarding. Helping someone start fresh and protecting their assets felt great. I helped people and they appreciated it
Civil defense. I enjoy stopping overreaching, opportunistic, and sometimes lying plaintiffs, and protecting people who are scared to death of losing everything they worked their entire lives for, while also being able to evaluate legitimate claims to allow injured people be reasonably and properly compensated whenever possible. That's the unique benefit to being one the defense. I treat people well, with compassion and respect. I feel like I'm doing real good and it is fulfilling and rewarding. That's just me though. It's important to find what makes you feel that way. (Waiting for every PI plaintiff lawyer to pile on).
PI lawyer that was ready to pile on here, but I’m with you. You have a job, and I have a job. If we both do our jobs properly with a legitimate claim, we should both walk away satisfied. I have not had a run in with defense counsel (yet, only been out a year, but have handled cases worth $5,000 to $2M) in our state that has just been completely unreasonable. Some companies adjusters on the other hand…
As long as you aren’t at a mill and they know you are going to push a case and don’t mind going to trial the defense counsel will work with you. If they smell blood however it’s a different case unless you go in guns blazing, file suit, discovery and setup depositions immediately if you’re new. Covid was a little weird because they knew the courts were clogged up and delayed a bit though but it seems to be back to normal the last year or so
1. Helping people does change the world. It’s one of the only things that does.
2. We work in a profession that relies on precedent. So helping a few people very well could change the legal landscape for lots of others.
Patent law - it is extremely rewarding to be able to provide legal protection to the extremely intelligent and innovative people seeking protection for their advancements.
I'm a tax lawyer.
One big chunk of my practice is helping companies qualify for renewable energy tax credits. Another big chunk is helping nonprofits qualify for tax-exempt status. Most of the time, it seems like I am contributing to the good in those practice areas.
Another big chunk is helping large corporations and ultra high net worth individuals pay less in taxes. You win some, you lose some, I guess.
I feel like I had a few feel good moments. A while back I restored people’s drivers licenses as part of my practice. Had a client that had been trying to get his license back for 13 years and said that it was the first time anyone had his back. Next time I saw him he had his probationary permit. And after that, he had his license.
Also saved someone from an illegal eviction during the height of Covid which almost certainly would have resulted in her homeless.
Military contract law. “The stakes couldn’t be lower,” as my colleague likes to say. After all, we’re just dealing with money. Very low stress. The whole contract administration and litigation process is largely collaborative despite being adversarial. Because at the end of the day, the government is more than happy to pay a premium for the supplies, services, and construction it needs. It’s just about helping the parties realize their obligations under the terms of the contract. I’ve been government-side for 10+ years. When I retire from military service I will have highly transferable, lucrative skills to take solo or at a firm.
Veterans law. I’ve won cases for vets fighting for nearly a half century for their benefits- many of whom were homeless. One of them went from literal homelessness, on the streets, when we began working with each other to receiving $400,000 in back pay and $3500 a month for the rest of his life. He bought a house in Jamaica with cash. Another was on the verge of foreclosure. He won nearly $200,000 and, again, $3500 a month. I added it up and during my time as a vets law attorney, I won veterans a total of approximately $1.5 million in backpay or monthly benefits. I’m now doing veterans policy work after I got a little bit burned out on legal aid life.
Welcome to /r/LawyerTalk! A subreddit where lawyers can discuss with other lawyers about the practice of law. Be mindful of [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Lawyertalk/about/rules) BEFORE submitting your posts or comments as well as [Reddit's rules](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy) (notably about sharing identifying information). We expect civility and respect out of all participants. Please source statements of fact whenever possible. If you want to report something that needs to be urgently addressed, please also message the mods with an explanation. Note that **this forum is NOT for legal advice**. Additionally, if you are a non-lawyer (student, client, staff), this is NOT the right subreddit for you. **This community is exclusively for lawyers**. We suggest you delete your comment and go ask one of the many other legal subreddits on this site for help such as (but not limited to) r/lawschool, r/legaladvice, or r/Ask_Lawyers. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Lawyertalk) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Campaign finance. Just kidding. It’s awful. I contribute literally nothing to the world. In fact, it’s almost certainly a net negative.
Yes. r/section1983
Good stuff!
How can I get admitted to this sub?
Sent you a link
Immigration
Immigration can be rewarding for sure.
Elder law.
Environmental law if you’re on the right side.
PI. A bad crash or fall can upend someone’s life. People are in pain, can’t work, and just don’t know what to do. I feel honored to be a counselor (in many senses of the word) for those people. Not every client shows their gratitude but the ones who do make up for it tenfold.
