This week on the podcast, we are re-releasing an episode that came out about this time last year. It's one of the most popular episodes of the podcast. This episode answers one of the biggest questions that I get, which is, “I don't want to be a lawyer anymore, what can I do?”  There are actually two dimensions to this question. When I’m asked this, it’s usually like, “I don't want to be a lawyer. What are my other career options? And, trust me, I know it’s frustrating. When I realized that I did not want to be a lawyer, I literally had no idea what to do next. We’re on this one-way track to becoming a lawyer, and once you realize that the law isn’t the right fit for you, it can be extremely overwhelming to think about what else you can do for a career.  Listen in to get the answer to what you can do when you realize that you don’t want to be a lawyer. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/066

It’s time to talk about a part of Biglaw that truly exemplifies what is so problematic with the structure of the legal system and how it creates the toxic work environment of Biglaw firms. Speaking from my own experience, one of the most maddening things about a Biglaw work environment and being a Biglaw associate is that no one is responsible for anything. At the same time, everyone is responsible for everything. This is specific to those who supervise the associates, the partners. They have the power, but little accountability.  Listen to learn more about the imbalance of responsibility and authority in a Biglaw work environment and how the system is fixed to burden Biglaw associates. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/112

On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, I spoke with Nhu-Y Le, Vice President of Client Services at Legalpad. Legalpad is a business immigration company that helps startups immigrate their founders and other talent to the United States.  I think Y’s story is really helpful in the sense that she illustrates how you can make small moves over time and still end up in a place that works for you. Listen to hear more about Y’s story and to hear some advice if you’re starting to feel unsure that the law is the right path for you. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/111

Annie Little is an ICF-certified career coach and a former lawyer. Her company is called JD Nation, which was founded in 2012. In 2013, Annie left her position in real estate finance. Since then, she’s been coaching lawyers to help them land and succeed in their ideal jobs. On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, I was joined by Annie Little to talk about a topic that isn’t covered enough. The topic is what you can expect to pay when you’re looking for career coaching as a lawyer. In this article, I’ll be reviewing what we discussed about the pros and cons of one-on-one career coaching and working in a group. We’ll also be sharing our own experiences in career coaching for lawyers and what we’ve observed. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/110

Recently, I was sent an article from one of the listeners of the Former Lawyer Podcast. This article, entitled Why Former Lawyers Are Bitter Sometimes, seems to be premised on two flawed assumptions.  The first, that former lawyers who are vocal about their negative experiences in a legal profession are doing so because they're bitter. The other one is that being vocal about your negative experiences in legal practice is proof of bitterness. Neither of those assumptions is true. This speaks to a larger conversation that we need to be having about the legal profession. It closely relates to issues that you are definitely running into if you are unhappy as a lawyer and are considering leaving. Listen to hear more about my take on the article, as I shed some light on the perspective that the author missed. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/109

Debi Yadegari is a former lawyer who worked in biglaw and in-house law. These days, she runs Villyge, a company that helps organizations support working parents. This company came out of her own experience of observing the workplace culture and lack of support for working parents in biglaw and in-house law firms.  She saw how working parents, or any human being who wanted to have interests and a life outside of work, were not being supported by their employers. Like many of us, this story started with a passion to make a change in the world. While Debi was able to do that, she eventually realized that it was all too much. After leaving the law because of the workplace culture, she launched Villyge, becoming a working mother of five. Keep reading to learn about Debi’s journey in law and her journey to creating Villyge. Shownotes formerlawyer.com/108

In your legal career, one of the most common things you’ll see is people leaving. You want to leave the law too, but you don’t want to leave the workload behind for someone else or because you feel you owe your firm.  Unfortunately, none of this is true. In reality, you are just a widget. You serve a purpose, and when the time comes, they can and will replace you. The loyalty you have to your firm just isn’t replicated by the top-level decision-makers. As unfortunate as it sounds, this knowledge can actually propel your decision to leave the law for good. Keep reading to learn more about widgets, loyalty in the legal industry, and how you can break free from it all without feeling guilty! See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/107

Tarzan Kay is a copywriter that also teaches other people how to write better copy, specifically for emails. I asked Tarzan to join men on the Former Lawyer Podcast after I listened to an interview with her on another podcast. In that interview, she spoke about leaving law school during her third year. Her story is unique in terms of the fact that she realized that law was not for her before practicing law. She dropped out of law school with only a few classes left. After leaving law school, it took her three years and some additional motivation to find her way back into the world as a copywriter. Listen in to hear more about Tarzan’s journey in leaving law school and how you can find an alternative career to law. Shownotes formerlawyer.com/106

