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.
I’m calling this week’s episode, “Most Lawyers Would Not Admit This.” Today, I’m talking about my experience with clinical anxiety, and why it’s so often mistaken for “typical” lawyer stress. For most lawyers, it’s hard to admit that we’re struggling—even to ourselves. I’ve actually written about the topic of this episode before on the blog. I thought it was the…
I’m so excited to share this episode with my friend Megan Smiley with you. Megan and I are kindred spirits. We just met earlier this year, but she started her podcast, The Lawyer’s Escape Pod, the same week that I started The Former Lawyer Podcast. I love what she’s doing in the world, and I can’t wait to share it…
After more than 10 years of legal practice, Geoffrey Stein went to art school and became a full-time artist and portrait painter. Meet Former Lawyer Geoffrey Stein During the recession of the early 80s, Geoffrey Stein decided to go to law school after finding it difficult to find a job with his liberal arts undergraduate degree. He hated his first…
Heather Yurovsky went to law school unsure of whether she would practice law long-term. After a year of practice, the verdict was in (no pun intended)—legal practice was not for her. So, Heather embarked on a new career path, learning how to simply take the next step when it revealed itself to her. If you’ve ever worried about needing to…
Valerie Beck felt like she didn’t fit in from the moment she arrived in law school. After several Biglaw jobs and an in-house gig, she decided law was truly not the place for her and decided to forge her own career path in the world of chocolate. Nearly 20 years ago, she started a business providing chocolate tours to people…
In episode 059, Jessica Medina shared all about how she ended up in law school, and then Biglaw, before deciding to leave to take a job at the SEC. In this episode, Jessica shares about how she realized after making the move to the SEC that it wasn’t just Biglaw that she didn’t enjoy—she didn’t enjoy being a lawyer. She…
