Do you hate working as a lawyer? Are you an unhappy lawyer who wants to leave the law, but isn’t sure what to do next? Do your family and friends think you’re crazy for wanting to leave the law, or are you too afraid to tell them you don’t want to be a lawyer? The Former Lawyer Podcast is for you! Each week, host Sarah Cottrell interviews a different former lawyer who has left the law behind. Hear inspiring stories about how these former lawyers are thriving and found their way to careers and lives they love.
You’ve probably seen the headlines about major law firms pulling out of diversity programs and capitulating to executive orders. Sarah has been calling out these decisions and explaining why DEI isn’t actually the problem in Biglaw. But what does someone who works specifically with diverse attorneys see when firms make these choices? Sarah recently talked with Bryson Malcolm, a legal…
You’re a senior associate at a law firm. Maybe you’re in Biglaw, maybe you’re somewhere else, but you’re definitely not happy. You might be anywhere from “this isn’t great” to straight-up miserable. But you’re still there, grinding it out, because you keep telling yourself the same thing: “It’ll get better when I make partner.” This is one of the most…
Content warning: This post discusses suicidal ideation and mental health struggles. Dan Lemon always wanted to be a lawyer. Even in second grade, when other kids were dreaming about being firefighters or astronauts, Dan was already set on law. He had no lawyers in his family and no real understanding of what practicing law actually meant, just a persistent childhood…
Biglaw has a problem—and it’s not just long hours or impossible billing targets. It’s cowardice at the top. In many of the country’s most prestigious law firms, the real rot is a leadership culture that rewards silence, self-preservation, and going along to get along. Sarah Cottrell, host of The Former Lawyer Podcast, has been calling this out for years: Biglaw…
Most lawyers know the truth. The profession is full of unspoken power dynamics. And nowhere is that clearer than inside a courtroom, especially for young lawyers clerking for judges. In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah shares why she donated to The Legal Accountability Project, a nonprofit co-founded by former podcast guest Aliza Shatzman. It’s an initiative aimed…
