TFS#216 - Sophia Lee (Tiktok Creator)Shares Her Journey Working in Big Law & Path To Becoming A Lawyer

THE FLIP SIDE with Andy Mai

Sophia Lee, a TikTok influencer working in Big Law, shares career insights, advice for aspiring lawyers, and a glimpse into her daily life.

Connect w/ Sophia Lee! https://www.tiktok.com/@sophhialee

0:00 - Introduction

0:48 - Meet Sophia Lee

2:44 - First 6 months of experience working in Big Law

5:10 - What she loves about her job in Big Law

7:21 - What surprises her about the Big Law world

8:51 - Andy shares his experience meeting Googlers at a friend's birthday party

9:54 - Was it competitive to get into Big Law or a top 20 law firm?

11:43 - What drives her to pursue a career in Law

14:06 - Why she switched from pre-med to law

16:57 - Sophia graduating with a Bachelor in Psychology w/Pre-Law, Taking a Gap Year

17:19 - The journey to become licensed lawyer

18:23 - Difference between studying law in Australia vs. the US

19:53 - Big Law’s first-year associate earning $200k/year vs. Private Law firm’s first-year associate earning $100k/year

21:11 - Can you study law regardless of your undergraduate degree?

22:18 - Preparation for the upcoming LSAT

23:51 - Why doesn't Sophia apply to law school with her current LSAT score?

24:59 - Sophia shares which law schools she wants to attend

25:39 - Is it possible to climb the ranks in Big Law without a law degree?

26:34 - Sophia shares that she was born in South Korea and moved to the US when she was 3 years old

27:10 - Sophia shares her experience living in New York

28:15 - Which law firm she wants to work for

30:11 - Why she chose to study law in LA rather than New York

31:52 - The differences between the TV show "Suits" and the real legal field

35:08 - How do lawyers study ethics and then represent someone who is obviously guilty?

38:43 - How would Sophia ethically represent someone who has stolen a large amount of money?

41:36 - What makes a lawyer a good lawyer?

44:20 - Who is responsible for getting the best price when selling a company?

45:19 - What is litigation?

46:55 - Sophia discusses working in litigation in the corporate world

48:48 - Day-to-day tasks working in the corporate world

54:53 - Using AI/ChatGPT in the legal field

56:29 - The type of law she wants to pursue after earning her law degree

59:08 - Sophia discusses wanting a family while working in Big Law

1:01:01 - How her psychology degree plays a role in her job

1:04:23 - What does it take to succeed in the corporate world?

1:09:19 - What drives her to always learn from others

1:11:32 - Sophia shares their dynamic with her younger brother (Are they similar or different?)

1:12:45 - Sophia shares the dangers of working in criminal law

1:15:01 - Does Sophia see herself working 80-hour weeks until she’s 60?

1:16:05 - Lawyers who aim to save the world but end up stuck in the corporate world

1:16:47 - Why she wants to be a voice for children in the legal field

1:18:42 - Is Sophia similar to her parents? How do you raise children to want to take on the family business?

1:21:14 - How does Sophia get paid overtime for work?

1:21:46 - Sophia shares her experience working remotely from home

1:23:20 - Sophia shares her social life despite a busy work schedule

1:25:47 - How she met her old group of friends

1:26:56 - How her recent breakup affected her friend circle

1:29:48 - The reasons for her recent breakup

1:31:14 - Andy shares feeling intimidated by Sophia at the start of the podcast

1:33:12 - How she manages her messages and calls every day

1:35:40 - How she stays in touch with friends

1:37:04 - How she started creating TikTok content

1:41:43 - Why she doesn’t post on TikTok the same day she creates content

1:43:08 - Types of recovery process

1:47:01 - Sophia compliments Andy’s Australian accent

1:48:14 - Recent life discoveries

1:51:40 - Goals for the next 6 months

1:54:56 - Connect with Sophia

1:55:22 - Outro