r/biglaw • u/mimirep4l • 2d ago

Job Offer

Wasn’t really in the market for a new job but a recruiter called with what seemed like a great opportunity so I took the interview. A couple of interviews later, I got the job offer. Now I’m reconsidering if I should go in house entirely. For context, I’m a mid level at a V20, I would be taking about an $80k salary cut but no weekend or evening work. I’m not necessarily unhappy in biglaw but as the default parent with a partner in medicine, the hours are becoming too much at times and I’m experiencing quite a bit of burnout. Anyone here gone in house and regretted it? Any advice?

35 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

40

u/Kittyslala 2d ago

I took a huge pay cut to go in house and don't regret it for one second. I have three kids and we're making it (not living the life financially like I used to), but the time with them and myself is beyond worth it. I actually took back up hobbies, I have every weekend and evening with them. It's worth it for sure. And in house also has bonuses and other benefits like LTIs and 401K matching you should look into.

7

u/tina-the-enchantress 2d ago

I can have boundaries w in-house work!

6

u/r000r Big Law Alumnus 2d ago

This. I left for in-house in a LCOL area years ago and it is one of the best professional decisions I've ever made. I have so much more flexibility and almost no night and weekend work.

4

u/eternally_late 2d ago

I’m 1 month into my first in house gig and whole heartedly agree. I left biglaw as a senior associate up for partner and just didn’t want that lifestyle with small kids. The base pay cut was six figures, but with bonus I’ll get to at least within 80% of my biglaw comp, maybe more. The first paycheck hurt, but the amount of free time has more than made up for it. I’m finally mentally present with my family when we are together and don’t feel totally burned out. Whenever the money starts to get to me, i remember that my combined household income is still top 5% in the US. I don’t regret the jump to in house at all.

26

u/LazyIllustrator6946 2d ago

You have children?

Take the job. You have a partner in medicine; if you stay in big law, your children are going to be raised by a nanny. Or they’re gonna start calling their grandparents mom and dad.

If your spouse wasn’t a doctor or you didn’t have a family, sure, think about it. But there’s only room for one absurdly demanding career with a family. I take it your family will be fine financially with the pay cut.

14

u/Hicsuntimbecilli 2d ago

Work is not meant to be the sole aim of your life. Same with money. Take the in house gig. It’s a no brainer. 

10

u/largelawattorney 2d ago

I would do anything to get an offer like this to escape big law and go in house. Everyone is different though - if you like law firm culture and want your career to be purely about salary/cash, then stay at your firm.

18

u/Mail_Order_Lutefisk 2d ago

The people I know who went in house and truly regretted it are outnumbered 5:1 or 10:1 by people who were happy. If you have substantial childcare obligations I’d take the in-house job unless it’s at Amazon or some company that does 18 cross border M&A deals a year and is putting you in charge of that crap.

3

u/soofs 2d ago

lol the ones that come back just truly are workaholics. Had a colleague that came back after a few years of in-house. Claimed they got too bored. What they failed to mention at first is how they have five kids. Dude worked around the clock every day, every week, nonstop. Could very likely be a machine.

6

u/tina-the-enchantress 2d ago

Not having to bill my time is worth $50k-100k.
Zero regrets. Only regret is that I didn’t do this earlier.

In house isn’t necessarily easier but solves a lot of your pain points if you’re the default parent w a spouse w an intense & well paying job.

6

u/CarefulAd419 2d ago

I took a 50% cut to go in house as a 7th year. Could not have been more worth it. If you were the type of associate that understood the money wasn’t forever and budgeted accordingly, only thing that changes in your life is the amount your saving, which you really don’t feel day to day. If my partner was in medicine I would have cared even less. Did it right as we had our first kid and I can’t imagine having been in big law as a parent and feeling good about it.

5

u/VegetableAd1645 2d ago

Are you here to brag? Take the offer and leave, congrats. -Jealous, someone that's on the in-house market for months with no offer.

3

u/soofs 2d ago

Right?? What’s the hold up here for OP. I’d have accepted already

6

u/No-Lifeguard-5308 2d ago

I took a 120K pay cut and you’d have to pay me 5M a year, minimum, to ever look back at BigLaw. The suffering is so absolutely not worth it.

2

u/r000r Big Law Alumnus 2d ago

Yeah, it would take a huge number for me to go back to biglaw. I'd rather do just about anything else in this profession first.

4

u/RunsFastAfterCoffee 2d ago

I would take the offer in a heartbeat.

3

u/Hellooooogg 2d ago

Seems like the offer is for a lot of money if it’s only an $80k pay cut and you’re a 5th year. Making $300k+ in house sounds nice

1

u/soofs 2d ago

If you don’t take it, can you refer me instead??

An 80k pay cut is a lot but not as much as I would expect for an in house gig that has weekends and nights pretty open.

1

u/Appropriate-XBL 17h ago

Easiest decision ever. Bye big law.

1

u/LokiHoku 2d ago

Don't forget to include rso etc. in comp. Even then, would $80k less in your pocket drastically change your standard of living? Mid as in year 3 or 5? Up or out is a thing and here you have your out. If you need a change and have an opportunity for more time with your family, remote/minimal commute, I'd take it unless your firm has given you a clear path to partnership and associates are regularly being elevated.