I am a fourth year real estate associate in LA and I want out of the law firm life. I had planned to go in-house at this phase of my career, but none of our clients are hiring anytime in the near future (and some have just gone through some painful layoffs). I could transition to corporate with the hope of going in house in a couple of years, but I really want to leave billable work and corporate work is not too hot right now either. Where can I go and still make a decent living? What area of the business world would be interested in me?

Switch to travel and tourism and be willing to move out of LA (b/c it is all done on the east coast (Miami, Atlanta, New York)) or go international (Asia or Middle East) b/c they are hiring like mad.

I agree. Travel, tourism, resort and hotel development, international development, international investment in real estate, etc. all seem to be holding up better than the rest of the real estate world.

Hilarious. I'm a RE lawyer that's been out in the private sector, started my own company developing office and resi. Made a ton of dough during the boom but now that the market is beyond dead I'm begging for any firm to take me back in. Top 10 school, law review, etc - doesn't matter. I was out of the firm life for 6 years and nobody will touch me with a 10-foot pole.

Be careful what you wish for....

Was it nice while you were out. I realize that you now want the security and that big partner pay you could be collecting would be nice, but you escaped from the billables, non-stop work, no vacation, long hours for a few years. Can you really say that if you could go back you wouldn't do the same thing over again.

I appreciate the insights as I am I have a job when all of our clients are getting laid off, but I'm gearing up to go in house in a few. Balls out, no looking back.

Try this. Instead of leaving law firm practice consider moving to Las Vegas. The comments above about leaving law firms and having a very difficult time getting back in are quite accurate. I may have a client who would consider moving you here. The weather and cost of living are better here than Los Angeles. My client has an excellent quality of life; it's no sweatshop.

Jordan Ross Principal, Ross Legal Search, LLc 702-298-5791 (Office) e-mail jordan@rosslegal.com http://www.rosslegal.com

All right Jordana, if you are going to spam the site, at least give us more details (industry, type of law, pay, etc.). Shameless pitches with no useful details are, well useless.

The weather is better? Sipping the koolaid much?

Seriously Jordan, you are going to spam the site and then you never even respond to a serious inquiry. What kind of spineless headhunter are you?