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Career Change Trap: The Old “You Have to Use Your Law Degree” Myth

I spent three years of my life training to be a lawyer, and six figures in debt to pay for my education.

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Overworked and stressed!

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do….”

-Steve Jobs

Last year, on a 4-month travel and yoga excursion, I met a gentleman who had left his stressful corporate job in Japan to live in a gorgeous, secluded, rural area on the South Island of New Zealand. We were chatting about our respective shifts in occupations, when he asked: “Don’t you feel like you should use your law degree?”

It’s a fair question, and it’s one I get quite often. I spent three years of my life training to be a lawyer, and six figures in debt to pay for my education. So from a societal perspective, of course I “should” continue practicing law to make those years and those piles of money spent worthwhile, right?  Wrong.

The thing about following the path your heart is telling you to follow (mine: teaching yoga), versus following the path that society tells you to follow (society’s: practicing law) is that you’ll always encounter naysayers. People who will tell you how you have to do things because that’s just how things are done. People who will look at the bottom line and the dollars and cents and say “this is the logical next step for you.”

These people might be extremely well-meaning, and they might think they are looking out for your “best interests.” But my question for you is: do you want to follow your heart, or do you want to follow society?

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For some of you, following your heart might mean staying in your law career. If that’s the case, work your way up to partner at your firm, become U.S. Attorney General, or hang your own shingle and make a nice living doing what you love. If practicing law is your dream, then follow it, and don’t let anyone’s questioning of that path stop you.

For those that aren’t as sure about their legal careers, here are some questions to help you figure out whether you want to “use your law degree” in your next career step:

What part(s) of your current job do you enjoy? Is it:  

a) Interacting with your colleagues and/or clients.

b) Societal good.

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c) Understanding (through research and analysis) how to help your clients within the framework of the law.

d) Absolutely nothing.

If you could do anything other than practice law, it would be 

a) Something highly creative (e.g. actor, sculptor, painter, chef)

b) Something philanthropic (e.g. providing clean drinking water to impoverished children).

c) Do something other than practice law? No way.

d) Mopping the bathroom floor of a college bar at 3am.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

a) An astronaut

b) Mother Theresa

c) A lawyer. Duh. I have no idea.

d) My law career has beaten my inner child out of me.

For those that answered (c) for all questions, it’s clear that you’re meant to keep practicing law. Good for you!  Keep it up, champ. Find an experienced legal recruiter, and see what other job treasures await you in the legal field.

For those that answered (d), it’s definitely time for a change. Put the law degree on hold, and start asking yourself the question “who am I if I’m not a lawyer?” Take a sabbatical, travel, meet new (non-lawyer) people, try another (non-legal) job on for size, etc. and get back to knowing who you really are and what you really want before you leap into another career that you’re going to despise.

If you answered (a) or (b), then it’s completely possible for you to stay in your law career, but maybe it means that you’d be happier if you shift roles, work for a different company, do non-profit work, or find a legal job in the entertainment industry (the possibilities are endless!). Or maybe you can keep your job for now (because you like it enough) and start exploring other interests (like acting and do-gooding) on the side.

But by no means are any of you obligated to use your law degree just because everyone else thinks that you should. We are not here on this earth to accumulate wealth or do what is sensible from a societal perspective; we’re here to know ourselves, to come alive fully, and to relish every moment that we have as we connect with one another. If what you’re doing with each and every day of your life isn’t bringing you some level of fulfillment and joy, then it’s (quite simply) time to change what you’re doing.

To finish the Steve Jobs quote above:

“…If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

Megan Grandinetti is a wellness & life coach, yoga teacher, and recovering attorney. Learn more about Megan, and receive a free 10-minute guided meditation, by visiting www.megangrandinettiyoga.com and signing up for her email list.

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