Alternative Career Utilizing Teaching and Law

Q: I graduated from law school six years ago. At that time, the job market was not favorable for attorneys, so I decided to pursue my undergraduate teaching career, which was teaching Spanish. I taught for five years and realized that teaching secondary education is not the career in which I plan to retire. I took the Bar while I taught and afterwards, while I was not working. However I have not had any success. Currently I am not sure if I want to practice law in the conventional manner. Do you have any suggestions for an alternative career which utilizes both my teaching degree as well as my Juris Doctor degree?

A: To combine a degree in law with professional teaching experience, I would think about an administrative or legal position with an educational institution: a community college, university, or even a county or state administrative office for secondary schools. Your legal degree will be an asset in managing educational standards and procedures, and your teaching experience will give you credibility and a depth of understanding that could prove extremely valuable in working with educators. Since continuing education for adults is one of the fastest growing areas in education, you might also look into administrative positions with an extension campus of a local college or university.