After I Quit - Do I Regret Being a Lawyer?
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- Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
- As some of you may already know, I quit my job as a corporate litigation lawyer last year. However, studying to be a lawyer and then working as one occupied 11 years of my life- which is a lot of time. In this video, I’ll be sharing whether I regret putting in all of that time only to walk away, and why.
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0:00 Introduction
0:50 On the Topic of Regret
1:43 If I Wish I Didn't Become a Lawyer
6:58 If I Wish I Stayed Working as a Lawyer
8:07 Conclusion
You have also clearly retained your top notch analytical skills, to merge the logical and emotional, to pick the right path for you, and to make the path you picked right for you. Excellent video, really enjoyable and insightful. Well done
Thanks so much Lydia, love the way you phrased it - it means a lot! ❤️ (also happy to hear that my analytical skills have not deteriorated)
@@EmandLloyd you seem to be too nice to want to spend your life with those toxic, nasty litigation lawyers. There's a reason most of the American public dislikes lawyers, and why most lawyers have depression or substance abuse problems.
Spoken and analyzed like a true lawyer. As someone who went to law school myself, I think you can take the girl out of the law but not the law out of the girl.
Absolutely nothing to regret. See how logical, concise, accurate, deep and firm your words are. Legal education and career are actually valuable :)
Thanks Kerry, it's certainly impacted my thought process!
I have to agree with that - I think the precission with which I thought and spoke changed after studying law
Your videos revealed you both are highly intelligent. Law is a beast - so much reading, reading, reading on yur briefs.
One thing I am learning from this "quit X for Y" rabbit hole, is that it's important to realize that these people are high-value, dedicated, motivated and SKILLED people. They've invested the time and built up their character, experience, skills and personal values in order to make the incredible decision to move on. I've achieved next to nothing in my 10 years since 18 years old, and my personal skillset is left at just being a man-child who's worked jobs he was lucky enough to get. It's gotten so bad because I reconnected with an old childhood flame, and she is an RN now who works 24/7. She's moved on, and she gives off the same air as all these people I see on youtube who've done so much and are self-sustained.
People, work on yourselves. It doesn't have to be college. But please, God, learn something. Learn to sing, learn to diet, learn or undertake something that creates revenue. Don't just live for your job and live day-to-day, buying things you "want" and never acting on the insecurity deep inside yourself about your personal worth and accomplishment. I don't know what I'm trying to say, I just want you all to know not to give up. Stop being comfortable. If you take risks, make sure you have no debt. Debt closes off all options.
Appreciate the insight and thoughtful discussion! We totally agree that it's all about dealing with the uncomfortable insecurities and challenges head-on. It's certainly never too late to work on oneself and learn some cool skills 🤗
No regrets. You are highly skilled and intelligent. You will succeed at anything you do. You seemed to have quit at the right time. Keep going girl !
You seem passionate in everything you do! As long as you put your mind and energy into something you can accomplish it, don't let anyone put you down.
Straight forward and indeed constructive. Appreciative of your perspective and experience. Please keep up the great work and content with the adventure moving forward.
Love your sincerity and genuine sharing of feelings! Support you!
Very articulate, thanks for opening up and educating the masses
I really appreciate how articulate and frank you are with yourself in your self reflection and how honest you are in sharing your thoughts. I work in a totally different field but am learning a lot from you on how to make good life choices just by listening to your process. 🙏
Just discovered this channel,
Finally a channel worth watching ❤️
First video I've watched from your channel, excellent analysis and loved how subjective this video was given how much sacrifice professionals like ourselves (6th year banker) dedicate our early years to our craft. Glad to know I'm not alone in feeling this way, albeit continuing to walk the path. Wishing you best of luck!
Thanks for sharing your journey and why you decided to quit. I think a lot of young people only see the Hollywood version of the profession when actual practice can often be a stressful and/or boring grind. There can be areas of practice that are more fulfilling though, but if you can afford to pursue your next goals, why not? Wishing you the best of luck!
