Field of Practice for a New Attorney

[Careerchoice]

Hi, I could use some help in deciding which career path to pursue as a new attorney in the US (NY to be precise).

 

I have an offer from a friend who has been practicing as an attorney for a few years to partner up and start our own firm. He has experience as a criminal defense attorney, but we would be left to learn everything else on our own if we did general practice. My pay would be variable, but my friend can say with certainty that he would be able to bring in at least 100k for the first year which he would be willing to split with me. We would have very low overhead as I have access to resources (office space, computers, etc.).

 

I have also been presented with an offer to manage a department in a company. I would not start within the legal department as one does not specifically exist, but the company is growing and there seems to be a reasonable chance that they would need someone to fill and in-house counsel position in the near future. I have been told that I would obviously be in strong consideration for that position as well as the pay increase that would accompany added duties, based on how well I perform in my current position. The offer is 61k/yr with the opportunity to bonus an additional 6k.

 

I'm not necessarily in love with the idea of having a boss again, but the 9-5 lifestyle this job would present has its attraction. Can anyone (esp US attorneys) please offer any help with this? Thank you.

[acfan]

Hi,I'm not an attorney, but I would steer clear of working with your friend. I have had bad experiences mixing friendship and business. The company job sounds like a solid option and maybe you could do some work on the side with your office space. Good luck!