Long time reader, first time poster. I’m a student at the University of Michigan Law School and I’m writing a paper about attorneys that compete in athletics. I’m hoping to connect with some powerlifters and other strength athletes (strongman, Highland games, bodybuilding, etc.) with law degrees and learn about how they balance the demands of a legal career with their sport.
If you’d like to share your story or know of someone who might, please contact me, either on this thread or through a PM.
I’m a 1L at Texas. I haven’t had much trouble keeping up my training while in school, but the time required by class is not even half of what would be required for the first couple of years in practice: 90 hour weeks anyone?
Training itself has never been the biggest time investment. I train, what, maybe 9-10 hours a week on the high end in terms of time spent in the gym. I’m pretty sure any working person can manage to get three days a week. The biggest challenges I see any profession posing to training is 1) kids and 2) keeping a clean diet. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I want to tell the managing partner at my firm that I need to eat at least three meals at work…
Edit: I don’t know any practicing lawyers who actively lift, but I know plenty of doctors who do. I don’t know if that helps, but maybe they know some lawyers.
I’m a partner at an AmLaw 100 firm. I’ve powerlifted since 2000, consistently doing at least 2-3 meets a year (with one brief period where I “retired”). I don’t have kids and I have a wife who works a lot. Training for powerlifting while being a lawyer hasn’t been all that hard for me outside of the first couple of years of practice. It’s just a question of making it a priority and being efficient at work.
[quote]burt128 wrote:
I’m a partner at an AmLaw 100 firm. I’ve powerlifted since 2000, consistently doing at least 2-3 meets a year (with one brief period where I “retired”). I don’t have kids and I have a wife who works a lot. Training for powerlifting while being a lawyer hasn’t been all that hard for me outside of the first couple of years of practice. It’s just a question of making it a priority and being efficient at work.[/quote]
I hope you can keep training consistently once you do. I need to know it’s possible
I’m a practicing lawyer licensed in three states. I’ve done the huge firm, litigation boutique, and solo thing and its always been busy for me regardless of the size firm I was in. But I’ve always made time for things outside of work and if you don’t you are doing it wrong, IMO.
I’m in litigation and the thing about litigation is that its deadline driven and has ebbs and flows. Most of the year I make time to train without a problem, but there are rare occasions when there simply isn’t time for anything else other than work. I’d say if this happens infrequently that’s normal, but if it happens regularly or all the time then you have taken on too much work and you’ve made a structural problem for yourself. If you are at a firm that demands work 100% of the time and leaves no time for training or anything else, you need to either leave or figure out whether the problem is really you learning how to say “no” and justify why you are saying “no” or learn how to better manage your time.
Right now I have a wife and a boy and make time for them; train for master’s powerlifting; and train for competitive waterskiing. I also work lots of weird hours and many times get up very early to bang things out or work after everyone goes to bed. Sometimes I pull all-nighters, and sometimes when its slow I say fuck it and we take off camping somewhere for a few days. That’s just the way I’ve always done it. The bottom line is you have to find a way that works for you.
Thanks a lot for the responses, everyone! Except for the one about too many lawyers… although that’s unfortunately very accurate
@burt128 and @jjackrash, would either of you be willing to answer a few questions, perhaps over email or phone? (It appears I’m not able to send PM’s on this site.) I’d love to get a few more details about how you train, how your firms were structured, etc. It would be especially interesting to get the “Big Law” perspective, since the class I’m writing for focuses primarily on careers in Big Law.
I’m sure you’re busy guys, so as much or as little as you can share would be greatly appreciated! And of course, I’m happy to keep your identity as anonymous as you’d like.
If anyone else knows any other attorneys who compete in powerlifting (or any other sport) and might be willing to share, please let me know.
I’m not a lawyer but I am a business owner in the oil and gas industry with locations in 3 states with an addition 4 traveling units so I know all about those 90 hour weeks. It is possible to train and get stronger. The one downside is I don’t consistently have a group to train with. Even when I’m home I still find myself training alone quite often. I rely heavily on lawyers so I’m actually thankful for your profession, lol. The best of luck to you and your training.