This week on the podcast, I am super excited to share with you a preview of the first episode of a secret pop-up podcast series called “The Simple Five-Step Framework to Identify an Alternative Career that You Actually Like” that I have just released.  This series is available for a limited time, until September 8th, partially in celebration of the starting of the first Guided Track in the Collaborative on September 9th.  If you want to get this secret pop-up podcast and learn more about this 5-step framework, just head to formerlawyer.com/popup and put in your name and email. I definitely recommend that you do it as soon as you hear this because it will be available only for registrants and until 5:00 PM on the 8th, I won’t be posting about it more on the site like this, so listen before then if you're interested. And to give you a sample of what’s included in the series, here’s what the first episode is all about. Shownotes formerlawyer.com/105

There’s one thing you need to know about being miserable as a lawyer: it is not normal. I want to say that again, it’s not normal to be miserable in your job. I often see lawyers who think that it is normal since everyone around them is miserable in their jobs. Even though their complaint is not so much about the hard work that goes into being a lawyer, but about the indignities that they suffer from colleagues and other people, somehow we have accepted that being miserable at work is normal, even to be expected.  That is especially true for someone like me who went straight from undergrad to law school. You can have an outlook that goes sheer misery is just part of having a “real job” and being part of the “working world”. I want to be as clear as possible, sheer misery as a lawyer is not normal.  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/104

Maya Markovich is the Chief Growth Officer at Nextlaw Labs, an innovation company in the legal tech industry. Maya pioneered her way to this position after her jump from practicing law. Her passion to create influential change was her driving force, and with that, Maya found a post-legal career that she’s extremely talented at, and most importantly, that she is passionate about. In this episode, we talk about Maya’s journey from practicing law to her post-legal career in legal tech. Keep reading to learn about her realization that practicing law wasn’t the right path and what she did to find the perfect post-legal career. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/103

We recently started a new series of episodes where I will be interviewing some members of The Collaborative to hear their stories and experience with the membership. In this episode, we are joined by Jamie, who is sharing what transitioning out of the law looks like. Jamie intends to leave by the end of the year.  As always, my goal with the podcast and membership is to help lawyers taking the bold step of leaving the law do so easily. Transitioning out of the law is no easy feat, especially when the law was your dream career.  If you find yourself in a similar situation, you’ll enjoy hearing Jamie talk to us about her journey into the legal profession, how it has been for her, and how The Collaborative is helping her get ready to transition out of the law. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/102

For those who may be new, Former Lawyer is run by me, Sarah Cottrell. Through my work with Former Lawyer, I help those that are trying to transition from a legal career and into something that’s really meaningful for them. This is part two of the story of my journey transitioning from a legal career and into starting Former Lawyer, as interviewed by Jessica Medina. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/101

To celebrate the 100th episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, I’m sharing something a little different than usual, an interview with me about how I transitioned out of the law and began Former Lawyer.  I first shared my story on the very first episode of the podcast two years ago, but I didn't go into a ton of detail around how I transitioned out of the law and that was a long time ago, so I wanted to share a little bit more of my story.  To help with this, Jessica Medina, a former Biglaw lawyer turned financial coach and accredited financial counselor, is going to interview me. This is going to be the first half of our conversation because we had so much to talk about. This is basically my story in the same format that you typically hear other people's stories.  I'm really excited for you to enjoy this episode, we talked about some things about transitioning out of the law that I haven't talked about before. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/100

Like you, quitting law did not come easy to me. I distinctly remember sitting on the couch with my laptop in our house, scrolling through Indeed — because that was where jobs were posted back in the day — and having no idea what I wanted to do next. I was miserable and was willing to pay any price to get someone to tell me what to do. Fortunately, no one did. I know how it feels to be unhappy about your job as a lawyer and unsure of your next steps. You ask yourself questions like “What do I like? What work would be interesting to me outside of what I'm doing now?” but you cannot decide what you should be doing instead. You are not alone. I work with many lawyers who are quitting law but are uncertain of what to do afterward. What you need to do is to approach the process differently to figure out what you want. That way, you get a solution perfect for you. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/099

One of the most common searches I get from lawyers thinking of leaving law is “How bad is it to have a resume gap as a lawyer?” Or what they are really asking, "How bad is it to just quit my job without something else lined up and take that time to figure out what I want next?" To put a rest to most of your concerns, I’d say the answer is a resounding no, not as much as you think. In my experience, it’s a far more common that lawyers think of career gaps as some kind of unforgivable sin. In reality, it depends a great deal on what you do with that time and how you potentially explain it during later interviews. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/097

