Now That the Holidays Are Over, It's Time for a Vacation!
For all those attorneys who worked through the holidays, this one's for you. It's time to plan a vacation.
It's more than OK, especially if you work for a firm like Orrick. The BigLaw leader rewarded their lawyers with $15,000 to take a vacation.
They had to bill 2,400 hours in 2018 to get the bonus, but that's par for the course at many law firms. The point is, lawyers need every break they can get.
Extraordinary Rewards
Orrick called the bonus "Unplug On Us," offering to pick up the cost of a one-week vacation up to $15,000. It was in addition to other bonuses offered to attorneys who had been at the firm at least six months.
"It's intended to support those who have worked at truly extraordinary levels and to ensure you have some time to take care of yourself," the firm announced.
Year-end bonuses are great, but it is more refreshing to take a vacation. Susan Cartier Liebel, founder and CEO of Solo Practice University, says vacations are an important part of being a good lawyer.
If you are working all the time, you start to slow down.
Slow Down
Cartier Liebel says your brain is like a computer that needs rebooting. Otherwise, it drags, glitches, and crashes.
"There is cognitive decline," she said. "What results over time is insomnia, stress which can lead to depression, substance abuse, and even worse."
The good news is that vacations can help with that. So now that you made it though the holidays, it's time to plan yours.
Related Resources:
- Fight for Your Right to Party, or How Lawyers Can Take Vacations (FindLaw's Strategist)
- The 'Justice Bus' Is Real and Awesome! (FindLaw's Strategist)
- Does Your Career Need a Tune-Up? (FindLaw's Strategist)