The Former Lawyer Podcast
Episodes
Why Entertainment Law Isn't the Escape You Might Think with Jordan Nahmias
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah sees many clients who change careers within the law, like becoming in-house lawyers, but at the end of the day, they are still lawyers. When peo...
How to Decide if Now is the Right Time to Leave Law
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs podcast episode, Sarah addresses a question that many people start asking themselves when the economy is unstable: Is now really the righ...
Separating Your Identity From Your Legal Career
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs podcast episode, Sarah chats with one of her one-on-one clients, Ann Marie Cowdrey. She has had a lot of experience working for regional ...
Understanding Burnout Versus Depression In Lawyers And How To Get Support
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many lawyers find themselves asking, âAm I depressed, or am I burnt out?â This comes up when they are thinking about leaving the law, and itâs n...
Finding an Empowering Path Back to Creative Work from Law with Lynley Ogilvie
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast episode, Sarah chats with Lynley Ogilvie about her career pivot. She left her job as a lawyer to become a landscape designer. The...
Why You Shouldn't Feel Guilty if You Hate Being a Lawyer
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Todayâs podcast topic was sparked by a recent call for the Guided Track Sarah is facilitating this spring. This program is designed to assist lawyer...
Navigating Lawyering and New Career Paths with Chronic Health Conditions with Emily Whelden
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Todayâs podcast episode focuses on what itâs like to work in law with chronic illnesses. Emily Whelden is a former lawyer who now works at Dixon L...
An Existential Crisis When Leaving the Law Isn't a Sign of Failure
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lawyers expect to follow a perfectly laid-out path. Itâs natural. When the next step in any journey isnât clear, it feels like something is wrong....
From Lawyer to Professional Development and Legal Recruiting with Adriana Paris
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast, Sarah is chatting with Adriana Paris. Adriana stopped practicing law after ten years and moved into a new role at a law firm. Sh...
Empowering Change: Updates from the Legal Accountability Project with Aliza Shatzman
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Todayâs podcast episode brings back a previous guest to update listeners. Aliza Shatzman previously appeared to talk with Sarah about The Legal Acc...
How to Shift Professionally From Lawyer to Chief Marketing Officer with Ashley Carlisle
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After leaving law, former lawyers follow many career paths depending on their interests and skills. Todayâs podcast episode features a conversation ...
Unraveling the Startling Parallels Between Narcissism in Family Units and Law Firms
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Narcissism is a word that is often associated with lawyers for many reasons. On todayâs podcast episode, Sarah is chatting with Kelcey Baker about ...
Validation: An Incredible Tool for Unhappy Lawyers with Kelcey Baker
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast episode, Sarah is chatting with her client, Kelcey Baker. Kelcey joined the Collab and participated in the Guided Track, so she h...
One Simple and Essential Piece of Advice to Leave the Law
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The theme of todayâs podcast episode is the idea that just because you can doesnât mean you should. This advice was a central point to a recent ke...
The Challenges of Leaving Public Interest Law with Strawberry Nevill
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Todayâs podcast episode features Sarahâs conversation with Strawberry Nevill. After connecting through a mutual friend, Sarah invited Strawberry t...
Which Collab Feature Helped This Member With a Career Breakthrough
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast episode, Sarah is talking with a member of the Collab, Read. He shares his background story and how he decided that the Collab wa...
Adrian Hernâs Escape from Legal Burnout
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Todayâs podcast episode features a client, Adrian Hern. Sheâs a member of the Collab and has also worked with Sarah one-on-one. Youâll get some ...
The Misery of Knowing That One is Doing Harm As A Lawyer
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. Itâs part of a series of podcast d...
The Misery of Not Feeling Entitled to One's Misery as a Lawyer
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. Itâs part of a series of podcast di...
The Artificial Power Structure and Feeling Helpless as a Lawyer with Annie Little
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. Itâs part of a series of podcast dis...
The Misery of Ambiguity and Forced Pretense in Law Firms
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode is part of the series where Sarah is chatting with Annie Little about the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. If you missed the ...
Is Being A Lawyer A Bullshit Job?
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah kicks off a new series on todayâs podcast with Annie Little, another lawyer career coach. Annie has been on the podcast a few times in the pas...
Former Lawyer Turned Professional Organizer with Heather Davies
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast episode, Sarah is chatting with Heather Davies, another former lawyer. Heatherâs new career as a professional organizer is some...