Rachael Philbin is a legal project manager and former lawyer, who shows us that we don’t have to stray too far from the law if we’re ready to stop being a lawyer. There are many lawyer-adjacent roles that exist in the legal industry.  In this episode, Rachael shares with us how she went from litigator to a legal project manager and what to consider if you are thinking the same. She did this recently inside a legal project management panel we had in The Collaborative, she shared more about her experiences and how she decided this was the right career move for her. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/096

So you’ve decided to seek the help of a lawyer career coach to help you redirect your work path? That’s a good first step. You obviously want a change in your current work life but you may have some misgivings in terms of where you’re headed. It’s not an easy situation, and a good lawyer career coach should be able to help you navigate this transition. But as someone who went through the same predicament, I learned that there are certain vital things that must be present in a lawyer career coaching experience that will enable you to successfully make that change. Otherwise, you might find yourself more confused than when you were trying to figure things out on your own. A good career coach should be able to lead you in the right direction, not drag you to a formulaic path that’s not going to work out for you in the end. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/095

Nnamdi Nwaezeapu is a law school student, entrepreneur, and author of Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer: How to Pursue Your Dreams Without Giving Your Parents A Heart Attack. His book is geared towards children of immigrants who are navigating and deciding what to do as a career and whether to pursue being a doctor, lawyer or engineer or take an alternative path. This is part two of our conversation with Nnamdi where we dive into the mindset and fear of career change that lawyers experience when considering alternative career paths. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/094

The subject of biglaw burnout amongst lawyers is often talked about. Recently, there have been many articles talking about biglaw burnout, and particularly how associates in biglaw are experiencing burnout because of the way that many of biglaw firms were operating in 2020 and into 2021. People who are experiencing biglaw burnout have a common set of erroneous beliefs about what they're experiencing. Here's the thing that is most important to remember if you're someone who's in this position, the system is designed to burn you out. See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/093

Nnamdi Nwaezeapu is a law school student, entrepreneur, and author of Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer: How to Pursue Your Dreams Without Giving Your Parents A Heart Attack.  On this episode Nnamdi shares how his experience as a first generation student shaped his decision to pursue his entrepreneurial interests and create a resource for others grappling making an alternative career choice.  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/092

On this episode, Sarah answers the common question, "How do I know when I'm at the point that I need to hire a career coach?". She has one simple answer and reframing question for you before you hire a coach.  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/091

Jennifer Park decided to chart her own path after law school, working for a legal tech company instead of Biglaw.  On this episode, Jennifer shares why she decided this path was right for her, how she made the tough decision despite external pressure, and how you can get into legal tech or another booming industry with the skills you have.  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/090

On this episode, Sarah breaks down her take on the common question, is now the time to leave the law?  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/089  

Katherine Porter is a former lawyer turned consultant at her firm The Resource Woman, who now helps law firms cultivate a culture that attracts people and invites them to actually want to stay.  On this episode of the podcast, Katherine shares how the idea of Designing Your Life and human-centered design changed her career trajectory and is now changing the culture of firms that are forward-thinking.  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/088

Heather Horton is a lawyer by training who now operates her own grief recovery company, The H-Squared Group, LLC.  On this episode of the podcast, Heather Shares how she moved from accounting to law and now into her current role advocating for and teaching stigma-free grief recovery for lawyers and non-lawyers alike.  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/087

Ivy Grey left a bankruptcy legal practice to work in legal tech. How did she do it? A mix of her mindset, skillset, and recognizing that there isn’t just “one” way for lawyers to grow their careers.  In this episode, she shares more about what legal tech is, how we can use our mindset to find new career paths, and the importance of creative problem solving in law. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/085

Jonathan Liu hated public speaking and basically everything about litigation. Even so, he spent 7 years as a litigator before leaving the law for a career in real estate. On today's episode of the podcast, Jonathan shares how he figured out it was time for him to leave the law, and how he developed his career as a real estate agent and investor. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/084.

Robert Ingalls practiced criminal law, civil litigation, and estate planning before deciding to leave the law and start his company, Lawpods, which produces podcasts for law firms. On this episode of the podcast, Robert shares about how his podcasting hobby turned into a full-time career that he loves. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/083.

Many lawyers harbor a secret dream of one day getting to write for a living. Today on the podcast I'm sharing my conversation with Marie Sotelo, who left legal practice after 10 years and built a career as a full-time freelance writer. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/082.

