Leaving The Law: Finding the Right Mix for Your Passions
Offering legal career advice or mixing up cocktails—both can help members of the bar. Don’t forget to find your passion.
Tag: Alternative Careers
Your legal adventure is out there! Considerations for choosing a career path in the law
Law students often ask, “how do I know what kind of lawyer I want to be?” Or they see classmates who seem to have career paths charted and planned, and assume that everyone else has “figured it all out.” But the truth is that many law students, even
Still don’t know what you want to be when you grow up, 1Ls? It’s okay!
“The lawyers I’ve talked to said I have to choose a path and stick to it!” “Everyone else seems to know exactly what they want to do, but I don’t have a clue.” “My professor told me I need to
Death becomes her: Plotting a career in funeral law
Insurance defense litigator Emily Albrecht digs into a specialty that would mortify other lawyers.
From J.D. to Plan B: It's time to take a chance on yourself
Your career may not be a straight line. But if you know what you’re good at, you’ll get where you’d like to be.
To be, or not to be? Tradition isn't the only answer
Tradition, especially in the law, means a lot. Traditions connect us to people and ideas that came before. They can add meaning to the things we say and do. But tradition can also hold us back from addressing choices that need rethinking. It’s OK to start fresh every
Are you asking the right career question?
To make the right career move, be sure you’re not asking the wrong career-change question.
JD detours: Alternative career paths for lawyers
Studies have found that approximately one out of every five students pursues an alternative career path after law school. There are many different careers that can benefit from your law degree. The job that’s best for you will ultimately depend on your most valuable skills and what you want to do.
Is there anything this law student doesn't do?
From startup ventures to life, Lee Chang, a 2L at the Brigham Young University—J. Reuben Clark Law School is following a path rarely taken through law school.
Trusting your gut: Knowing when the 'must-have' path isn't the right one
If you “followed the rules” but feel like you don’t fit the role you found yourself in this summer, not all is lost. That feeling can serve as a tool to place you on the path meant for you, so don’t ignore it.
How to resist the allure of a traditional practice
Don’t send another resume before reading these stories of lawyers who forged their own career path— and are glad they did.
Is politics your passion?
A Congressional staffer shares his story and offers suggestions on how to build a satisfying career in public service.
Put your J.D. Advantage to its greatest advantage
Lawyers across the country are using their law degree in ways they never expected - it's called the JD Advantage. Here are tips on how you can, too.
Be brave: Take this personal challenge
I’m proud to welcome you to this issue, which provides invaluable information about what you can do with your degree while going off the beaten path.
Who goes to law school and doesn’t practice law?
I have heard this question a million times. I am still less than five years out of law school, and it still puzzles people that I do not practice law. Yes, I was willing to go through 3 years of tortur- ahem, I mean law school to not practice. I also
Pro bono leads to a calling
Growing up in the projects on the Lower East Side of New York City and watching her immigrant Chinese mother work in the garment industry’s sweatshops—even working alongside her at times— Villy Wang became determined to grow up and earn enough money that her mother wouldn’t have to work so hard. Wang achieved
A soaking leads to an invention
By Jordan Glasgow JORDAN GLASGOW, a 3L student at University of Missouri—Kansas City School of Law, is the 8th Circuit governor for the Law Student Division. As Jaspreet Singh began his second year at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, he was not only juggling the demands of classwork and student
Diana Kim: Sharing ner father’s story
By Amy Phan Taylor AMY PHAN TAYLOR, a 2L student at Seattle University School of Law, is student editor of Student Lawyer. Diana Kim’s decision to share her father’s journey of recovery from mental instability and homelessness in a photography blog has had far-reaching impacts on the island of Oahu, where she
The Socially Conscious “Chocopreneur”
When Shawn Askinosie entered law school at the University of Missouri in Columbia, he wanted to become a criminal defense lawyer just like his father. When he graduated in 1989, Askinosie joined a large Texas firm and handled white-collar crime cases. Three years
Making an Impact Through Research
When Arin Reeves entered law school, she was interested in women’s rights and planned to prosecute sex crimes. But during her years at the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law, she grew increasingly interested in the social science aspect of law. When she graduated in 1996, she began
Secret Lawyer: Meet the Brains Behind North America’s Music Festival Scene
By entering law school, Simon Rust Lamb was launching a second career. After college, he’d already started his own indie music label and worked as a freelance journalist for music magazines. So when he graduated from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles in 2007, entertainment law was a natural specialty. After
Capitalizing on Curiosity
Alicia Morga quips that she went to law school because she “didn’t know what else to do with [her] life.” The one-time investment banker graduated from Stanford Law School in 1999 and spent a year as a Silicon Valley corporate lawyer at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati before being recruited
Coaching Google Execs (Among Others)
When Michael Melcher entered the joint JD/MBA program at Stanford University, he had “no clear view” of what he wanted to do. But having worked in the US Foreign Service before law school, he was interested in public policy and international work. After graduating in 1994, he joined the securities practice
Running a Sports Nonprofit
When Mary Wittenberg entered law school, she hoped to someday practice law in the sports world. The former college rower was also interested in nonprofit work. But, first, to get some experience, she joined the corporate practice of Hunton & Williams in Richmond, Virginia, after graduating from the University of
Sporting an Entrepreneurial Streak
After an early career in political consulting working on campaigns for the likes of Ed Koch, Tom Bradley, and Walter Mondale, Jay Goldberg became a sports agent representing athletes, retired sports legends, and sportscasters at a large New York-based agency. “I knew I wanted to eventually work for myself,” recalled Goldberg,
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