My dad grew up dirt poor. Like, lived in the US in a couple places with actual dirt floors dirt poor. My mom grew up middle class with a sah mom and a refrigerator salesman dad. From the moment I could comprehend words they told me “work hard and you can be a vet, or a doctor, or a scientist, or an attorney and then you can be rich and not work as hard as we have to!”
I watched my mom give up her entire life and any relationship with my brother and I for her career before she was basically ejected from the school she taught at for sponsoring too many “clubs for gay kids.” My dad busted his ass for years for his company before he was told to write software program to make his job obsolete.
I worked hard, I kept my nose down, and thought – man- if I just keep working, I can be a lawyer and be rich! Now I find out this is just a scam too. I work 60 hour weeks and it's still not enough for my boss. They want more More MORE. Always more. Why aren't I billing more? Why am I leaving before 6:30? Why am I getting in after 7? I feel passionate about my work but understand I'm being given so much work that I can't diligently represent all my clients. At least I can sleep at night knowing my clients are only squabbling over money. This is the same work environment for family law attorneys and criminal law attorneys. Imagine being crushed under the weight of your work trying to help people get custody of their kids or their freedom? I would absolutely shoot myself. I'm not even being funny.
I don't even know where the money goes. I know they charge 300 per hour minimum for the work I do, but by the time it works out at the end of the month I'm making less than my assistant does at $30/hr. The single people I work with can't even afford to live alone anymore without commuting from distant suburbs, moving in with parents, or both, depending on the amount of student debt they're paying off.
This was the American dream. This was my parents dream for me. This is fucking garbage. I'm just killing myself so billionaire companies can play “fuck you” with their “fuck you” money. I don't even get vacation or sick days. They justify it by saying I have to work x number of hours a week and not 9-5. It's so fucked. I worked through a family members funeral. I worked the day of my wedding. I know women who's water broke in the office. One was answering emails during labor.
ThIs iS wHaT yOu CaN hAvE iF yOu WoRk HaRd EnOuGh!