Lawyers often make career choices based on what's prestigious, but prestige is a liar. Here's why it's hurting your career satisfaction and can sabotage any moves that you make. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/081.

Today I'm sharing about something that happened to one of my guests after they were on the show, which turns into a bit of a Biglaw rant. I also talk about why I created Former Lawyer. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/080.

Pia Thompson practiced law for years even though it felt wrong to her. On today's episode, Pia shares how she figured out who she is and what she wanted, and how she found her way to a career she loves as a home organizer and a KonMari consultant-in-training. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/079.

In last week's episode, Janelle Christian shared about how she learned to prioritize herself over her job. In today's episode, she shares about how that included moving from a big firm in D.C. to one in Atlanta to make more space for her life, and ultimately, building a six-figure side business that enabled her to leave Biglaw. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/077.

Janelle Christian skipped the LSAT twice, and only took it on her third go-round because her parents drove her to the testing site. She says, "My soul was screaming to not be a lawyer, but I still felt like it was what people wanted me to do. It was the right path, it was the prestigious path." In this first part of our two-part conversation, Janelle shares about her early career as a lawyer and how she came to learn that she could prioritize herself over her work.  Show notes at formerlawyer.com/076.

Natasha Alladina started her legal career in Biglaw. But a few years in, she knew it was wrong for her, and so she decided to explore other options. Her path through jobs in public service, recruiting, and policy helped her figure out what she truly wanted to do—and how to figure out how to move towards what you want, versus simply running away from what you don't want. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/075.

There are a lot of different obstacles that you may be running into as you consider leaving legal practice, but three of the biggest are Lawyer Brain, the Lawyer Bubble, and Other People's Opinions. Today, I'm sharing how to recognize these obstacles and how to defeat them. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/074.

If you're a lawyer and you're feeling burned out, this episode is for you. I share about burnout, how it works, how it relates to our nervous system, and why it's so important for lawyers to understand the root causes of burnout. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/073.

Lawyers are so often expected to operate as though they are unaffected by the events going on around them. This is especially challenging when we are faced with traumatic events like last week's attack on the Capitol. I want to remind you that if you're struggling, it's not because you're doing anything wrong. This feels hard because it is hard. Don't buy into the lie that you should be unaffected. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/072.

For the first podcast episode of 2021, I'm sharing about one of the times that I cancelled a planned vacation while practicing law, why the law was wrong for me, and what other lawyers can learn from my story. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/071.

One of the most common things that I hear from lawyers who are contemplating changing careers is that they are worried about how to manage their student loans. So today on the podcast, I'm sharing the audio of a workshop that Lauryn Williams, a consultant with Student Loan Planner, presented to the Collaborative last month all about student loan debt considerations for lawyers. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/070.

After 20 years of working as a lawyer for the Department of Labor, Annette Choti decided to take the leap into digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) for small and solo law firms.⁠ She's sharing her story of how she escaped "beige world" on today's episode! Show notes at formerlawyer.com/069.

Wondering about the Former Lawyer Collaborative? In this episode, I talk about how the Collaborative works, past and upcoming workshops, and some of the amazing feedback I've received from members. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/068.

One of the most important things that lawyers need to do if they want to successfully figure out an alternative career is to develop self-compassion and to learn how to be kind to themselves. You may be skeptical, but in this podcast episode, I'm sharing why self-compassion is essential to finding career satisfaction and figuring out what's next for you. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/067.

For most lawyers, it's hard to admit that we're struggling—even to ourselves. Today, I'm talking about my experience with clinical anxiety, and why it's so often mistaken for "typical" lawyer stress.

Megan Smiley and I are kindred spirits. We just met earlier this year, but she started her podcast, The Lawyer's Escape Pod, the same week that I started The Former Lawyer Podcast. I love what she's doing in the world, and I can't wait to share it with you! Show notes at formerlawyer.com/064.

In this episode, I'm sharing my conversation with Geoffrey Stein. After more than 10 years of legal practice, Geoffrey went to art school and became a full-time artist and portrait painter. Full show notes at formerlawyer.com/063.

Heather Yurovsky went to law school unsure of whether she would practice law long-term. After a year of practice, the verdict was in (no pun intended)—legal practice was not for her. So, Heather embarked on a new career path, learning how to simply take the next step when it revealed itself to her. If you've ever worried about needing to figure out the perfect next step or find a job that's the perfect fit for you in order to leave the law, this episode is for you. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/062.