Running from the Law: Why Good Lawyers Are Getting Out of the Legal Profession

by Deborah Arron

The secret is out: many lawyers are professional unhappy, tired of the stress, the long hours, the paper-pushing, and the adversarial nastiness. And even as law school enrollments rise, more and more practitioners are running from the law. Arron's book - the first to break the code of silence about the legal profession - has all the original practitioner interviews from earlier editions, plus the latest online career resources just for lawyers.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1989

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book (published in 1989) perhaps a little later than I should have. I'm 67, a practicing litigator for 35 years, and heading gradually into retirement, mostly because I can't deal with the stress of it anymore. I related to much of what was written here, but ultimately had mixed feelings about the book.

The stresses of law that make it almost unbearable were well-chronicled. The lack of control over one's schedule, the dread of every email and phone call because any one of them could be something unexpected or unpleasant, the fact that opponents (and sometimes judges and juries) are constantly striving to make you look incompetent or dishonest, all of which combine to make already difficult work even more challenging. Law takes a real toll on one's physical and mental health and on family life. Even when you're off, you're not. You have to constantly check phone messages, emails and the mail arriving at the office. It's worse in the age of technology. Anyone can reach you anytime, and they don't hesitate to try.

The book portrays other aspects of the law more harshly than has been my experience. The author describes litigation as a fight to death among unreasonable attorneys who care nothing for the interests of their clients in their zeal to win, win, win. Legal fees pile up and clients pay far more than they ought to for results that are not solutions to their problems. It sounds like the adversarial system should be scrapped in favor of mandatory mediation of every case.

That hasn't been my experience. Where I practice (Buffalo, New York), there is a lot of collegiality in the profession. Most lawyers (and even some clients) are practical people. They don't want to waste their clients' money or their own money (hard to keep clients that way). Some battles have to be fought, and most lawyers are able to figure out which ones those are. Inevitably, most matters are settled, and it is often the risks and costs of a looming trial that bring parties together. There is a lot of unpleasantness, certainly. Lots of gamesmanship, some real jerks. But they are in the minority. At least in my experience.

Still, there is a lot of value in this book. Law needs to be reformed, and the author has some useful suggestions for doing that. A lot of lawyers don't really belong in the profession and would be far happier doing something else. When you read this, you realize that you are not alone. You have company, and you have alternatives. It's possible to get out. If you stay in, as I did, the book can help you to find ways to make the profession more bearable.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every now and then I think about going to law school though I cant really articulate why that would be a good idea. So this book gave me a lot to think about, and reminded me that it's probably not a good idea after all.

[Holley Cassell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final 1/3 of the book is junk, but the rest was inspiring & interesting.

[Billjustbill · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the main reasons I chose NOT to go to law school. If you're thinking about going, you need to read this (and speak with working attorneys) before you decide.