Struggling with the fear of leaving law behind? This week, Sarah unpacks the sunk cost fallacy—a common mental block for lawyers considering a career change. She explores why we tend to overvalue past investments and undervalue the cost of staying in an unhealthy profession. You’ll also learn why leaving law doesn’t mean your legal experience is wasted. If you’ve ever felt stuck weighing the pros and cons of walking away, this episode is for you.Download Sarah’s free guide, First Steps to Leaving the Law, at formerlawyer.com/first.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/249

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. Let’s dive in and learn about Dan and his journey.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/248

In this episode, Sarah dives into how toxic workplaces—especially law firms—can lead to deep-rooted self-doubt and self-gaslighting. She breaks down the ways negative environments distort our sense of self-worth and confidence, making it feel impossible to see a way out.For those who feel trapped in a cycle of self-doubt, Sarah shares insights into how leaving a toxic legal environment can help you reconnect with your strengths and reclaim your confidence. If you're questioning whether it's time to move on, this episode is a must-listen.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/247

In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, host Sarah Cottrell talks with David Sazant, a former litigator who transitioned from practicing law to becoming a therapist. David shares how he recognized that his legal career was not in line with his personal values and explains the process he went through to make the leap into mental health. For those considering a career outside of the legal profession, especially in therapy, David’s story offers valuable insights and inspiration.Throughout their conversation, David discusses the challenges he faced as a lawyer, the sense of unfulfillment that led him to leave litigation, and the importance of living in alignment with one's values. This episode provides an honest look at what it takes to make a significant career shift, making it a must-listen for any lawyer feeling stuck and seeking a new path.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/246

In this episode, Sarah dives into the toxic environment many law firms create by pushing junior associates to take responsibility for generating work they have no control over. She exposes how leadership fails to support their teams, leading to stress and anxiety for those just starting their legal careers. If you’re tired of being blamed for a lack of billables, this episode is for you. Plus, learn how to take action and explore new career options.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/245

In this episode, Sarah revisits a conversation with her client, Adrian Hern, who shares her journey through The Collab and the Collab Plus One-on-One Program.Adrian opens up about her experience as a lawyer stuck in a toxic work environment, how she found her way to a new career, and the life-changing results, including a 40% salary increase. If you're worried that leaving the law means sacrificing your income or identity, this episode is a must-listen to see how making a change is not only possible but can lead to even greater success.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/212

Have you ever wondered why all your hard work at the firm isn't paying off the way you expected? In this episode, Sarah exposes the myth of meritocracy in law firms and how it fuels imposter syndrome for even the most accomplished lawyers. She reveals the hidden reasons behind why your efforts might be going unrecognized and shares how you can break free from the toxic environment that's holding you back. If you're tired of questioning your worth and ready to see the truth, hit play and reclaim your confidence.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/244

In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, host Sarah Cottrell shares a conversation with Annie Little about disclosing ADHD and other neurodivergent or mental health conditions in the workplace, specifically within Biglaw. As October is ADHD Awareness Month, Sarah highlights the challenges lawyers face when considering disclosure and the systemic issues in law firms that often fail to provide adequate support. Tune in for an insightful discussion about the complexities of navigating legal careers with ADHD and the importance of creating supportive work environments.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/207

In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell tackles a topic that has been coming up in many of her conversations with clients: the overwhelming feeling that you just don’t want to work anymore. If you’ve ever felt like you hate working and can’t imagine enjoying any job, especially after working in a toxic legal environment, this episode is for you. Sarah discusses how burnout, particularly in lawyers, can make you feel like you’re broken, but she’s here to tell you—you’re not. She explains why these feelings are common and how recovery is possible.Drawing on her experiences working with lawyers in her Collab program, Sarah highlights the importance of giving yourself time and space to recover from burnout.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/243

In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell talks with Victoria Collier, founder of Quid Pro Quo Law, about the process of preparing a law firm for sale. Victoria shares her own journey, from building her practice to successfully selling it, and offers critical insights into the steps lawyers can take to make their firms scalable and attractive to buyers. From establishing processes and delegating tasks to cleaning up financials, Victoria breaks down the key factors that make a law firm a valuable asset.Whether you’re a law firm owner thinking about your long-term exit strategy or simply curious about what goes into selling a legal practice, this episode is packed with actionable advice. Learn how to position your firm for sale, maximize its value, and set yourself up for a successful transition beyond the law.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/242

