Lawyers often get a bad rap for supposedly making a lot of money for little work. I won’t use this post to discuss just how little lawyers on average make in annual salary, but suffice it to say that the general public’s perception is inconsistent with the reality of the legal profession.
I can’t count how many times I’ve worked late into the night. What’s worse, especially according to my wife, is I can’t count how many times I’ve worked overnight. You have to understand that I’ve never worked for Biglaw, those national and international law firms known to be the sweatshops of the legal profession. I’ve either worked for myself or small law firms with no more than eight lawyers. It hasn’t mattered whether I’ve been a true solo, worked for someone else, or had associates and staff, I have consistently worked late nights and overnight more than I care to remember.
I can’t necessarily blame it on the work all the time. There have been times when such a work routine has been unnecessary, but there I am, working away when the sun is down. Don’t get me wrong, there’s just enough times where I’ve felt the need to get the work done, whether because of court-imposed deadlines, promises to clients, or that nagging feeling that something has been sitting too long. Such night-time work is long and dull, basically pure drudgery. It is hard physically, emotionally, and mentally to work all day and then keep going late into the night or all night. College students do it every now and then when they cram for a test, but most people have regular work hours (whether one works day or night). For me, when I am in my office at night, my mind wanders as I look out the window to most of those I deal with in my profession who are relaxing at home or lay fast asleep. When I am at home working away at night, the sounds of my wife sleeping in our bedroom are a physical reminder of what I am NOT doing.
I don’t ask for sympathy or pity. I write this simply to remind the public that there are many times when lawyers are working through the night on behalf of their clients. With a litigation practice of several thousand cases and a firm of six (three attorneys and three staff), I accept that night-working comes with the territory. At the same time, I am trying to improve my work efficiencies and planning to lessen the amount of night-working I do. As I sit here and write this, I am about to turn off the Olympics and get back to work…at 1:20 a.m.
