Starting Over [1]
What do I say? What do you want to hear? You’re probably sick of me. I am sick of myself. I am sick that for days I have not been able to cull out one hopeful or happy piece of news to dwell upon. I have not seen one thing from which an Unemployed Lawyer may draw hope.
Everything that has come my way suggests that there are no jobs and won’t be any jobs. Everything whispers that this profession will never be the same, which certainly some would see as a bright spot. I don’t know. I’m not certain that flattening the shore with a tidal wave is the best way to start rebuilding. What about all those set adrift or washed out to sea? I think many of us will have to find a new island and start over, because we simply can’t get back to where we came from.
Some of us may feel liberated. I hope so. I hope someone finally has the chance to write a novel, go on the stage, study Spanish dancing, ride the rodeo, join the circus, join the Peace Corps. I hope this is somebody’s chance to do what he or she always really wanted to do, but wrote off in favor of stability and practicality. There’s might little of either left in the business of law, so you might be better off to get your headshot and start hanging around agency offices. At least, that’s full time employment.
I know you didn’t choose to be in this position. No more did I. In that, we are all unfortunate.
The lucky and exciting corollary is that having been dumped on the shores of nowhere, we get to choose where we will go from here. What do we have to lose? A good job in a stable profession?
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[1] Century Assocs., 1979, directed by Alan J. Pakula, starring Burt Reynolds, Candice Bergen, Jill Clayburgh.
I'm looking for commercial lawyers to set up a firm with in NY. Must be:
- ambitious/visionary
- competitive
- willing to embrace the unknown strategically & methodically
- risk aware in business
- risk averse in law.
You can email me at mmartin23@ymail.com
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