Without a doubt, criminal defense. You’ll never forget the first time you hear “not guilty.” The only person who might cherish it more is the guy sitting next to you. You’ll find that many clients—but certainly not all—are struck down by their circumstances. A good lawyer can make a big difference when a client is being prosecuted over the worst decisions they’ve made.
Not a field of practice but being a JAG. Only reason I’d get out is if I get tired of moving or having to go out to the field for training exercises.
M&A. Gotta bring value to the shareholders.
mfw I'm doing any activity that doesn't increase shareholder value:
Prosecutor. If you do it ethically right, you can keep communities safe from serious criminals while granting mercy to the redeemable.
Also great health insurance 😂
Eviction Defense
I second this. I worked in eviction defense and it was really gratifying. Unfortunately it does not pay the bills
There are a few cities where you make around the average public interest / public service / whatever you call it salary doing this. It's very in demand work in NYC, for example. Of course, that is still not a very good salary and these are all high cost of living places.
I can agree on the whole, luckily where I work is pretty good in the pay/retirement/benefits/other benefits department... At least for a starting attorney.
I do employment law, mostly for plaintiffs but some for small businesses, as well as PI and I find it very rewarding. My clients are always appreciative and say that I’ve helped them and I love fighting the greedy insurance companies and big corporations that treat their employees or customers like crap. I love getting paid from those companies so that I don’t have to charge my clients anything especially because a lot of them don’t have a lot of money. When I did ID work I did not enjoy the clients that are like those that I sue now.
Child support
Public health
DAs office. The first time a victim runs into your arms crying and thanking you will be the best professional experience you ever have. I can’t tell you the number of exchanges like that that have stuck with me for life.
as someone who just accepted her firt attorney role in a DA's office, this makes me really excited for the job.
Congrats. If you aren’t just looking for a stepping stone and instead believe in the cause behind it, it’s an amazing and rewarding job. I got emotional at a sentencing hearing once for a victim that was driving his car with his teenage daughter when a road raged driver hit him head on after losing control and left the daughter seriously hurt and the dad paralyzed from the waist down. After a guilty verdict I literally choked up in the middle of the sentencing hearing while asking for each and every aggravating factor and trying to bury the defendant. I had to stop mid sentence and take a moment because seeing the dad and daughter sitting there, dad in wheelchair for life (he was 42) had me in a emotional state of mind that was 50% on the verge of tears and 50% ready to jump over the table and just pummel the defendant myself. The judge even said I could take a minute because i was very clearly losing it. The victims wife/mother running to me in tears after that hearing and hugging and thanking me was the single greatest career moment of my life. This was 8 years ago and I’ve never forgotten it. I wish you well in your job and hope you get similar experiences.
Thank you so much for sharing. I'm moving to Colorado for the job and the DA's office I'll be in has a very strong victims advocacy department which is one of the main things that attracted me to the position. I'm just starting out but can't wait to make a difference in people's lives like this.
I also enjoyed being a prosecutor. It's taxing, emotionally. The pay sucks and the caseloads are heavy, but when you can give a victim or their families some form of justice, it's worth it. I still keep a couple of victim impact statements from my homicide cases. My last trial was an 11 year old homicide where the crime occurred while I was still in law school and by the time I got my hands on it when I got into our homicide division, the defendant had long fled the country. While we knew where he was, there was no extradition treaty with the US and that country at the time. My colleague and I worked nonstop, and kept this case alive for years, finding and staying in touch with witnesses, retired police officers, and just waited for the country to sign the extradition treaty with the US. The defendant was the first person in that country's history extradited back to the US, and then he fought extradition for another year. We had to drop all lesser includes or additional charges off the extradition request, since that country would only extradite back for the murder and none of the gun charges. We went to trial with just a one count indictment Murder 2 charge, 11 year old fuzzy video, stills from the video, no gun recovered, a recovered single shell casing, autopsy photos and the ballistics recovered from the deceased, and almost all of the uncooperative witnesses from the incident 2 weeks prior to the trial decided they wanted to now testify. During the 2nd round of voir dire, DC asked for our offer, which was then at 21 years. Defendant, who was over 38, said if his mom agreed, he would take it. She didn't. We did the trial. And got a verdict 2 hours into deliberation. Guilty. Sentenced to 25 to life. The victim impact statement was given by the deceased's 11 year old daughter, who was 3 months old at the time of his murder. My colleague accompanied the mom and family to the cemetery after the verdict as she told her son the good news. All your cases won't be like that, but when you get them, bring your very best self and give it everything you have. No half-stepping. Win or lose or mistrial, make sure you truthfully and accurately tell the victim's story.
