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.
There comes a point where the math you’ve been doing in your head stops adding up. You spent years in school. You passed the bar. You took on the loans. You built the career you were told would make it all worth it. Now you’re tired, anxious, or checked out, but the idea of leaving makes your stomach drop. It…
On today’s podcast episode, Sarah chats with Dan Branagan. He is a member of the Collab and a former lawyer who now works as a data analyst. They discuss how his journey to escape the legal grind and his process of finding other roles that might work for him using the program’s framework. So, let’s dive in and learn about…
Becoming a lawyer is a giant accomplishment that requires a lot of hard work and brain power, yet many lawyers still experience feelings that they aren’t good enough or smart enough. Sarah discusses these feelings in the podcast episode today and why it’s a problem with the legal profession. If you’ve had these thoughts, you are not alone. So, let’s…
On this week’s podcast, Sarah chats with David Sazant, a former litigator who now works as a therapist. He’s based in Canada and specializes in working with men who struggle to feel aligned with their work. He offers an excellent perspective for anyone considering a career in therapy, and it’s a great conversation about value systems and how to determine…
On today’s podcast episode, Sarah discusses something that seems just plain ridiculous yet permeates so many law firms: the idea of billables and going out to get work. She has talked about her thoughts on how law firms mismanage billable hours before because they are often used to criticize associates. Law firms are constantly pushing associates to get more billable…
Your law firm is probably not a meritocracy. There seems to be a sense in a law firm filled with responsible and high-functioning individuals that promotion decisions are based on objective criteria. That just isn’t true, so let’s dive in. Lawyers are Naturally High Performers Lawyers are typically responsible and committed to doing their best work. They consistently produce high-quality…
