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The Young And The Restless: What New Attorneys Who Want To Leave The Law Should Keep In Mind

For many of us unhappy attorneys who have been practicing for a while, we are very clear that we are dissatisfied with our current role as a lawyer and that we want to explore a new career.

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For many of us unhappy attorneys who have been practicing for a while, we are very clear that we are dissatisfied with our current role as a lawyer and that we want to explore a new career, either within law or altogether out of it.

We have practiced for long enough, and been unhappy long enough, and dealt with inconsiderate partners long enough, and been anxious about possibly misstating the law long enough, and been nervous about our fiduciary duties long enough, that we know we want out!

But what about the younger ones?

But what about the recent graduates or the first and second year attorneys who are also looking to leave the law?

Unlike the more experienced among us, these dissatisfied newbies may have little experience as a lawyer to call upon, may not have yet developed a full set of transferrable skills, and may not have yet built a strong enough network to call upon in order to help in leaving the law.

But many of them think they have seen enough of being a lawyer to think that they have seen too much.

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Step-by-Step

And to these young, restless attorneys looking to leave the profession they just started, I urge them to keep in mind the following six guidelines as they adjust their career progression:

  1. Realize that it’s okay to leave the law. I know, I know, we spent all this time getting the law degree, we spent all this money in law school, and we just got done passing the bar (once or even twice).

It’s natural for us to want to practice the law just to “get a return on our law school investment” or “just to see what it’s like being a lawyer” or “just to get some experience” or “just to make some money”.

All understandable reasons.

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But if we want to leave, we need to realize that leaving is okay. Even if it’s before we have really begun.

If we feel that we want to leave the law, there’s a good chance that we went to law school for the wrong reasons. If we feel that we want to leave the law, our skills can likely be better applied at a different job.

It takes work and patience and networking and proper planning to leave the law. But if we sincerely, authentically feel we want to leave, let’s not ignore that feeling.

  1. Realize it’s okay to leave the law even if we don’t have much experience. I know, I know, many of us newly minted attorneys who want to leave the law feel we should at least get some work experience as a lawyer before we move on to a non-law job.

We feel getting this experience will make our resume stronger, will let us grow our confidence, and overall make us a better looking candidate.

Good reasoning.

But if we want to leave, we need to realize that there are plenty of jobs and roles today for which our current skill set could be a good fit. Our interpersonal skills can work well for sales and business development. Our analytical skills can position us for a consultant or analyst role. Our legal skills can help us align with a HR or compliance role.

Let’s not let our inexperience as a lawyer blind us to the potential we have for a non-law job.

Here’s another way to think about it? Do we want to search for an entry level attorney job … or an entry level tech/HR/operations/finance/banking/sales/business development job?

  1. Realize that we need to mind our money. While many of us unhappy attorneys looking to leave the law do so to escape the anxiety and worry that comes with being a lawyer, there is really nothing more anxiety causing than abruptly leaving one’s job and beginning to worry about how to pay our bills.

As we begin to look at careers outside of the law, we need to make sure that we have a clear handle on what we can and cannot do financially. And this doesn’t mean calculating in our heads or jotting down on the back of envelope; this means creating a detailed spreadsheet or online program that provides critical insight into our money situation.  As many of us have monthly student debt to service each month, if we cannot afford to make a move now, then we may not want to make a move just yet. We need to be patient, save money, or work on the side.

  1. Realize that there are alternative ways to practice the law nowadays. If we feel that we just have to leave our job, but we don’t have another (non-law) job lined up, nowadays we less experienced attorneys can more easily find alternative ways to practice the law as we make our career transition.

Professor Joan C. Williams of the Center for WorkLifeLaw at my alma mater the University California, Hastings College of the Law has written a comprehensive and easy to read review of five new legal service models, such as secondment firms, accordion companies and virtual law firms, that can help us as we look for alternative ways to practice. These models help clients gain affordable legal advice and help attorneys create flexible work schedules that also can pay an attractive salary.

  1. Realize that to find a great job, we first need to look inward to our skills and strengths. It may seem counterintuitive, but the initial thing to do when looking for a job is to not look for a job.

Rather, before we do anything, one of the initial steps in leaving the law is to explore our own skills, strengths and enjoyments … our Unique Genius.

For too long, we’ve been trained to apply to jobs based on stature, security, prestige. Let’s not make the same mistake again.

So before we can define the job we want, the job that is good for us, the job that is our match, we need to more critically identify and come to terms with what we are really good at. Even if we have little experience as an attorney, we can critically list out those traits we possess (interpersonal skills, time management, discipline, writing abilities) that are in demand by employers.

  1. Realize that most jobs we want we will find through our network. One of the best ways for us to find a job is to have a friend or contact inform us about it and recommend us as a candidate for it.

As such, now is the time to build, cultivate and grow our network of professional contacts.

As we explore what we are really good at … and as we find jobs that align with these skills and strengths (if we are interpersonal, what about sales? If we’re great at meeting deadlines, how about project management? If we’re a great writer, what about being a copy editor?) … and as we meet with people in these jobs for “informational interviews” to understand their work better (“So tell me, what is your day to day like? What do you enjoy about your job? What is frustrating about it?), we will create more and more opportunities for us to consider.

It can be tough to come to terms with the fact that we don’t want to be a lawyer soon after we have become a lawyer.

But it’s a lot tougher realizing many years after we became a lawyer that we shouldn’t ever have been a lawyer.

Casey Berman (University of California, Hastings ’99), a tech executive, and former investment banker and in-house counsel based in San Francisco, is also the founder of Leave Law Behind, a blog and community that focuses on helping unhappy attorneys leave the law.

 

 

 

 

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