Great insights Em! I think the topic of regret is definitely something we can all grow in awareness of. It can also be the fuel we need to point us towards our own passions, purpose as we seek fulfillment in our lives. Cheering you guys on! Hope you and Lloyd are keeping well!
Thanks so much Shinn, appreciate the support and hope you're also doing well 😊 Also couldn't agree with you more - awareness can really serve as a valuable guide!
Absolutely in love with your channel - wish I found you guys sooner!!
Hi Em, I enjoyed watching your videos and thanks for sharing your life and work experiences and thoughts, I found them inspiring and have helped me sorted out some similar problems that have been come across in life and work.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and journey with us!! :) definitely insightful and some takeaways~ i guess change in the only constant in life n in which direction do we wanna go :) 💪🏻💪🏻
It's all about finding the path that works best for you. I went to law school after I was an accountant for a decade. My accounting career was not a string of victories, and I got the opportunity to go to law school. It was strictly an academic pursuit as I had no desire to practice law. After graduation, I was blessed to get a job as a college professor. I'm now in my 26th year of teaching tax and business law, and it's the greatest career decision I ever made.
Couldn't agree more about finding what works best for you!
Thank you for your video. Your self-reflection and insightful revelations are inspiring! Great job in quitting corporate law. I wish you the best!!!!!
Thank you so much!
You have my greatest respect. Life is long and there is absolutely no point to spend your life on something that you don't really enjoy.
It's totally fine to quit, to experience other things and to change your mind. Don't be so hard on yourself ❣️
I like ur honesty and shows that u have a strong mind. This is an inspiring video!
Keep up the great work on your YT channel, guys. You're both refreshingly articulate. I'm sure your subscriber count will only go up substantially.
You will be successful in everything you do, because you have it in you. Wishing you even greater success in your journey forward
Thank you so much for the kind words and the vote of confidence - it means a lot!!
Great video, loving the thought process
your videos are really so well thought out and so well made! i am NOT looking for a career in law BUT i really enjoyed these videos!!
Thank you so much!
Enjoying nature quietly out in a mid-week is a treat itself - the change in scenery.
In the Corporate side, you always have to fit a constant mould and culture. After a while, it can feel very contrived. It provides sure but 'it' has to be at your willing cost.
I have often regretted not studying law because of how versatile I have seen it to be in the exercise of an exceptionally broad array of professions. I'm sure your education will continue to serve you well no matter how meandering the career path may prove to be. Kudos on your decision!
Finally, your point about looking forward is exceptionally well-taken. One of my favorite quotes comes from David Livingstone, who said, "I'm prepared to go anywhere; provided that it be forward."
Thank you for the great quote! For sure, the experience of studying and practicing law has been super beneficial - and I'm certainly looking forward to everything ahead. Appreciate you checking out our channel and leaving us such thoughtful comments on our videos!
Such an insightful video! I truly appreciate the personal reflection that went into your answers ☺️ I’m currently in law school, a few years after getting my undergrad in electrical engineering. Even though I’m watching you talk about why you quit, your video, surprisingly, hasn’t made me contemplate quitting. Instead, it provoked me to reflect and consider what my personal values are, where my happiness comes from, and what I hope to get out of this new career. Excited to follow along your journey via UA-cam!
Thanks for such a thoughtful comment, I really appreciate it! It's great to hear that the video provoked reflection instead of creating fear, uncertainty, etc. towards a legal career 😊 Wishing you all the best with law school!
There's some sunk cost but the pride of the diploma, the SKILLS and EXPERIENCE you learnt and the joy of the journey are nearly priceless !
Pretty sure you are did the right choice. Keep it up for your vidéos are awesome :D
For sure - thank you so much!
I think you are a great example of the new generation where you have the capacity to recognize you are capable of changing and recreating a new life. I love it and find inspiration with that. Stay positive and live in the possibilities.
Thank you so much!
