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.
Maybe you’ve thought about it. You love books, you love reading, and somewhere in the back of your mind, you’ve wondered if there’s a way to turn that passion into a career that uses your legal skills without actually practicing law. Lilly Ghahremani knew on day one of law school that it wasn’t the right fit. She called her mom…
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…
When lawyers look back at why they entered the profession, they often find the answer is less about a lifelong passion and more about a lack of other plans. Dan Branagan, a former bankruptcy associate turned data analyst, describes his journey into law as a classic example of the “conveyor belt” metaphor. As a liberal arts major with an interest…
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…
You went to law school because it seemed like the right next step. Maybe you told yourself that if you just worked hard enough, studied enough, put in enough hours, everything would click into place. But instead of feeling more confident as time goes on, you’re dealing with imposter syndrome. The work doesn’t feel natural, and worse, it doesn’t feel…
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…
