“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....”

This wasn’t Star Wars. This was a recent article by Dylan Gottlieb about how law firms had turned into white-collar sweatshops.

And it featured me, which was a surprise.

“The judge could scarcely believe the figures.

Reviewing the request for legal fees by Skadden, the New York-based law firm, the US District Court Judge Leonard Sand ‘shuddered to think’ that any one lawyer could work so relentlessly.

Margaret Enloe, a second-year associate, had logged 78.5 billable hours working for a client over a five-day stretch. After a 17-hour day, she had trudged back to the office the next morning – and gone on to bill 24 hours straight. Enloe shrugged off the judge’s disbelief. ‘I’m a fairly high-energy-level person,’ she said. ‘I worked more than one 24-hour day when I was at Skadden.’”

Reading this reference to my life as a junior litigation associate, I barely recognize myself, though I do recall those years.

After Skadden, a firm I appreciated for many reasons despite the long hours, I joined the legal department of Coopers & Lybrand which merged in '98 with PW to become PwC.

During my 25+years there, I saw it all including big lawsuits, SEC investigations, mediations, and trials in federal and state courts around the country. The work afforded me an opportunity to work with countless capable professionals in the firm and at many law firms.

Lived experience is the best teacher.

I’m now an executive and transition coach, guiding attorneys and other professionals to design lives that work for them. My own life is a rich mix of work, travel, sports, and time with family and friends.

The full Gottlieb article — “White-collar sweatshops…How did law firms and other professional workplaces become places of such crushing and soulless work?” — is a fascinating historical perspective on the life of lawyers.

Should you prefer audio to text, it’s a 32-minute listen.

Lawyers, what do you think? Does this ring true for your experience?