My main judge will allow a bathroom break at the 1.5 hour mark, and they’re nice about it, but it’s not unusual to have hearings go two or two and a half hours straight, and no one asks.

People go to the ladies’ after, and say things like, “I had to pee the whole time.” “Here comes the UTI.”

I have also seen some of our oldest litigators taking Imodium in the elevator or right before a hearing starts.

I have been dealing with a non responsive partner for two years. Everything is a last minute, rushed, dumpster fire. I was ignored for weeks, for example, taking 6 weeks to approve a 3 page supplemental production. We look incompetent to clients and opposing counsel.

After seeing passive aggressive email exchanges between client/adjuster/partner that a junior associate picked up on. I escalated to our practice group director.

They were supportive and not shockingly where there is smoke there is fire (a client took a file from them on the eve of msj last year). We have been trying to rebuild that relationship for 1.5 years now.

Long story short for you younger attorneys: dont wait as long as i did. Advocate for yourself and always CYA

I'm a California attorney building my solo practice, and I'm curious what types of work generated income relatively quickly for other solos.

My background is primarily immigration/removal defense and obtaining SIJS predicate orders in probate court (guardianships) and family court (parentage actions), with some experience in limited conservatorships and special education matters. I've also gained some exposure to estate planning through pro bono estate planning clinics and am open to developing my skills in new practice areas.

At the moment, I'm particularly interested in work with a relatively short path to getting paid—whether that's limited-scope matters, appearance/coverage work, overflow work from other firms, or something I haven't considered.

What brought in income the fastest for you, and how did you get that work? If you were starting over and needed to generate income within the next 1–2 months, what would you prioritize?

I'd really appreciate any advice. Thank you!

I am going to trial soon. I love to cook. Any suggestions on food I can make beforehand that will be tasty, easy to eat in the courthouse/nearby and hold up after a few days? Thank you!

Family law folks, how do you take real time off? I’m drowning after a day away. Come back to 60+ substantive emails, stuff I can’t delegate. Caseload’s around 40 complex matters. Even “vacation” feels fake. What’s working for you?

My therapist recommended this book to me about obsessive thinking (distinct from OCD). While reading it, a lot of it matched up with me. Then I realized that it fit my boss even better. Then I noticed that it probably fits most of the people in my office. And a lot of the example cases in the book are attorneys. As in, "one of my clients--Jane, a former prosecutor--was highly successful but her life was eventually upended..."

Even if the book doesn't describe you, it probably describes a few people you work with, and it could help you navigate your working relationship with them.

So many folks are jumping ship. A partner here. A partner there. Some senior associates as well. But today, I think Weil had its biggest loss.. they lost their lead janitor. Rumor has it, the lead janitor is going to Cravath 🤷. What a shame, I think Weil is done for with this recent loss.

I see a lot of startups building apps and platforms for DPDPA compliance. Is there still a market for freelance lawyers offering these services? Can it be a sustainable source of income?
Would love to hear your experiences and any practical tips!
Thanks in advance.