You have such a calm voice that it sounds like it’s a therapy session. Love this type of video!
Thanks so much Agnes! ❤️ Feeling more comfortable in front of the camera now hehe
Best of luck!
What a good video. I want you see more!
Could you film more videos with different topics, like the salary of a lawyer, how did you go together with Lloyd, how do you spend a week after quit, or event you can talk about marrigae, sex and culture different between US and HK!
I am longing for you next video!
Love ur sharing
Good content, more please :) It's like listening to a friend while I'm having a coffee. Money and Lifestyle as a lawyer next pls!
Thank you! We'll definitely do more videos like this (and address those topics) ☺️
You know what you are, well done.
Splendid!!
I know I would not regret because if I did not pull the plug, and had many years gone in agony, and I will regret that. It is just delaying the process, eventually I know I would quit. Thank you for your insightful videos.
Just stumbled across your channel and enjoying the topic. After graduating high school in Hong Kong, I came to the States and obtained a BS in biochemistry. While going to med school was the logical next step, scoring a good paying job made me stayed in the biomedical field for a few years. Switching to law was almost an accident when I moonlighted in the police department and the courts as an interpreter. After three years of law school, I practiced Chapter 11 corporate reorganization with an international law firm for many years. Long hours-hard work was a given. Now I have joined the judiciary, and deciding commercial litigation cases is what I enjoy doing. Besides the reasonable working hours, having a government pension is a plus, even though the renumeration pales in comparison had I stayed in the firm and made partner. Have you considered working pro bono and dedicate your legal skills to helping those who are in need?
I love your English speaking!
Thank you for your video, I was a lawyer too and decided to leave the industry in order to strike a work life balance and find my happiness. That said, sometimes, I ask the same question about myself and feel lost, but your story is inspiring and remind me of what I want most. So, Thank you.
You have my greatest respect. A 75 retired young man.
It's fine to quit when you're not longer happy. It's taking me time to quit. As a business owner, I've been doing the same thing for 10 years. You've definitely inspired me to take the courage and quit my boss. Which is myself and be happy for once in my lifetime. Money definitely cannot buy you happiness. Good luck with your life!
just watched your video about the life of the week and next video is about you quit the job. well it is no regret at all as knowledge is with you and how do u apply it in the lifetime. I used to study hotel management in Switzerland and I quitted after working in hospitality industry for 12 years . then I turn to a building surveyor and work in architectural services. take care 🙂
Just wondering if by any chance you could make a video on what are some of the good reasons to actually STAY and continue to work as a lawyer? I know everyone is different but curious to know what your perspectives are on this!😊
The production value of your video definitely spiked after you quit your full time job. Its like watching msmojo now
Thanks so much, Bonnie!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼
As someone who recently quit my job, happiness is priority number one!
Couldn't agree more (and congratulations on quitting!) 😊
Quality video here!!!!
Thanks a lot Aaron!!
I work in the construction field and I work with lawyers like you. Honestly everytime I gave them documents, I always felt sorry for them. Its hard and dry, they work so much more than they get paid for. All I can say is good for you, honestly we have made our life on earth so complicated lol
Thank you for the honest take and for leaving a comment - it definitely was very hard work at times, but a rewarding experience to have gone through nonetheless. Certainly happy to be doing something different now!
As Morpheus says in The Matrix: Reloaded: "No, what happened, happened and couldn't have happened any other way." You had to go this path to learn what you learned. As Eminem says in the song "Not afraid": "I had to go to that place to get to this one." As a religious person I have to say: We're all here on a spiritual path and we shouldn't look at what happens to us in life as regrets, even the hard things, but they're all meant to teach us something and serve our spiritual growth. The years in the law career were in no way a waste of time, but necessary for you to realize (with certainty) that this was not something for you and to come out of this process with accumulated lessons and knowledge about life and yourself.
Great choice of quotes - couldn't agree more (or have put it better myself!) 😊
@@EmandLloyd Well, to add another quote from Robbie William's song "No regrets" to it: "No regrets... They don't work."
