The Mustang Journal – When Litigation Looks Better on Paper Than in Life

On paper, being a litigator sounds like strategy, persuasion, and high-stakes problem-solving — almost cinematic. In real life, it’s missed lunches, nights staring at the ceiling replaying arguments, watching solid points get ignored, and feeling like your whole day hinges on someone else’s 30-second ruling.

It’s not just the law you’re managing — it’s people, egos, deadlines, personalities, and the emotional residue of constant conflict. And some days, the grind hits harder than others.

Today’s Breaking Point

Today, I walked out of court knowing I’d given everything I could — and still felt the weight of the loss. Clients hadn’t been truthful with me. Opposing counsel wouldn’t even discuss the matter — no phone call, no real exchange — just dropped 139 pages of filings and a response less than 48 hours before the hearing, and the judge simply reads the law without any real empathy of the tactics at play.

It’s hard to fight clean when you’re up against tactics that seem designed to drain your energy instead of solve a problem. And while I know this is part of the game, it’s the kind of day that makes you question how much of your life you want to spend in this arena.

The Toll No One Talks About

A lot of litigators eventually hit the wall — that moment you realize being good at litigation doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you. The skills, the advocacy, the wins — they come at the cost of constant emotional readiness, thick skin on demand, and the ability to keep swinging when you’re already exhausted.

That’s the part they don’t tell you in law school. The stress doesn’t always show in your record — it shows in your life.

How Others Have Adapted

Some attorneys I know have figured out a way to keep their edge without letting litigation eat them alive. They’ve shifted their practices so they can still litigate when they want to — the cases that matter to them, where they can truly add value — but the rest of their work comes from advisory roles, transactional matters, mediation, or niche consulting.

They haven’t lost their skills. In fact, they’re sharper because they’re no longer running on fumes. They’ve built careers that keep the best of what they love about law and leave the rest behind.

Where I Stand

I’m not there yet. I still take the fights that come, because part of me is wired for the courtroom. But I’m learning to protect my energy and choose my battles. The law may be a profession, but litigation is a lifestyle — and it’s one I’m learning doesn’t have to be 24/7.

Some days, you walk out of court feeling like the system worked. Other days, you walk out knowing the win was surviving it.

Either way — I’m still standing, still swinging, and still fighting.

#TheMustangLawyer