Question: Seeking Websites With Guidance on Transition From Law to Alternative Career

Question: I'm a 4th year attorney, doing freelance and contract work for the last 2 years. I'm considering leaving law. I'm trying to find some reliable and helpful resources of guidance in
the process. Are there any blogs or sites for attorneys who are unahppy with being lawyers?

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Comments

[Joshua Fruchter]

You can check out the archive of lawyer career success stories on JD Bliss, which includes interviews with several lawyers who faced the same situation as you now face, and successfully transitioned to a different career.

See:

http://www.jdbliss.com/e_000134406000049627.cfm

You might also consider consulting with a career coach. Celia Paul Associates and Deborah Schneider (author of Should You Really Be a Lawyer) are two counselors we can recommend for career counseling for lawyers.

[Dorene Lehavi, Ph.D.]

I would recommend that you find a coach to guide you through this process. You can look at pcmaonline.com or browse the words career coach. Also check my website www.coachingforyournextlevel.com. I have specialized in coaching lawyers within and out of the profession for many years.
Good luck!

[Deborah Schneider]

Because so many attorneys consider leaving law, there are plenty of books, websites and blogs for career-confused lawyers.

In addition to JDBliss, helpful resources include:

1) The online tools and information on www.DecisionBooks.com (full disclosure: DecisionBooks is the publisher of my career book for aspiring and practicing lawyers, Should You Really Be A Lawyer? The Guide to Smart Career Choices Before During and After Law School);

2)What Can You Do With A Law Degree? by Deborah Arron (also published by DecisionBooks.com)

3)The resources on my website: www.shouldyoureally.com: http://www.shouldyoureally.com/Resources.htm

4)Your law school's career services office may also have helpful online resources for those seeking alternatives to legal practice. If yours doesn't, check on other law schools' career services sites.

That said, books, blogs and websites can be helpful, but they usually aren't enough.

Making the decision to leave law can be difficult for a lot of lawyers, and if it is for you then consulting a career counselor or coach can make the career change and job-search process far easier.

Here's how to find a career counselor:

Start by calling your law school's career services office to see if they offer counseling for alumni -- many do, often for free or on a sliding scale.

You can also ask friends, family and trusted colleagues for referrals to good career counselors.

Call your local bar association and ask for names of reputable career counselors -- they probably get asked a lot!

You can also see if there are career counseling centers in your community (for example, the Bay Area Career Center in SF and the Five O'Clock Club in NYC).

Tapping online, published, and in-person resources will help you assess your options and make career choices that feel right to you.

Good luck!

Deborah Schneider, JD ([email protected])

http://www.shouldyoureally.com

[Monica Parker, J.D.]

Hopefully, you've had a chance to explore some of the great resources other folks have offered in response to your question.

I'd like to offer you a few more.

Some of my favorite career development books include:

1) Don't Waste Your Talent by Bob McDonald and Don Hutcheson
2) Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher
3) Working Identity by Herminia Ibarra

Although not specifically for lawyers, these books have been incredibly helpful resources for my clients.

Also, please check out my website at http://www.LeavingTheLaw.com. I'm a former practicing lawyer who helps unhappy lawyers find and pursue more fulfilling work outside of the law.