[quote]rimalenf wrote:
I can’t help you with any lawyers that lift, but I’m a 2L at Michigan, small world. Where do you train while you’re up here?[/quote]
Wow, small world! I’m a 2L summer starter myself. I train at the CCRB, usually right when it opens at 6 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. (Although in the next couple weeks my schedule might be different since I’m doing a USAPL meet in Kalamazoo on Saturday and I’ll be taking some days off.) How about you?
[quote]burt128 wrote:
I’m a partner at an AmLaw 100 firm. I’ve powerlifted since 2000, consistently doing at least 2-3 meets a year (with one brief period where I “retired”). I don’t have kids and I have a wife who works a lot. Training for powerlifting while being a lawyer hasn’t been all that hard for me outside of the first couple of years of practice. It’s just a question of making it a priority and being efficient at work.[/quote]
I hope you can keep training consistently once you do. I need to know it’s possible
[/quote]
Can’t help you there – two dogs are as close as I’m going to ever get to kids.
[quote]jkoelz wrote:
Thanks a lot for the responses, everyone! Except for the one about too many lawyers… although that’s unfortunately very accurate
@burt128 and @jjackrash, would either of you be willing to answer a few questions, perhaps over email or phone? (It appears I’m not able to send PM’s on this site.) I’d love to get a few more details about how you train, how your firms were structured, etc. It would be especially interesting to get the “Big Law” perspective, since the class I’m writing for focuses primarily on careers in Big Law.
I’m sure you’re busy guys, so as much or as little as you can share would be greatly appreciated! And of course, I’m happy to keep your identity as anonymous as you’d like.
If anyone else knows any other attorneys who compete in powerlifting (or any other sport) and might be willing to share, please let me know.
Thanks again![/quote]
I’ll answer some questions. I don’t think pms work, so let me know how to get in touch.
[quote]jkoelz wrote:
Thanks a lot for the responses, everyone! Except for the one about too many lawyers… although that’s unfortunately very accurate
@burt128 and @jjackrash, would either of you be willing to answer a few questions, perhaps over email or phone? (It appears I’m not able to send PM’s on this site.) I’d love to get a few more details about how you train, how your firms were structured, etc. It would be especially interesting to get the “Big Law” perspective, since the class I’m writing for focuses primarily on careers in Big Law.
I’m sure you’re busy guys, so as much or as little as you can share would be greatly appreciated! And of course, I’m happy to keep your identity as anonymous as you’d like.
If anyone else knows any other attorneys who compete in powerlifting (or any other sport) and might be willing to share, please let me know.
Thanks again![/quote]
I’ll answer some questions. I don’t think pms work, so let me know how to get in touch.
[/quote]
Great! Thanks a lot! You send me an email at jkoelz@umich.edu, and then I’ll send you a couple questions.
Do you all have particular strategies regarding scheduling that you use to make sure you have time to get the work in?
I’m starting at a firm this fall, and I’m thinking that I’ll always have Sunday mornings for a long squat/leg session and most Saturdays for a bench/chest day. I will hope to lift six days a week, but I’ll maintain that most of those days are conditional on time available, and on those days where I can’t lift I’ll make a half hour to get some conditioning work in, even if just a jog.
This isn’t just for lawyers, of course. Would love to hear from anyone who has a hectic work schedule.
[quote]The3Commandments wrote:
Do you all have particular strategies regarding scheduling that you use to make sure you have time to get the work in?
I’m starting at a firm this fall, and I’m thinking that I’ll always have Sunday mornings for a long squat/leg session and most Saturdays for a bench/chest day. I will hope to lift six days a week, but I’ll maintain that most of those days are conditional on time available, and on those days where I can’t lift I’ll make a half hour to get some conditioning work in, even if just a jog.
This isn’t just for lawyers, of course. Would love to hear from anyone who has a hectic work schedule.[/quote]
You need to get settled in and then figure it out. In the past I have done 4:30 a.m. training when necessary, or late at night. Now I work for myself and usually go middle of the afternoon unless I am meeting with clients or in court and work more in the mornings and evenings. It also depends on other social activities, if you like happy hours or bar hopping, for example, this will each into your training time. Sometimes “after work” social activities are not avoidable, however, if that’s the time to get face time with your boss or meet with clients or prospective clients.