So UA-cam's notoriously devious algo led me to your vlog today.
I watched your first vlog about your daily life as a lawyer. The only thought I had going through my mind was "Holy Moly, this is super super super boring. You sure you want to do this for the rest of your life? All those long working hours to boot but what is new working in H.K?"
After finished watching the vlog I searched your channel and found this gem.
Anyway, regardless of why you decided to go to law school in the first place you made the right decision.
When's the last time you took time out to really smell the roses?
You are not young and you are not old. You are at your prime. Life is not just about making obscene amount of money as a lawyer. There are lot more to life than being slave to the corporate world.
The most important thing in life is to find out what you love and enjoy doing the most out of it. If you able to do that then you will excel in whatever you want to pursue in life. You may not make tons of money like a lawyer would but you will be way much happier.
Life is short. It is not only about making money or to own that dream house of yours. That's unfortunately the stupid H.K culture concocted by the greedy H.K real estate mogul billionaires to enslave the Hong Kongers.
As I said life is short. Do what you enjoy doing most and the rest will come.
You made a wise decision. Plus, once you made that decision there is no looking back. Looking back asking what ifs is just a waste of time and space in your head. Instead, simply look forward for a better and brighter future. Your life will be that much more rewarding.
Wishing you all the best and success in the future as you embark on an adventurous new challenging journey!!
Take care and God Bless.
I became a lawyer bcos my Asian parents wanted me to but my heart wasnt in the legal field so now I am in finance :)
As a banker I can tell you finance will drain you just as much as being a lawyer. Easily 12 hour days if you’re in investment or corporate finance.
How apt that you start with looking up the definition 🤣 very lawyer- like
I feel like if you have this experiences as resting time and not something definitive, and settle your mind to maybe go back to be a lawyer later, would be easier to cope
Now that Em has quit, do both of you work from home now? Can you guys do an apartment tour some time to show us the home office setup for you both? That'd be really helpful. Thanks!
For sure! This is something we've had in mind to do
to look up the definition of regret and then consider whether you regreit it is such a lawyer's way of answering the question 😅
😂
Thank you for this! On the flip side, where else do you think you would have looked to learned the lessons you did? (I think that will be very helpful to younger audiences like myself who are still in law school and pondering whether law is the career wed wanna pursue!) Thank you Em! :))
Great question! The reason why I think my particular path wasn't the only way to learn what I did is because the things I learned (especially re stress management, taking responsibility for my own happiness and identifying my values) don't require a legal career to learn. It's more of an internal process - one can start reflecting on these topics at any stage, no matter their career. For instance, I could have started examining my own values and thinking critically about what I liked/disliked about law back when I was a law student, but I ended up not doing that until after I started working as a lawyer. Hope this helps!
The knowledge is important. If we don't have those experiences, we rely on others and sometimes they can only give 70% but the real solution comes from our own self wisdom. 🤔
"If you wish you did do what you didn't" could also entail reflecting upon the time you didn't spend on your creative pursuits and requiring the skill set for them in the past, not just your current decision not to continue with your law profession.
Good point and agreed!
New subbie here, and just a few videos in, i must say your level of eloquence and determination to understanding oneself is so inspiring that I hope I would one day grow towards. With that being said, if you're open to suggestion, I'll greatly appreciate if you can talk through your process around self - reflection (One thing i admit i have a tough time doing, despite knowing it is important). How did one get around the fear of confronting and reflecting on one's action/life and staying subjective....
Thank you so much for checking out our videos and for leaving such a thoughtful comment! That's a great idea - for sure something we will have a think about when planning out future videos :)
Only 29 that's still so young. I feel like one doesn't have to be a lawyer or practice law to make it worth it. My cousin doesn't practice law. She does work in the legal department in companies but she doesn't practice it. That aside, I feel like the skills learned can be put into use like counseling or make HR etc.
