The Christmas tree is mulched, the latkes have been eaten and the holidays are behind us. (Sigh of relief!) But now it’s February, and a lawyer’s fancy turns to … love? With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we thought we’d celebrate by dedicating our column this month to attorneys here in Philadelphia who love lawyering. And we’re not talking about ordinary job satisfaction; we’re talking about passionate, jump-out-of-bed-in-the-morning love of our work and chosen profession.
First, we admit that it’s contrary to the collective wisdom to talk about loving what we do. We’ve all heard about the surveys showing widespread dissatisfaction with the practice: Our jobs are difficult and draining; our clients expect the moon; the competition is tough. Our daily lot is to engage in intractable conflicts where repeated efforts at resolution have failed or to anticipate and prevent worst case scenarios. Sometimes it feels like we make a living playing a long, unproductive game of dodgeball. What’s to love?
