Be a happy lawyer!

A good blurb from a recent Technolawyer newsletter:

For me the key to being a happy lawyer is to find an area of practice that you really enjoy, and concentrate on that. For me that's general counsel work for smaller companies. I really enjoy the give and take with the clients and solving problems as they come up. There are plenty of tasks I still don't enjoy (billing!) but overall I enjoy my job quite a bit.

For those who are unhappy, take the time to really think about the part of the job that you enjoy, and try to find a way to get that part bigger. If you don't enjoy any part of your job, consider changing to a new environment. If you work for a big firm and can't stand it, get out! Life is much less stressful in a small firm environment. You can trade in the politics and staff meetings for a practice actually working with your clients.

The other key is to not let work rule your life. Take time out to do the other things you enjoy. Get a remote connection working and spend some time working at home. Take an afternoon off once a week and spend it with your kids. Or take a hike, or something to get away from the pressures of the office.Frankly there are much worse ways to earn a living than being an attorney. We are very well paid and don't have to get calluses on our hands (well maybe a few on the fingertips from typing ...). So let's cheer up out there!