When Tyler Coulson left Sidley Austin in March 2011 to walk across the country with little more than $5,000, a pile of camping gear, and his dog Mabel, he knew only one thing for sure: He never wanted to work on corporate bankruptcies again.
A year and a half after concluding his coast-to-coast journey, Coulson, 34, is once again practicing law. And he has a few unsolicited words of wisdom for the 60 former Weil, Gotshal & Manges associates recently laid off by the firm.
In a June 25 post published on his personal blog, Coulson, who lives in Chicago, offers the ex-Weil associates five strategies for “dealing with your layoff.” Written in what he describes as his “dry and midwestern” tone—which some might consider simply sarcastic—Coulson’s tips range from the somewhat logical “change careers” to the darker “drop out of society, punish yourself for your failures, and wish for death.”
Under the heading “Take Solace in the Pains of Others,” he also offers a warning of sorts that echoes commentary by legal consultants analyzing Weil’s June 24 announcement that a drop in demand for “premium legal services” had compelled the firm to reduce its associate ranks, let go of 110 nonlawyer staffers, and reduce the compensation of roughly 10 percent of its partners.
