A few months ago I was asking for some career advice from Jordan Furlong, of the CBA‘s National Magazine.

My concerns over bait-and-switch tactics by law firms and the enormously high turnover in some had me thinking.

We compared law to other professional degrees, and the pros and cons of each. Jordan suggested that I look at law as an investment in a personal skills enhancement project,

He responded at that time by saying,

I think a better way to look at it might be to consider the first seven years in the law to be the admissions process: three in school, one in articling, three in post-articling (most often, in a large law firm). At the end of those seven years, you’ve accumulated at least a minimal set of knowledge, skills and networks, you’ve paid down a chunk of your investment debt, and you can actually go out and start your real career. Viewed in that light, the working conditions for new lawyers seem a little more palatable, because new lawyers don’t see the harrowing associate experience as the norm or the template for the rest of their careers; they see it as an extended work term, co-op placement, apprenticeship, whatever, that has no particular bearing on where they’ll go next. If we could ever establish that way of thinking in the profession, we’d have much calmer and happier new grads.

Our conversation grew into an article that he posted on his site.

It proved so popular that the Young Lawyer’s Edition of the Addendum published it this month.

Perhaps it’s slightly disheartening to think of even more years ahead of me. But at the same time it might bring greater satisfaction and purpose to the challenges ahead.