Work hours for attorneys?

[tai38]

Say I wanted to be an attorney because I greatly enjoy the law, research, reading and writing but don’t want to work as much as some attorneys do. I’ve heard horror stories. I would not spend my 20s working 50+ hours a week in an office.

However, I also don’t care about making that much money. I’ll work less for less pay. I don’t care about being a powerful corporate attorney or partner in a major law firm. I just have other priorities.

I’ve heard that in order from the least workload and therefore hours to the most, that government attorneys work the least, followed by small firms, then mid size then large ones. Additionally, a lawyer in NYC will naturally tend to work much longer hours than one in Valdosta, GA.

Finally, is there anyone specialty that works more work than the next? Is criminal law more “intensive” than say Real Estate or Bankruptcy Law, etc?

[abelard29]

I think you've probably got it right that government attorneys probably have the most regular hours, then maybe inhouse corporate attorneys. Small firm attorneys, if self-employed, may be right up there with big firm attorneys because if you're self-employed, if you're not working, you're not making money, plus you have all the administrative work of running a law firm besides the actual legal work that brings in the money. I practice in a small town in NC, and I remember once telling an attorney in a mid-size firm in the Chicago area that our firm closed down and didn't answer the phone during the lunch hour, and she said, "Must be a different pace of life," and I think to a great extent that's true. As far as specialties, I think litigators can put in a lot of hours, especially when they're preparing for a trial.

[tiernan]

The unemployment rate among law school grads is enormous right now. That's a pretty bad career choice.