The Limitless Lawyer

New Lawyer Survey Results - Just In! (Ann Ritter)

Ann Ritter, Director of Health Center Development & Policy for a non-profit organization

1. Why did you go to law school?

I took two years off between college and law school to work. During that time, I worked as a legal assistant at two non-profit law offices. After that, I knew that I loved working in the non-profit sector. I wasn't as certain that I loved the law or the day-to-day routine of being a lawyer, but I respected the lawyers in those offices, and I recognized the power that non-profit lawyers have to improve people's lives. I went to law school to gain that power. ... Also, I'm not very good at math, and I was too lazy to re-learn middle school math for the GRE, so I took the LSAT instead because it was the path of least resistance. I know that many of my law school classmates felt the same way. This is a very stupid reason to decide to go to law school.

2. When did you first think about leaving the practice of law or decide to quit law school?

The first year of law school was hard for me. I struggled with the workload like everybody else, but I also struggled with this nagging feeling that I had made a mistake and I wasn't in the right profession. I saw classmates who were truly inspired, excited, and passionate about the practice of law, and their enthusiasm made me realize that it wasn't just the workload that was getting me down -- I was actually much less interested in becoming a practicing attorney than my classmates.

3. What thought, experience or event first inspired your current career choice?

Before I ever thought of being a lawyer, I planned to be a journalist. The work I do now allows me to write and communicate ideas to others while also using the legal research skills I learned in law school.

4. What was the very first action you took when you decided to switch careers?

I threw out the write-on packet for law review. This was after I ordered and paid for it, picked it up, and worked on it for 5 hours. I had a revelation when I realized I was applying for the journals for literally no other reason except that smart people in law school are “supposed” to be on a journal. I reflected for another day or two, and as soon as I was certain that I had no interest in law review – personally, professionally, or intellectually - I knew that I was off the normal lawyer track and that I had to start making my own career path.

5. What resources (people, books, money) assisted you most during your transition?

I was very lucky to have a generous scholarship for public interest students when I was in law school. It made it easy for me to be able to stay in law school and finish my degree while I was still trying to figure things out. Aside from that, I think it was crucial to network and volunteer with non-lawyer professionals. The legal education process has some very rigid norms that can place a lot of pressure on a non-traditional student, and it’s important to maintain your perspective. For example, between public interest legal fellowships, clerkships, and associate classes, it’s very easy to get swept up in the belief that all ambitious law students should have a full-time job lined up a year before their start date. I had to remind myself repeatedly during my 2L and 3L years that the hiring system for new JDs is really unusual compared to other professions –- and I was able to do that because I was around non-lawyers so often.

6. How did you handle fear and/or uncertainty during your transition?

See above. I’m still sort of fascinated by some of the legal profession’s norms. The blueprint for success as a lawyer is spelled out very clearly throughout the legal education process (it begins with going to the highest ranked school you can get into, and ends with you clerking for an appellate judge before taking a full-time job as a law firm associate). It places a lot of pressure on people to conform. In other professions, people come to their jobs and find their careers in a much less predictable way. Being around non-lawyers showed me that there’s always more than one way to get where you’re going if you’re resourceful, hard-working and curious. I reminded myself of this repeatedly in law school, when I was feeling anxious about doing different things than my peers.

7. What skills from law school or your legal career have proven most useful in your new career?

My current job is a mix of policy research, advocacy, grant-writing, and program management. Analytical thinking and persuasive writing help me in all of those areas, as does an understanding of how laws and regulations are created.

8. What advice would you give to someone trying to make the leap from law into your field?

If you’re still in law school when you decide to change professions, volunteer and intern with non-legal employers while you’re still in school. In Pennsylvania, the state makes it relatively easy for non-profit organizations to hire work-study graduate students for free (the students don’t get paid much, of course, but at least it’s something). Coming to a non-profit organization with your own funding already lined up allows you to get your foot in the door almost anywhere. In turn, this gives you many opportunities to begin to learn how to use your legal skills in a new field.

9. Any final words of wisdom? How has living your passion impacted your life?

I’ve never regretted my decision, not even for one second.

Kathleen Bradley: Lawyer turned Executive Coach

Career transition is difficult. It takes a combination of introspection, perseverance, skills development and networking - all while working a full-time job, of course. Kathleen Bradley, Director of Professional Development at The Executive Lawyer LLC faced and overcame these challenges during 18 years of law practice.

She indicates that, within the first 3 years, she began thinking about leaving the practice of law. But didn't fulfill this dream until 18 years later. Her first step, like Marci Alboher, was to hire a coach. That is when she decided that coaching others was what she wanted to do.

Kathleen's next step was to attend a leadership coaching program. After graduating, she had difficulty breaking into coaching and returned to school again, obtaining a Masters in Leadership from Georgetown University. Fortunately, she says, she "...had a substantial stash of money from my career." But her tenacity and love for coaching provided her with the daily inspiration to stay the course. She also recommends The Pathfinder by Nick Lore, one of her first coaches.

A final thought from Kathleen on what it feels like to live your passion every day:
"I feel like my work today is like playing in the sandbox with friends. I felt like my work as a lawyer was pushing a boulder up a hill every day."

You can read the entirety of Kathleen's survey answers here.

If you've enjoyed this article, please pass it on to your friends via email or your favorite social networking site. But, most importantly, tell the transitioning and former lawyers in your life to take a few minutes to share their wisdom via this survey.

Gary Hardwick: Lawyer turned Novelist, Screenwriter & Director

Gary Hardwick is, perhaps, best known for his films The Brothers (2001) and Deliver Us from Eva (2003). But, of course, what really interests us is how this former lawyer made his way to Hollywood.

He wanted to be a writer since he was 12, but was practical and thought having a law degree would allow him to "...get a job and work on [his] truer passions." Then a chance encounter with a childhood friend outside of a police station provided a wake-up call. His friend, locked up for the third time on a violent charge - his choice - writes Gary, made him wonder if he were not the one imprisoned by the act of living according to the expectations of others. Not long, thereafter, he was on his way to California.

"Claim Your Life" is his mantra. Gary writes, "Each of us divides his or her life into two distinct choices: The things you must do and the things you wish you could do. If you are lucky, these two things will be the same. But, for most of us, they are not and so we claim one of these two lives, choosing one path and leaving the other un-traveled." He advises us to find balance.

His final words are this:
"There are not too many lawyers. There are too many lawyers who are just lawyers."

For many of us, the first step is simply integrating our passions into our lives, even while practicing law. Who knows where that road might lead? You can read Gary's survey answers in their entirety here.

If you've enjoyed this article, please pass it on to your friends via email or your favorite social networking site. But, most importantly, tell the transitioning and former lawyers in your life to take a few minutes to share their wisdom via this survey.