Three Reasons Iâm Grateful I Left The Law
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For this Thanksgiving week podcast, Sarah is sharing the three reasons why sheâs grateful she made the choice to stop practicing law. Many lawyers w...
You're Not Lazy Because You Want to Leave Your Job
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Todayâs episode covers a statement that Sarah often hears from lawyers who want to do something other than legal work. People say, âIâm not just...
Does Being a Lawyer Cause Anxiety or Depression
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many people who listen to this podcast or reach out to work with Sarah have the question, âDoes working as a lawyer give you anxiety or depression?â...
How Law Firms Are Failing Lawyers With ADHD with Annie Little
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Todayâs episode features a conversation about how law firms fail lawyers with ADHD with Annie Little. Annie has been on the podcast several times to...
Does Being a Lawyer Lead to ADHD? Unpacking the Relationship with Annie Little
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell and Annie Little engaged in a candid conversation about ADHD and its prevalence among law...
Disclosing ADHD and Other Mental Health Issues to Your Firm
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, Lauren Ascher was on the podcast to discuss accommodations for lawyers with ADHD. Itâs a good segway into an important conversation abo...
ADHD Accommodations for Lawyers with Lauren Ascher
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Todayâs podcast episode is diving into the experience of being a lawyer with ADHD. There have been some episodes covering this topic in the past, bu...
Why You DONâT Want to Make Partner
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah is talking about why it sucks to make partner at a law firm. This isnât true for everyone, ...
Not Fitting In at Law Firms is a Good Thing
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the podcast today, Sarah is talking about lawyers feeling that they donât fit at their law firm and feeling something is wrong with them because ...
Moving from Law into Advocacy Work with Francesca Korbas
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs podcast episode, Sarah is joined by Francesca Korbas. Francesca is the COO and a partner in the educational consultancy Vested Academics....
Behind the Scenes of The Former Lawyer Podcastâs First 200 Episodes
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Todayâs podcast marks a special milestone. Itâs the 200th episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast. To celebrate, Sarah sat down with Stacey Harris of...
Making the Move from Law to Real Estate with Romy Frazier
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast episode, Sarah has a conversation with Romy Frazier. Romy is a former lawyer who transitioned from practicing law into real estat...
Why the CliftonStrengths Workshop Is Included in the Guided Track
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast, Sarah dives into a specific piece of the Guided Track that many clients have found incredibly beneficial. The Guided Track is a...
How to Choose the Right Former Lawyer Program for You
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah talks about the offers she has available for lawyers who are interested in leaving law and lo...
Why These Former Lawyers Decided to Join the Guided Track
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs episode, Sarah is wrapping up the summer series where she asked questions of some of her clients, who shared their personal experiences. ...
What Would Former Lawyer Collab Members Tell Themselves Five Years Ago
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast episode, Sarah is sharing answers from Collab members for another question as part of the summer series. Each episode in the seri...
What Has Been the Biggest Surprise for Former Lawyers in the Collab?
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast episode, youâll learn more about members of the Collab and what has surprised them most. Each episode in this series asks the s...
Myths Former Lawyers Believed Before Leaving the Law
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast episode, itâs another series episode where Sarah is sharing more feedback directly from Collab Members. Each series episode ask...
Former Lawyers Share an Obvious Thing that was Transformative
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast episode, Sarah is sharing more feedback directly from Collab Members as part of the summer series. Each series episode asks the s...
What Collab Members Wish They Had Done Sooner
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs podcast, Sarah is kicking off a new series where listeners will hear first-hand experiences from her clients. In each episode, one questi...
The Misery of Knowing That One Is Doing Harm as a Lawyer
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. Itâs part of a series of podcast d...
The Misery of Not Feeling Entitled to One's Misery as a Lawyer
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. Itâs part of a series of podcast dis...
The Artificial Power Structure and Feeling Helpless as a Lawyer with Annie Little
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. Itâs part of a series of podcast dis...
The Misery of Ambiguity and Forced Pretense in Law Firms
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode is part of the series where Sarah is chatting with Annie Little about the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. If you missed the ...
Is Being A Lawyer A Bullshit Job?
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah kicks off a new series on today's podcast with Annie Little, another lawyer career coach. Annie has been on the podcast a few times in the ...
Career Happiness After Law: Lessons Learned from Andrew Sohn's Pivots
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the podcast today, Sarah is talking to Andrew Sohn, a podcast listener. He was practicing law when he began listening to the podcast and decided to...