Shit. I quit my job at 29 too! No regrets and best decision I ever made in my adult life. And this rat race be damned!
Nothing to regret about. You have mastered the articulation and effective skills of reading and writing that are immensely powerful for the rest of your life.
Yes but at what cost. Doing something you eventually realize you dislike or never wanted to do. You still wasted time doing something as opposed to something else which you could have found worthwhile. What good are those skills if now someone quits law and does something they’re more passionate and happy about which never utilizes those skills.
@@kermitsippintea7433 Nothing is entirely waste of time. She mastered some skills that can be implemented in other occupations or businesses.
@@booneguy I agree but that’s also with the assumption you’re making she would even move on into another venture or business that involves using those skills and I’m telling you that’s not always the case and usually it actually isn’t. I know someone who went through medical school hated it switched to law school liked it better became an attorney he learned a lot at medical school but wasted 4 years of his life and for what, never using those skills into his day to day practice. I’m not trying to argue with you unnecessarily I’m just showing you that being a little too optimistic by seeing that bright side of everything doesn’t always help because by saying hey at least you mastered certain skills can’t be called a waste of time but if you never planned on moving to something else that uses those skills it’s ok to accept you’ve wasted time in your life. Just remember time is precious and not to waste anymore and be mindful of your choices going forward is how I’d chalk it up to.
@@kermitsippintea7433 Well, I studied biochemistry then law and I have benefited the skills in a finance startup so it all depends on how you understand how to utilize the relevant skills. The most I’ve benefited from was the quick learning of new industries and not being afraid of dynamically changing environments. If I can do that then almost anyone can.
I went to law school after working in Tech. (CS Major). I then worked in law at a IP firm and at a large multinational as a summer associate. Realized It was so so boring and that IP is very repetitive. Now I work in Tech again with 2x the pay I had before + stocks and work normal hours. way better. I don't think law is worth the insane hours or the way lawyers are treated. Because I didn't go into debt for law school I don't regret it. If I did have debt my opinion would be different. Congrats on finding something better!
It appears that many corporate jobs in the modern age such as finance (investment banking & PE), accounting (big4), law all have in common of overworking their employees. I have seen many posts, videos and heard anecdotes of people quitting from all 3 sectors I mentioned. This is truly something revolutionary - I don't think people used to quit like this in waves in the past years/decades. Firms need to care more about their employees and work life balance.
For sure - and it definitely helps that the economy is changing with the internet. There are so many ways to make a living nowadays!
Wow. I'm looking at my case differently.
you are so beautiful and your man is such a lucky guy wow I have never seen such an angel .
Thank you for this video Em. Would you make a video on what did quit your career for? What have you been doing since you quit? Are you satisfied now?
Yes, I plan on making a video covering those topics down the road! I've moved into content creation, but as it's only been a few months I want to give it some more time before I talk about those topics (and conclude if I'm satisfied) :)
First on behalf of CTKOM
Something Good Sight ...and No Regret
Nice! Currently facing the same but in a whole different industry. So what are your future plans at the moment?
Thank you! For the moment, I've moved into content creation (which includes this channel!)
Can I ask what would be the next step for your Career now? Are you planning to go back to Uni again to pursue the Career that you want, thanks.
The ability to think that you learn in law school. Nth can take it away from u. Besides change of career is not a bad idea at all. You can see from angles others can't see.
Have you guys considered doing videos on commercial Awareness - for those who want to go into the commercial sphere ???? - no UA-camr are really doing that well enough yet!
Thanks for the suggestion, we'll definitely consider doing a video on that!
Is there anyone as a lawyer about age 40 in your previous law firm? I want to be a lawyer but my life path is off the road, so if I want to be continue to complete my goal /restart my study life to become a lawyer I probably will be around age 38-40… I’m afraid that would be too late to be a lawyer and probably no law firm would like to hire me… What’s your suggestion?
Hii, I really like your video... I just want to ask you a question on how you deal with self doubt? Like it happens to everyone right..! Tell us about a phase in your life that make you as who you are as a person.
