Do you dream of leaving law?

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.

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30 May

The “No Assholes Rule” (And Why It’s A Joke) [TFLP139]

Today is going to be a little bit of a spicy episode, and we’ll be talking today about The No Assholes Rule. I’m guessing that most of you in the legal profession have heard of this “rule”.  It often comes up in interviews where you’re interviewing with a legal workplace. This happens most often in large firms, but not always….

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23 May

Working As A Woman In Biglaw And Patent Litigation with Ashley Chi [TFLP138]

On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, I spoke with Ashley Chi. Ashley worked in Biglaw for seven years in patent litigation. Then, she went in-house and managed outside patent prosecution attorneys. Now, she works as a legal recruiter.  The episode was listener-requested, looking for a former lawyer who had experience in Biglaw patent work and has had…

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9 May

How Kevin Ha Side Hustled His Way Out Of The Legal Profession [TFLP136]

On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, I had a wonderful conversation with Kevin Ha. Kevin has a unique story compared to my other guests because he side hustled his way out of the legal profession and into a full-time blogger. I’m excited for you to hear this conversation about how he went from Biglaw to the government…

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2 May

If You’re Not Suffering In The Law, You’re Not Working Hard Enough [TFLP135]

This week, I want to talk about an issue that I see come up so often for lawyers. What we’re going to talk about today is the mindset of “if you’re not suffering in the law, you’re not working hard enough.” It’s particularly prevalent in really toxic work environments or workplaces, where being consistently overworked is normalized.  Want to learn…

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25 Apr

Falling Out Of Love With The Law With Julie Lythcott-Haims [TFLP134]

This week, I’m sharing my conversation with Julie Lythcott-Haims. I first heard Julie share her story on a podcast called The Anxious Achiever Podcast. After listening, I immediately asked her to come onto The Former Lawyer Podcast and share her story. Julie started her legal career in Biglaw, then she went in-house. But after falling out of love with the…

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