Rick Eid: How I Quit the Law to Write for 'Law & Order'
Becoming an associate at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom was initially a dream job for Rick Eid.
And much of that dream came true, Eid writes in a Forbes. He made partner—not at Skadden, but at Manatt Phelps & Phillips, in Los Angeles. And when he decided to make a change from law firm life, a job as in-house counsel at the LA office of a British investment bank awaited him.
Then, unhappy with law practice, he took bold action and quit his job, announcing that he intended to become a screenwriter. His boss responded, “No, seriously. What are you going to do?” Eid recounts.
But he did. The experience was like starting out as a fledgling associate all over again—and working longer hours.
“Ironically, when I eventually hit the ‘big time’ as a writer-producer for Law & Order, it was due in part to my earlier experiences at Skadden and Manatt,” Eid says in the article. “I hated practicing law, but I love writing about it. The culture, the competition, the egos—it all makes for great drama.”
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Law Firm Life Satirized in Bitter Lawyer Webisodes”
