When
aspiring
lawyers
are
in
college
and
law
school,
they
typically
have
substantial
time
off
from
their
studies.
Indeed,
students
usually
have
weeks
off
between
semesters,
and
may
have
close
to
three
months
off
during
the
summer. This
permits
students
to
travel,
relax,
and
do
whatever
is
necessary
to
recharge
their
batteries. However,
practicing
attorneys
often
are
not
permitted
to
take
more
than
a
few
weeks
off
at
a
time. For
many
attorneys,
the
only
way
they
can
take
more
time
off
from
work
is
if
they
intentionally
begin
a
new
job
weeks
or
even
months
after
departing
their
old
one.
I
have
heard
of
lawyers
taking
one
week
or
two
weeks
off
to
go
on
extended
vacations. In
one
instance,
I
knew
a
lawyer
who
took
nearly
an
entire
month
off
to
attend
a
wedding
and
a
honeymoon. The
longest
amount
of
time
I
ever
took
off
as
a
practicing
attorney
was
a
little
longer
than
two
weeks. I
once
worked
at
a
law
firm
at
which
pretty
much
everyone
took
off
for
the
last
few
weeks
of
December. This
was
an
awesome
experience,
since
taking
off
so
long
really
permitted
me
to
recharge
my
batteries
and
be
ready
to
return
to
work
feeling
rested
in
the
new
year.
The
only
time
I
knew
attorneys
to
take
longer
than
a
month
off
was
when
friends
of
mine
started
new
jobs. They
negotiated
a
future
start
date
with
their
new
employers,
and
they
stopped
working
at
their
current
employer
knowing
that
in
a
month
or
two
they
would
have
a
new
job
lined
up. Everyone
I
know
that
facilitated
this
arrangement
really
enjoyed
the
extended
time
they
had
before
starting
their
new
jobs.
One
of
my
friends
stayed
at
home
but
caught
up
on
a
bunch
of
errands,
watched
some
television
series
they’d
wanted
to
see
for
a
while,
and
made
time
to
see
friends
and
family
they
had
not
visited
in
ages. Another
one
of
my
friends
who
opted
for
this
arrangement
elected
to
travel
for
weeks
to
a
bunch
of
far-flung
locations. It
would
have
been
extremely
difficult
for
this
friend
to
travel
to
so
many
distant
places
within
the
confines
of
a
normal
vacation
at
a
law
firm
job.
People
feel
more
alive
and
healthier
when
they
have
extended
time
off
from
work. Not
having
to
return
to
work
for
weeks
or
months
can
lead
to
greater
relaxation
than
if
someone
takes
a
shorter
vacation. In
addition,
taking
such
time
off
between
jobs
means
that
there
is
less
likelihood
that
something
will
interrupt
a
lawyer’s
vacation. People
do
not
get
work
emails
or
client
calls
if
they
are
in-between
jobs,
and
this
can
enrich
that
person’s
time
off
substantially.
Not
everyone
can
take
gaps
in
their
employments. Some
cannot
financially
afford
to
take
such
time
off
without
a
paycheck. In
addition,
longer
periods
between
jobs
can
raise
red
flags
for
future
employers
since
gaps
in
resumes
might
be
perceived
negatively.
However,
if
people
have
the
freedom
and
flexibility
to
take
time
off
between
jobs,
the
benefits
usually
outweigh
the
risks. Free
time
during
this
period
is
often
more
secure
from
interruptions
and
taking
longer
periods
off
than
is
available
during
work
vacations
can
have
a
positive
impact
on
an
individual’s
mental
health
and
well
being.
Jordan
Rothman
is
a
partner
of The
Rothman
Law
Firm,
a
full-service
New
York
and
New
Jersey
law
firm.
He
is
also
the
founder
of Student
Debt
Diaries,
a
website
discussing
how
he
paid
off
his
student
loans.
You
can
reach
Jordan
through
email
at jordan@rothman.law.