The Former Lawyer framework has recently received a glow-up, and this podcast episode covers all the fun updates. Sarah has a few things that stuck out to her and would be the most helpful to anyone considering becoming a former lawyer. She covers those items in this episode to highlight them for all the podcast listeners considering joining.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/241

Today’s podcast episode features a conversation between Sarah and a member of the Collab, Liza Hanks. Liza made a career transition out of practicing law after 22 years, and they discussed how the Collab played a role in her transition and decision-making process. This conversation is helpful for anyone considering making their transition out of law and looking for some assistance in the process. The Collab has undergone some fantastic updates recently, and it’s a perfect time to join. Read on to learn how it helped Liza ask the right questions.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/240

You may have worked in a workplace or more than one legal workplace where they said that they had a no-asshole rule.Clearly, there are many people who have worked in similar workplaces because this episode is one of the most downloaded episodes. Again, it's one of the ones I hear about the most from people because there is so much agreement with the fact that the no-asshole rule is, in fact, a myth. Here are my thoughts about the no-asshole rule.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/139

The next episode in our summer re-release series is Burnout is a Feature, Not a Bug. This is one of the things that I honestly think is the most important for you to realize if you are working in a toxic workplace, if you're working in a large law firm, or in Biglaw. Burnout is a feature of the way that work is organized in these organizations, it is not something that inexplicably happens that you could have some of life hacked your way out of.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/93

I originally recorded the episode Your Job Should Not Make You Cry back in the very early days of lockdown when I was still editing the podcast myself and needed to be able to edit some shorter episodes, which ultimately I discovered was a happy accident because this episode is one of the most popular episodes of the podcast.It is one of the most downloaded. It comes up all the time. I hear all the time from people who have sent it to friends and coworkers because apparently there are a lot of us who need to be reminded that your job should not make you cry. If that doesn't tell you something about our profession, I don't know what will. Here is the next episode in our summer re-release series, Your Job Should Not Make You Cry.

The next episode in our summer re-release series is one of the episodes from our Collab member question series. If you've listened to this series before, you know that I asked a bunch of different people in the Collab to answer some questions about their experience, what they've learned, the things that they have taken away from the process of figuring out what it is that they want to do that isn't practicing law. This series gets mentioned to me very frequently when people reach out to me. So I wanted to bring it back and highlight it. In each episode, you are going to hear a number of people who are answering the same question. In this episode, the question that people will be answering is, “What is one thing that you resisted doing in this process of figuring out what it is that they wanted to do that isn't practicing law, that they wish they had done sooner?”Listen to the rest of the Collab Member SeriesFormer Lawyers Share an Obvious Thing that was Transformative Myths Former Lawyers Believed Before Leaving the Law What Has Been the Biggest Surprise for Former Lawyers in the Collab? What Would Former Lawyer Collab Members Tell Themselves Five Years Ago Why These Former Lawyers Decided to Join the Guided Track 

Next up in this summer series of the most popular episodes of The Former Lawyer Podcast is an episode that I did about malignant narcissism in the legal profession and specifically signs of malignant narcissism because no surprise, narcissists are very common in our profession and a lot of the things that you experience in your legal workplace that seem honestly a bit crazy making are frequently the result of working with a narcissist or multiple narcissists or being in a narcissistic system.In this episode that you're about to listen to, I talked a bit about what the characteristics even are of narcissism and in particular, malignant narcissism, and how to identify it. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/127

The reason that I recorded this episode originally is that so often when lawyers are thinking about leaving, one of the things that holds them back from leaving especially if they work in a law firm is that other people are going to look down on them and think that they're making a terrible decision, et cetera.I think it's critical to remember, as I talk about in this episode, especially if you are not wanting to be in a law firm long term, that not fitting in is actually a good thing. Let's get into this episode, which is one of the most popular episodes of the podcast.

