Do you hate working as a lawyer? Are you sick of doomscrolling LinkedIn hoping the perfect non-legal job will appear? The Former Lawyer Podcast is hosted by Sarah Cottrell, an ICF-certified career coach who has worked with hundreds of lawyers to help them identify an alternative career. Join her each week for advice and strategies for lawyers who dream of an alternative career, and interviews with former lawyers who have left law behind to find careers and lives that they love.
The Former Lawyer Podcast is a production of Former Lawyer LLC, a career coaching consultancy founded by Sarah that helps lawyers who want to leave law identify the alternative career that is right for them.
There’s a dangerous narrative gaining traction, that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are to blame for what’s broken in Biglaw. For anyone who’s actually worked in that environment, the idea that there’s too much DEI is not just inaccurate, it’s laughable. Yes, Biglaw has problems. But DEI isn’t one of them. Biglaw’s Problems Run Deep, and They’re Not New…
In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah is joined by Laura Markham, a member of the Collab and Collab Plus. Laura’s story is one of resilience, reevaluation, and ultimately, reimagining what a sustainable, values-aligned career looks like after unimaginable loss. Laura shares how the sudden death of her husband in 2023 forced a complete reassessment—not just of her…
If 2025 has already felt like a lot, you’re not alone. In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell offers a short but important reminder, if you’re just getting by right now, that’s okay. Based in the U.S., Sarah shares that the start of the year has been heavy. Between the news and the general state of things,…
Have you ever found yourself wondering if being a lawyer is still the right path for you, but felt guilty or afraid to admit it? In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell tackles a topic that might sound obvious but is surprisingly difficult for many lawyers to accept: you’re allowed to change your mind. For people outside…
If you feel like all you do is complain about your job, you’re not alone. Many lawyers reach a point where they’re exhausted, not just by their work, but by how much they talk about how miserable it makes them. In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell addresses what happens when you reach that breaking point. She…
On today’s podcast, Sarah is chatting with a familiar guest who has been on the podcast several times. It’s her husband, Ed Cottrell. They met in law school and graduated at the same time. Ed’s path took a different route than Sarah’s, and he now works in the tech field after leaving law. Today’s conversation explores the common interest of…
