r/Lawyertalk

You can read my post history. Prior to trial, OC asked if I would agree to authorize more medical treatment for his client if they won at trial. I asked for a draft of what he was thinking and he gave me three questions on the verdict sheet for the jury to decide. None of those questions said anything about authorizing more treatment. The jury sided with his client and chambers instructed plaintiff to draft an order for remand to the workers comp commission consistent with the order.

OC sent me a copy of the proposed order which included a provision on authorizing more treatment. I pushed back and said I disagreed. OC said I did agree and he was going to ask for attorney fees because I said I didn’t agree. I explained that the jury did not decide the issue of authorization for treatment and I would not agree to put it in the order. He said I was lying and was going to file a bar complaint against me for misconduct.

The partners all agree I did nothing wrong. I informed chambers we could not agree to language in the order and sent my proposed draft. He sent his proposed draft and said I was backing out of the agreement we made and wants to have a hearing to call me as a witness. He sent me another email saying that if I didn’t agree to the provision that he put in the order but the jury didn’t decide, I will have to testify as to how I harmed his firm and his client. He also said additional expenses will be sought against my client, my firm, and me for breach of the agreement.

Hi everyone! I recently received a post-bar law clerk/associate attorney offer from a midsize firm that only handles wage-and-hour and PAGA cases. I previously worked on PAGA matters as a law clerk, but I wanted to hear from attorneys who currently practice in this area about what the day-to-day work is actually like. I want to commit to a firm where I can see myself staying and growing professionally in the long term.

To be candid, I didn't particularly enjoy PAGA work as a law clerk because I prefer working closely with clients and felt that the work was somewhat impersonal. I understand the business model and profitability of these cases from a firm's perspective, but I struggled to find the work personally fulfilling.

I'm wondering whether the experience is different as an attorney. Is the work more rewarding when you're managing cases and making decisions? Does it become repetitive over time, or is there more variety than I might have experienced? I feel like I'm missing something. How long have you been practicing in the PAGA space, and how much longer do you see yourself staying in this area of law?

I'd really appreciate any insight from attorneys practicing in this area, especially those at plaintiff-side employment firms. I am entering my last semester of 3L in LA - so any additional advise is also welcomed. Thank you.

Rather not give too many details but in short, OC is saying I agreed to something that I did not and it was confirmed by email. Emails show I never explicitly agreed to what he was asking. He’s threatening to request attorneys fees and that he will contend I deceived him.

Anyone dealt with similar issue with OC making threats and how you handled?

For context, I am a junior lawyer (6-7 months in).

I’m trying. I’ve been making a conscious effort to minimise careless mistakes, be more attentive, learn from the things I get wrong, and maintain good relationships with everyone in the office. But somehow, it still feels like it’s not enough. I’m still making mistakes, and I can’t shake the feeling that my boss hates me and that my chances of getting retained are getting smaller by the day.

My associate, whom I work quite closely with, hasn’t exactly helped with that feeling either. I’m genuinely grateful for her help in reviewing and amending my work, and I’m not trying to undermine that. But she sometimes openly mocks my mistakes in front of the other partners, and as much as I try to stay stoic and not let it get to me, it does. Especially during late nights when I’m rushing submissions, which inevitably means there’ll be countless stupid mistakes. I dread seeing the track changes on the amended version when it comes back to me.

I think I’m just feeling really defeated at the moment. I know I’m only six or seven months in and that I’m still learning, but it’s hard not to feel like I should be better by now. I’m trying my best, but lately I just feel like a little bitch who can’t seem to get anything right.

I’m going on 20 years of practice at a midsize firm. About 1/3 of my practice is insurance defense (design professional focus), 1/3 construction industry practice and 1/3 general commercial. After years of being counsel and not “on track” for partnership, my practice group asked me to go on track so I did last year. I’m told if I work on development priorities, including reducing low rate insurance defense work, I am in the zone for next year. For most of my colleagues who stayed on track, it’s a 10+ year runway to partner, and we are lockstep, so it’s straight to equity partnership.

Recently I was approached by a recruiter about an in-house senior level claims manager position for a specialty insurer for their design professional liability line. It involves some coverage analysis, claims handling and strategizing with outside counsel, and interfacing with underwriters. I interviewed and just received an offer. It would be fully remote (currently I work half remote at the firm bur am told to increase my profile for partner progression), no billable hours, reasonable work hours and benefits, and baseline salary is about what I make now as counsel.

I believe my firm that partnership is on the horizon - but I no longer know if that’s what I want. There’s a 2300 total hour commitment, and partners have to hustle (biz dev, community engagement, associate training, all the things on top of work). My husband recently retired and I’m middle-aged. I’m good at my job, but feel I no longer have the hunger that I did earlier in my career. We are financially comfortable (one child in middle school), though obviously partnership would have a greater economic reward. I love my firm colleagues and most of my clients, but getting sick of the grind. New position would allow me to manage outside counsel and strategize with design clients on resolution without being the one to take deps, go to court, file motions, etc. All things I excel at but which are less exciting as time goes on.

I need to make a decision. Anyone been in this boat? Advice, pros and cons, regrets or lack thereof? Many thanks in advance.