Today we're kicking off a summer series with episodes of the podcast that have been released over the past, well, honestly, almost five years the podcast has been going. These episodes that we're going to be re-releasing are all episodes that have been extremely popular, they're some of the most downloaded, or they're some of the ones that I hear the most about from people.This first episode that we're releasing the series is the first of a previous series that we did, which was based on the book Bullshit Jobs. This is a series that I did with Annie Little, one of my good friends, who's also a former lawyer and a career coach. Complete Bullshit Jobs Series Is Being A Lawyer A Bullshit Job? The Misery of Ambiguity and Forced Pretense in Law Firms The Artificial Power Structure and Feeling Helpless as a Lawyer with Annie Little The Misery of Not Feeling Entitled to One’s Misery as a Lawyer The Misery of Knowing That One Is Doing Harm as a Lawyer 

In today’s episode, Sarah addresses a common question that lawyers who are looking to leave their positions often ask: Will you need a bridge job to make the transition?Sara answers by first discussing the two types of bridge jobs and what lawyers need to consider when answering this question for themselves.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/239

Today’s podcast episode features a conversation between Sarah and someone who is not actually a former lawyer. Tiffany Rogers is a therapist based in Chicago. She specializes in working with women in the corporate world, specifically Black women. With so much discussion about therapy on many podcast episodes, it’s great to feature a conversation with someone in that field. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/238

In today’s podcast episode, Sarah shares the hardest thing about leaving the law. She’s talked to many clients, peers, podcast guests, and people in her life; everyone encounters their own unique obstacles. However, the biggest thing keeping people from making a change is the practical reality. Lawyers get stuck trying to figure out things on the front end, like reworking resumes or convincing someone they can work in a role other than a lawyer. People get stuck in the process of the practical things that get you a new job. This is the part that many assume will be the most challenging.  However, Sarah has found that the hardest thing about leaving the law is the emotional part. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/237

In today’s podcast episode, Sarah is chatting with Kelcey Baker, a returning guest. Their conversation reviews why it isn’t normal to want a break from work so bad that you think about getting hit by a bus. Yes, that’s a common expression within lawyer networks. There is a trigger warning because the conversation dives into narcissism, abuse, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. It’s an important discussion if you’ve ever had thoughts like this flash through your mind.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/236

In today’s episode, Sarah offers important advice to listeners. While practicing law, she constantly thought about what she wanted to do outside the law. But then her brain would start telling her everything that would make it a bad fit and instantly become negative.Lawyers are just trained to do this, and it’s important that you recognize that ahead of time.Stop telling yourself that something isn’t going to work before you’ve actually spent any time looking into it. People start worrying about finances and skills they don’t think they have, and begin convincing themselves that it’s a bad idea.Sarah calls this “Lawyering yourself.” You take an idea and then prematurely decide it’s impossible. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/235

Today’s podcast episode features a conversation between Sarah and Andre Ferrari. He practiced law for a few years before becoming a real estate developer.Andre shares his career path and how he got to where he is today. It’s interesting to see how interested he’s always been in real estate and how that’s helped him transition between multiple roles. Let’s dive into Andre’s story and advice.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/234

Summer has arrived! On today’s podcast, Sarah asks listeners the question, “How many vacations does your job have to ruin, cancel, impinge upon, or maybe make you not even plan before you decide enough is enough?” Many lawyers struggle to take vacations, and when they do, it’s a challenge to shut off work and enjoy themselves.  So many of the people Sarah speaks to face this challenge. They might travel somewhere new but feel like they are expected to remain connected and available to people at work. She knew there were partners senior to her who would go on vacation but still work six hours. If you love working on vacation, that’s great, but for most people, that’s not the case. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/233    

Today’s podcast episode features another conversation with previous guest Annie Little. Sarah is chatting with her about thoughts and advice when it comes to finding a therapist as a lawyer. They discuss the differences between Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and share their experiences and observations. If you have been thinking about seeking out a therapist or have experienced this process, this conversation will be helpful. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/232  

In today’s podcast, Sarah discusses how to know when it’s the right time to leave law. Many people listening are grappling with this question, and often, when they ask it, they are looking for an external answer. There is no external answer. You are the only person that can decide when the time is right. The reality is that you need to ask yourself two questions to know if now is the right time for YOU to leave the law. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/231  

Today’s podcast episode features a returning guest, Kelcey Baker, talking to Sarah. There is a content warning because they are discussing a recent story about a junior Biglaw partner in the UK passing away during an acute mental health episode. They discuss mental health issues and suicide. The story is important because it highlights some of the issues seen within the legal profession and helps others feel seen, so let’s dive in. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/230  

