Leaving the Law

Leaving the Law Articles

• Should I Stay or Should I Go?: A Recruiter Reflects on an Age-Old Question, Part II

  Having an idea of what the next step could be if you do choose to leave law will be necessary for many people.

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• Should I Stay or Should I Go?: A Recruiter Reflects on an Age-Old Question

  Should I stay or should I go? I found myself asking this very question at a very early stage in my legal career. If you are reading this, I assume you are also pondering whether or not you should stay in the legal profession.

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• Book Review: What Can You Do With a Law Degree?

  What Can You Do With a Law Degree? A Lawyer's Guide to Career Alternatives Inside, Outside & Around the Law (Third Edition) is a well written, well organized, optimistic and completely updated handbook suitable for any attorney questioning his or her career choices.

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• I Hate What I Am Doing, I Hate Where I Am In Life

  I am 22 years old and I am a second year law student. Although, I love the study of law, I am very dissatisfied with the practice of law. Basically I hate what I am doing, I hate where I am in life, but I am in so much debt I cannot see straight. What should I do?  

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• Should I Work Before Getting my MBA?

  Many people say to work for three to five years before getting an MBA. Do I have to wait that long?

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• Research and writing, but not practicing.

  I am a recent law school grad/bar admit. I have started off in litigation, and am, for a variety of reasons, dissatisfied with litigation, and maybe even practicing law.

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• Profiles of Lawyers Who Have Left the Law

  Learn about three lawyers who have left the law, and how they did it.  

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• How to Parlay a Law Degree into a Career in Business/Finance

  Can your law degree help you get a job in the business or finance fields?
  

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• First Steps for Disillusioned Lawyers

  You are not alone in your discontent with law practice.

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• Discovering Your Next Career

  Maybe you're finding yourself thinking of a career change, perhaps for internal reasons, those that are up to you, such as changing interests, new priorities, or current job and/or supervisor dissatisfaction.

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• Opportunities in the Entertainment Industry

  I am about to begin my second year at one of the top law schools in the country. After one year as a paralegal and one summer as an associate at a large New York law firm, I am beginning to realize that I do not want to be a lawyer.

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• Taking a Hiatus From Practicing Law

  It is becoming increasingly common for attorneys desiring more than a few weeks off from the practice of law to simply quit their current jobs.

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• Starting A Public Speaking Career

  I am a lawyer in solo practice with a business and commercial litigation focus. I also author a monthly column on law and the Internet. I am interested in developing a new or parallel career in public speaking to business groups.

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• Alternatives to Practicing Law

  Given the dissatisfaction rampant in the legal profession and the problems inherent in creating a part-time schedule, many lawyers now face tremendously difficult decisions.

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• What are some other fields besides law that I can get into?

  Hello, I am a recent law school graduate, but I no longer want to practice law. I have been applying to job postings in several different fields (publishing, editing, academic, research, etc.) and I am getting nowhere.

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• Pursuing a Management Consultant Career

  I am interested in pursuing a management consulting career, but am unsure how to go about it. As a second year law associate in a large Boston law firm, I feel my talents would be better utilized in a consulting role.

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• Making the Transition from Law to PR

  I am a junior associate (about 2 years) at a large, or rather midsized New York firm (over 150 lawyers). I am an excellent creative writer, and I am looking to make a career change - to a more "creative" career. How feasible is this?  

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• How to find the path to becoming a criminal investigator

  I am currently a paralegal at a small firm. I have an associates degree in Business Science concentrating in paralegal studies. My career goal is to become a criminal investigator eventually.

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• What do Management Consultants do?

  I have a legal background but am not convinced that a career in law will be a good long-term solution for me. I have heard that a significant number of lawyers go into management consulting and ma wondering what management consultants do.

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• Lawyers: Head For the Frontiers

  Ever since the industrial revolution, the frontier has rewarded those individuals who have ventured into it.

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• Non-Traditional Career Options for Lawyers

  A non-traditional career my be the best option for those looking to leave the legal field. How do you get started on this endeavor, and what are examples of this kind of job?

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• Escaping the “Golden Handcuffs” of a Top Law Firm

  I am a fourth year corporate associate at a top New York law firm. I have had great opportunities with my firm and am currently living in London and working at our office there.

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• What Non-Legal Career Path Should I Take And How Do I Land A Job?

  You know you don't want to practice law, but you're not sure what you want to do. How do you narrown down your choices?  

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• Beginning The Pursuit Of A Different Career Path

  In the future I would like to set up my own business so I can work from home. I’m interested in the possibility of doing something in accountancy or bookkeeping.

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• How Do I Pursue Non-Legal Career Options

  Starting down the road of a non-legal career path can be daunting. Our experts address two of these issues: where to get started to gain additional skills, and how to convince non-legal employers that you are a good job candidate.

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• Is it possible to run a business and have a life?

  Is it possible to have time for a family life, or a life outside of the office, when you are running a successful business? Yes....but you have to work at it.

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• Ending A Life Of Criminal Law

  Ready to leave the practice of criminal law? How should you find a position in civil law?  

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• Pros and Cons of Starting a New Business, Buying an Existing Business…

  Learn about the pros and cons of starting a new business and buying an existing business.
  

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• Lawyers in Transition: Consider Your Options

  In order to help you establish the focus of your job search, lawyers in transition ought to decide whether they wish to consider opportunities in different practice settings or areas of practice.

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• What Other Fields Besides Law Can I Use My JD In?

  Not sure that being an attorney is right for you? Learn more about other options that might be well suited to someone with a legal background.

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• What Does An Investment Banker Do?

  I often hear attorneys leaving firm positions to work for investment banks in non-lawyer positions.

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• Would a Career Change be Financially Rewarding?

  Considering a change in career? How do you know if it will be financially rewarding?
  

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• The Basics Of A New Internet Venture

  Where does one go to learn the basics of starting a new Internet venture? I’ve heard about business plans, but have no idea what one actually looks like.

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• Questions to Help the Practicing Attorney Determine a Preferred Career Situation

  Consider these seven questions when figuring out your next career move.

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• How Do I Start an Internet Start-Up Company?

  Thinking about leaving the law to start your own Internet company? Learn about the basics and how best to get started.

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• From Law Firm Associate to Entrepreneur

  Leaving the law to start your own business? Learn more about the pros and cons of making such a jump.

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• Career Switch Utilizing Legal Training

  I have 11 years experience with a major insurance company, a CPCU designation, close to completion of a ChFC designation, a law degree, one state bar license, but only 8 months practice experience.

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• Alternative Career Utilizing Teaching and Law

  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.

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• Pursuing A Higher Education Teaching Career

  I am a mid-level associate at a major Chicago law firm and I am considering whether to pursue a different career path. For instance, I have thought about teaching at the college or law school level.

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