The Former Lawyer Podcast

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Why Lawyers Feel More Confused After Career Coaching

2026-10-2615:18

You worked with a career coach because you wanted to figure out what to do instead of practicing law. Maybe you took assessments, learned more about yourself, and even had a good experience with the coach. Now you're at the end of that process with more information about yourself, but even less of an idea of what you should actually do next. When you're super burned out and going to a toxic job every day, it's understandable to want someone to look at your resume and assessments and just give...

The Transferable Skills Lawyers Overlook When Leaving Law

2026-10-1911:25

When you're thinking about leaving law, it's easy to convince yourself that you don't have any transferable skills. You've spent years learning how to be a lawyer, and so much of what you do every day feels specific to practicing law. It's hard to imagine how any of that experience would be useful in a job that has nothing to do with the legal profession. Something that lawyers often don't realize is that the skills they take for granted aren't necessarily things everyone else knows how to do...

When You Want to Leave Law but Don’t Know What’s Next

2026-10-1205:00

If you want to leave law but have no idea what you want to do next, it can feel like you need to figure out at least a few possible options before you are ready to get help. For a lot of unhappy lawyers, though, the problem is not choosing between several clear career paths. Everything outside of practicing law feels like a complete black box, and they do not even know how to start figuring out what might be a good fit. In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell explai...

Do You Actually Want Another Legal Job After a Layoff?

2026-10-0508:35

Being laid off from a legal job can create a lot of anxiety, financial and otherwise. If you’ve been laid off, you’re worried that a layoff might be coming, or you’ve been through one in the past, there are very real practical concerns that come with losing your job. We all have bills, we all need to be responsible adults, and sometimes getting another job practicing law is the choice that makes sense. The question is whether you actually want another legal job or whether you’re looking for o...

The Cost of Staying in a Toxic Law Firm

2026-09-2808:43

Staying in a toxic law firm because you want to help change it can feel like a good reason to stay. You want to get to a position where you have more influence and can use that influence to make the environment better. The question is what staying long enough to get there is costing you along the way. The harder part is that toxic environments can change your sense of what is normal or acceptable. You can start out very clear about what feels wrong and, over time, become more comfortable with...

#box-pro-ellipsis-179329125630526{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}The Former Lawyer Podcast