Law Students

Elizabeth Wurtzel on Bitter Lawyer: Law is a Refuge for Worriers

By jessie

Over at Bitter Lawyer there's a great two part interview with Elizabeth Wurtzel. After the success of Prozac Nation, Wurtzel went on to attend Yale Law ('08) and talk her way into a part-time gig at Boies, Schiller. The interview is fun because Wurtzel offers a relatively unedited view into what life at a BigLaw firm is like for snarky young woman. I kind of love it, despite some cringe-worthy moments.

It's also really interesting to hear from a successful part-time associate at a major New York firm - especially one who's part-time for professional rather than personal reasons (Wurtzel continues to write while working at Boies, Schiller). 

The interview includes a discussion of women in the law:

I don?t know that there is or isn?t [a glass ceiling]. I think with the way it is setup, it?s hard to work at a law firm?period. It?s hard work for men and women. Women who can opt out, choose to do so. I think it?s something like 16 percent of partners are women. That?s appalling. Women could really make more inroads if they stuck it out, but a lot of them opt out, and that?s really embarrassing to me.

After the jump, more from Wurtzel, including law as the refuge not just for the worriers, but for those who never had a dream...

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Full post as published by Ms. JD on July 27, 2009 (boomark / email).