Good question! I think it’ll depend on your source(s) of self-doubt - for instance, a lot of mine was due to being very harsh on myself and needing external validation. Will definitely consider talking about this in a future video!
Closeish second
Nothing It's to regret just do what you like
Run Run Run
what brand u like to most for handbag and how much did u spent?
the sound and vdo quality are so fine...would you tell us what kind of equipments you are using? thz...
In this video we are using a Sony ZV1 camera together with a Rode VideoMic NTG!
@@EmandLloyd TQSM...and i-movie for editing??
@@cexygrandmaster We use Premiere Pro for editing :)
❤️
I was wondering how you make your living now that you quit law? I am rethinking my decision but I am worrying about this question. Did you decrease expenses and living on savings or are you working a part time or have financial assistance?
I've moved into content creation (which has recently started to produce an income). Prior to that I decreased my expenses and lived on savings as I wanted to focus on content creation full-time, though I was considering picking up part-time work if my savings got too low!
Nice painting! Is that at a workshop? Care to share the place? Thanks!
Thanks 😊 The place I paint at is called Studio 83 in Central!
Emma and Emily
Hi, where did you attend law school? Nice video - hope you find your way
We both went to law school in Hong Kong! :)
What are you going to do next?
Good move to leave! As our world grows in consciousness, we will find the world doesn’t need more lawyers, it needs more people following their hearts. Needing lawyers is a mark of us being in a not very advanced civilization. The only reason we need to have law and to enforce it is because people live in separation from one another. If people understand that harming others means harming the self, we scarcely need law to tell us how to live from the heart and to treat all of life with decency and kindness.
May I ask what new career path you're going into now that you've quitted being a lawyer?
UA-camr …
Do you ever consider working as lawyer in a different type of job?
I wished I had watched your video 20 years ago...LOL
only regret if u never try!
What is your way forward now? Any plans?
We've gotten this question a lot recently - will address this soon :)
I see these videos on UA-cam about people quitting their law job and they all seem to just completely leave the field? Why? Why not just branch out on your own? Isn't (or shouldn't) that be the end goal?
I am a lawyer since 1998. I hate this profession and wish I never got into it. I was afraid of change and loosing my investment so here I am 24 years later resentful. As for your question why not branch out. This is a profession in which you don't create but ruther overview others work. The other aspect is that all your work is down to what some judge will decide. Often the ruling doesn't have to do much with justice or the law but more with politics and such. It is frustrating and discouraging and it doesn't change when you branch out. I hope this gives you an answer.
It really depends on the individual, and what they like and dislike about the job/the work. While a lot of videos on UA-cam show lawyers leaving the field altogether, we also personally know a number of lawyers who leave private practice but stay in the field as they still like certain aspects of legal work (that just wasn't the case for me). The same goes for branching out, in that such a goal might not align with what one wants out of their career. There's also issues with feasibility (for instance, in Hong Kong it's difficult to do so as it requires an enormous amount of resources).
I agree, it really depends on the individual and what area of law they practiced and want to practice, if at all. Not everyone has the start up capital and referral sources to have his/her own law practice. Also, people who only worked for the government or big corporate law firms for a few years may not have the practical knowledge and experience to do other areas of law as a solo. Others just don't want to deal with litigation, deadlines, clients, etc. and say peace out.
What’s your point of vlog?
How bouT in Govt
How is life in honk kong though
Hey em
I used to be an engineer n my bf management consultant
I quit my job to become stay at home wife
I do some freelancing as insta n LinkedIn manager but everyone is calling me a gold digger 😭😭and ambition less n worthless
Sorry to hear that that's happening 🙁 I think it's (unfortunately) easy for people to jump to conclusions about others, especially negative conclusions...instead of remembering that no one can really know what another person's situation or relationship is like unless they're a part of it. Wishing you all the best with your freelancing!
@@EmandLloyd aww thank you so much 💜🙏