Today’s podcast episode is an important reminder every lawyer needs to hear. Sarah reminds listeners that nothing about your job is as important as you and your emotional, mental, and physical health. For lawyers, it’s easy to feel their value as human beings is basically in job performance.  It’s tough for lawyers to feel like they exist outside the lawyer bubble. Working a lot and being chronically sleep-deprived keeps your nervous system in a state that makes it hard to maintain perspective. The systems are designed to cause you to lose perspective, especially in large firms. The system benefits when you are all caught up in your own performance for the organization. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/229  

Sarah sees many clients who change careers within the law, like becoming in-house lawyers, but at the end of the day, they are still lawyers. When people think that switching to entertainment law will be a fun and exciting change, it’s important to step back and ask some more questions. Today’s podcast episode features a conversation with Jordan Nahmias. Jordan used to practice law as an entertainment lawyer and is now a coach and strategist in Toronto, Canada. He talks about his experience and his path out of law. Many people consider exploring this area when thinking about leaving the law. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/228  

In today’s podcast episode, Sarah addresses a question that many people start asking themselves when the economy is unstable: Is now really the right time to consider leaving the law? Layoffs and challenging circumstances can add an added layer of stress and concern when it comes to changing industries and leaving your job. Sarah shares some thoughts and advice about these concerns and questions.  See show notes at formerlawyer.com/227  

In today’s podcast episode, Sarah chats with one of her one-on-one clients, Ann Marie Cowdrey. She has had a lot of experience working for regional and international law firms throughout her career. She hit a rough patch and thought it was time for a chance, so she started working with Sarah. Today, she’s sharing her experience in law and how she flipped things around. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/226  

Many lawyers find themselves asking, “Am I depressed, or am I burnt out?” This comes up when they are thinking about leaving the law, and it’s not a new topic on the podcast. In the episode where Sarah spoke to Ilona Salmons, they did a deep dive into burnout and what it is. Mental health is a common topic brought up in the Former Lawyer community, and many lawyers deal with misery by intellectualizing things. Today, Sarah is revisiting this topic and sharing a few important thoughts. Sarah often talks about therapy on the podcast. It is extremely helpful if you feel burned out or depressed. Engage a qualified mental health therapist to work with. They can help you evaluate what’s going on in your mind in your life with some objectivity and clinical expertise.  See show notes at formerlawyer.com/225  

On today’s podcast episode, Sarah chats with Lynley Ogilvie about her career pivot. She left her job as a lawyer to become a landscape designer. The conversation was exciting, and her path was unique compared to other guests on the podcast. Lynley lives just outside of Washington, DC, and she has her own landscape design firm.  See show notes at formerlawyer.com/224  

Today’s podcast topic was sparked by a recent call for the Guided Track Sarah is facilitating this spring. This program is designed to assist lawyers in navigating their career paths and offers a safe space for self-reflection. It helps individuals determine if leaving the law is the right choice for them and guides them toward their next steps. The program fosters a close-knit community where participants can share their experiences, exchange ideas, and support each other through the process, providing a sense of camaraderie and accountability. The discussion centered around a common yet often unspoken experience of guilt when one doesn’t enjoy being a lawyer. This feeling of guilt can be pervasive, making one feel like they’re complaining, even when they perceive their situation to be better than others. Sarah has talked about this before on the podcast, so obviously, it’s a topic that comes up often and is important to re-address.

Today’s podcast episode focuses on what it’s like to work in law with chronic illnesses. Emily Whelden is a former lawyer who now works at Dixon Life Coaching, mostly with clients have ADHD and other chronic illnesses. Many podcast listeners have requested this conversation, and today it's happening. She is chatting with Sarah about her experience leaving the law and the subject of chronic illnesses.  See show notes at formerlawyer.com/222  

Lawyers expect to follow a perfectly laid-out path. It’s natural. When the next step in any journey isn’t clear, it feels like something is wrong. In today’s podcast episode, Sarah talks about moments when you feel like you’re having an existential crisis, but that doesn’t mean you are doing anything wrong.  When you feel like you’re having an existential crisis, it might feel like you’re in a vacuum. If you want to join a group of like-minded individuals, join the Collab. Sarah created this group to make it easier to navigate the process and find community. It doesn’t mean you won’t still feel lost, but you’ll have others that understand what you’re going through.  It’s normal to feel like you’re having an existential crisis when working through the process of leaving the law. You are not doing anything wrong, and you aren’t alone. Keep going and seek out some people to talk to. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/221  

