The Former Lawyer Podcast

Don't Wait for the World to Stabilize Before You Leave Your Legal Job

When the world feels unstable, the idea of introducing more instability into your life by leaving your job can feel impossible. But waiting for things to stabilize before you address your career unhappiness might mean waiting forever.2025 was a difficult year. If you're already in an overwhelming job, everything else happening in the world makes it even harder to think clearly about your career.But even in difficult years, lawyers leave the legal profession and find work they actually want to do. Even when things are rough, it's still possible.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/294

Do You Need a Bridge Job? Key Questions for Lawyers in Transition

One of the most common questions lawyers ask when they're thinking about leaving is whether they need a bridge job. It's a fair question, but before Sarah can answer it, she needs to know which type of bridge job you're talking about.Because there are actually two very different kinds.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/239

I'm Not Here to Convince You to Leave the Law

Sometimes people ask Sarah, "Do all the lawyers you work with end up leaving law?" She gets the sense they think she's trying to convince people to abandon their legal careers, like she's running some kind of exit campaign.Let her be clear. She's not here to convince anyone to leave the law.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/251

The Best First Step When You're Not Ready to Leave Law Yet

Maybe you're thinking about leaving the law, but you aren't quite sure you're ready to start working through the process. You're thinking, "I really think this isn't for me, I definitely want to get out eventually, but maybe not at this exact moment." If that sounds like you, there's something you can do.This is going to be the most unsurprising recommendation, but one of the things that's really important for lawyers who are going through the process of figuring out what they want to do that isn't practicing law is therapy.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/293

Why Community Support Matters When You're Leaving the Law

When lawyers start thinking about leaving, they focus on the practical steps. What career should I pursue? How do I update my resume? What skills do I need? Those things matter, but Sarah consistently hears from lawyers that they underestimated something else. They didn't realize how much they needed to know they weren't alone.The legal profession can be deeply isolating, especially for people who are unhappy. In a field focused on prestige, lawyers often feel like they have to maintain a professional persona just to be taken seriously. It becomes hard to admit that the work doesn't fit, even to yourself. Lawyers who want out often believe they're the only ones who feel that way. They look around at colleagues who seem fine and wonder what's wrong with them for struggling.In this episode Sarah shares why finding even just one or two other people also going through this process can make leaving the law so much easier. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/292