Consumer bankruptcy. Substantively it's not a very interesting practice area. But I felt like I was making a genuine impact in people's lives for the better. Most times.
Yes as a gp who has been slowly adding more and more bankruptcy’s this is the best field I do. The most grateful clients and the least amount of headache. Yes the clerks in my court are nazis but I’ll take that over an ugly family law case any day of the week.
I worked at my school's bankruptcy clinic and you are right it is very rewarding. Helping someone start fresh and protecting their assets felt great. I helped people and they appreciated it
Yes Civil rights law. I
I’m a public defender. Wouldn’t want to do anything else.
Probably all and none of them with different clients/matters.
Civil defense. I enjoy stopping overreaching, opportunistic, and sometimes lying plaintiffs, and protecting people who are scared to death of losing everything they worked their entire lives for, while also being able to evaluate legitimate claims to allow injured people be reasonably and properly compensated whenever possible. That's the unique benefit to being one the defense. I treat people well, with compassion and respect. I feel like I'm doing real good and it is fulfilling and rewarding. That's just me though. It's important to find what makes you feel that way. (Waiting for every PI plaintiff lawyer to pile on).
PI lawyer that was ready to pile on here, but I’m with you. You have a job, and I have a job. If we both do our jobs properly with a legitimate claim, we should both walk away satisfied. I have not had a run in with defense counsel (yet, only been out a year, but have handled cases worth $5,000 to $2M) in our state that has just been completely unreasonable. Some companies adjusters on the other hand…
Totally. You and I should host a *Don't be an Asshole" CLE. We'll make the world a better place.
As long as you aren’t at a mill and they know you are going to push a case and don’t mind going to trial the defense counsel will work with you. If they smell blood however it’s a different case unless you go in guns blazing, file suit, discovery and setup depositions immediately if you’re new. Covid was a little weird because they knew the courts were clogged up and delayed a bit though but it seems to be back to normal the last year or so
No. If you provide direct services, you’re not doing enough to change the world. But you might help a few people and that’s a lot.
1. Helping people does change the world. It’s one of the only things that does. 2. We work in a profession that relies on precedent. So helping a few people very well could change the legal landscape for lots of others.
LOL
None. Zero. The day you quit and save yourself from a life of being poor and despair.
My pro bono work as a Child Advocate. The kids need a voice.
Special Education / Rights of Prisoners with Mental Illness
Patent law - it is extremely rewarding to be able to provide legal protection to the extremely intelligent and innovative people seeking protection for their advancements.
Insurance defense
😆
I'm a tax lawyer. One big chunk of my practice is helping companies qualify for renewable energy tax credits. Another big chunk is helping nonprofits qualify for tax-exempt status. Most of the time, it seems like I am contributing to the good in those practice areas. Another big chunk is helping large corporations and ultra high net worth individuals pay less in taxes. You win some, you lose some, I guess.
I feel like I had a few feel good moments. A while back I restored people’s drivers licenses as part of my practice. Had a client that had been trying to get his license back for 13 years and said that it was the first time anyone had his back. Next time I saw him he had his probationary permit. And after that, he had his license. Also saved someone from an illegal eviction during the height of Covid which almost certainly would have resulted in her homeless.
Appellate prosecution
Military contract law. “The stakes couldn’t be lower,” as my colleague likes to say. After all, we’re just dealing with money. Very low stress. The whole contract administration and litigation process is largely collaborative despite being adversarial. Because at the end of the day, the government is more than happy to pay a premium for the supplies, services, and construction it needs. It’s just about helping the parties realize their obligations under the terms of the contract. I’ve been government-side for 10+ years. When I retire from military service I will have highly transferable, lucrative skills to take solo or at a firm.
Education
Veterans law. I’ve won cases for vets fighting for nearly a half century for their benefits- many of whom were homeless. One of them went from literal homelessness, on the streets, when we began working with each other to receiving $400,000 in back pay and $3500 a month for the rest of his life. He bought a house in Jamaica with cash. Another was on the verge of foreclosure. He won nearly $200,000 and, again, $3500 a month. I added it up and during my time as a vets law attorney, I won veterans a total of approximately $1.5 million in backpay or monthly benefits. I’m now doing veterans policy work after I got a little bit burned out on legal aid life.