On today’s podcast, Sarah is chatting with Adriana Paris. Adriana stopped practicing law after ten years and moved into a new role at a law firm. She is the director of professional development and legal recruiting for a regional law firm with about 100 lawyers. In addition, she has a coaching business on the side where she helps lawyers with personal productivity, which helps them create time and space for themselves.    See show notes at formerlawyer.com/182  

Today’s podcast episode brings back a previous guest to update listeners. Aliza Shatzman previously appeared to talk with Sarah about The Legal Accountability Project. She co-founded this project based on a nightmare clerkship scenario she faced and wanted to help lawyers find recourse if they find themselves in this situation.  She is sharing where things are today and the initiatives they’ve made progress on in the last year. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/219  

After leaving law, former lawyers follow many career paths depending on their interests and skills. Today’s podcast episode features a conversation with Ashley Carlisle, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of HyperDraft. If you are considering marketing as an option after leaving the law, this podcast has some great information for you. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/218  

Narcissism is a word that is often associated with lawyers for many reasons. On today’s podcast episode, Sarah is chatting with Kelcey Baker about the fact that many lawyers have relationships with narcissists. Narcissism is a topic that more people are discussing now, and part of the reason is that there is more awareness and understanding of what it is. This episode includes a conversation about those who have grown up in a narcissistic daily or had a romantic or platonic relationship with a narcissist and how that might set them up for a later experience of functioning in a narcissistic system, like a law firm. Narcissism plays a big role in the legal profession. Many individuals with narcissistic traits are drawn to the law and the legal system. This podcast has covered topics similar to this one in the past, like the episode about the signs of malignant narcissism in the legal profession and how to handle bullying in law firms. This pair has also worked together on an episode where you can hear more of Kelcey’s experience. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/217  

On today’s podcast episode, Sarah is chatting with her client, Kelcey Baker. Kelcey joined the Collab and participated in the Guided Track, so she has all kinds of wisdom and insight to share about her decision to become a lawyer and then her decision to stop practicing law.  See show notes at formerlawyer.com/216  

The theme of today’s podcast episode is the idea that just because you can doesn’t mean you should. This advice was a central point to a recent keynote talk Sarah did at The Authentic Lawyer Summit, and it’s important for anyone leaving the law, but also lawyers who want to stay in law forever. Sarah shared more about her background and how this advice applied to her life and has brought the topic to the podcast to share more with the listeners. Let’s dive in. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/215 Enrollment for the next Guided Track is open now. Learn more and reserve your spot.  

Today’s podcast episode features Sarah’s conversation with Strawberry Nevill. After connecting through a mutual friend, Sarah invited Strawberry to come on to share their journey from working in public interest. This area of law has its own challenges and can be very hard to walk away from. Strawberry spent about 15 years in and around the legal field, including three years as a practicing lawyer, so let’s dive in and learn more about their journey. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/214 Enrollment for the next Guided Track is open now. Learn more and reserve your spot.    

On today’s podcast episode, Sarah is talking with a member of the Collab, Read. He shares his background story and how he decided that the Collab was the right fit for him while he was working to become a lawyer. He finished law school about two and a half years ago but was already having doubts about his future in law. Hear his story and how the Collab helped him discover other options.  See show notes at formerlawyer.com/213  

Today’s podcast episode features a client, Adrian Hern. She’s a member of the Collab and has also worked with Sarah one-on-one. You’ll get some insight into working with Sarah individually and how it’s structured.  Plus, you get to hear from a client who has gone through these conversations and hear some first-hand experience and advice about navigating legal burnout. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/212    

In today’s episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. It’s part of a series of podcast discussions diving into the miseries of a bullshit job. Today, it’s time to dive into the fourth and final misery that comes with bullshit jobs, knowing that one is doing harm as a lawyer. Go back and catch up if you missed the first three in this series. The final misery covered in the book is the misery based on knowing that one is doing harm. The most obvious example of this as lawyers would be representing a person or entity, and they are asking you to do something that is itself harmful. While these situations may arise, people tend to be aware and can deal with the moral conflict.