The Challenges of Giving Notice at Toxic Law Firms
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs episode, Sarah talks about how people look at those who leave law firms. The views tend to be distorted, especially from others who work ...
Feeling Your Feelings: How Self-Compassion Led Raha Francis Away From Biglaw
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs podcast, Sarah is chatting with Raha Francis. Raha graduated from Harvard Law and worked as a corporate intellectual property attorney be...
How to Handle the Bullying in Law Firms
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast episode, Sarah responds to a listener's email about a recent episode where the discussion was about law firms and the narcissists...
Discovering the Art of Writing Romance with Former Lawyer Jayci Lee
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast, Sarah is chatting with Jayci Lee, a former lawyer who has become an author since leaving her job as a litigator. The conversatio...
How the Hypervigilance in Law Causes Lawyers to Leave the Law with Ed Cottrell
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah talked with Karen Gulde a few months ago as part of the former lawyers turned therapists month. Karen talked about her experience of hypervigila...
How to Become an Organizational Ombuds with Dina Lynch Eisenberg
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah is interviewing Dina Lynch Eisenberg, an organizational ombuds, with an interesting journey through her career. As a former lawyer, she understa...
What You Need to Know About Stealth Layoffs in Biglaw
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs environment, Biglaw is, unfortunately, doing quite a few layoffs, and itâs a topic that many lawyers have at the top of their minds. Th...
Holding Onto Your Passion: The Journey from Law School to Acting with Ruth Kaufman
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On todayâs podcast, Sarah talks to Ruth Kaufman, a voice-over and on-film actor who is also a former lawyer. Law school was never an option that Rut...
How to Take A Mental Health Leave of Absence From Your Law Firm with Megan Nogasky
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah spoke with last weekâs guest, Megan Nogasky, again on this weekâs podcast to dive deeper into the idea of taking mental health breaks. They ...
Finding Freedom in Mental Health After Leaving Law with Megan Nogasky
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In todayâs podcast episode, Sarah talks to Megan Nogasky, her former law school classmate. Megan is another former lawyer who returned to school to ...
How an ADHD Diagnosis Changed a Career Path with Lauren Ascher
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah is chatting with Lauren Ascher about how an ADHD diagnosis changed a career, prompting her to make the career chan...
Setting Aside Prestige and Leaving Law for Therapy with Yael Eiserike
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah interviews Yael Eiserike, a former lawyer turned therapist. They talk about the challenges of deci...
Ending a 22 Year Legal Career for a New Career in Counseling with Karen Gulde
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sarah interviews a former lawyer, Karen Gulde. After 22 years as a lawyer, she decided to transition into counseling and help drive h...
5 Tips for Lawyers to Find a Therapist to Help with Stress and Anxiety
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode is all about therapy for lawyers. Sarah covers the importance of finding a therapist that fits your needs and the five tips to he...
Why It's Critical Lawyers Know Your Job is Not Your Identity with Mike Whelan
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sarah interviews Mike Whelan, the author of Lawyer Forward. They chat about his work helping solo attorneys, breaking out of the task...
Embrace Your Passion and Leave Your Legal Career Behind with Cary Simowitz
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features Cary Simowitz. Cary met Sarah by email in the summer of 2020 while he was still working as a lawyer. Before then, he had done a ...
What Itâs Really Like to Leave the Law with a Collaborative Member
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As you know, my podcast and membership, the Collaborative, is all about helping lawyers who feel they want to leave the law determine what they want ...
1 Year After Leaving the Law: Looking Back with Collab Member Jamie Spannhake
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a follow-up to Sarahâs previous conversation with Jamie Spannhake. Jamie is a Former Lawyer Collaborative member who left the law ...
How The Guided Track Supported Marquel Stuedemann in Transitioning from Lawyer to Trust Officer
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features Marquel Stuedemann, who joined the Former Lawyer Collaborative in the Fall 2021 cohort of Guided Track. Marquel discusses her ...
Happy New Year, It's Client Month at Former Lawyer!
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sarah discusses starting 2023 with a new podcast series that features previous clients in the Former Lawyer Collaborative. People who...
From Biglaw to Running a Creative Business with Loly Orozco
26 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Loly Orozco is a former financial restructuring lawyer who went from Biglaw to running a creative business. Her stationery design company, Little Pos...
How Sarah Rutledge Fischer left Biglaw to be a Working Artist
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Todayâs episode picks up from the last bit of Sarahâs discussion with Sarah Rutledge Fischer.  In the first half of the conversation, Sarah ta...
From Biglaw Associate to Clinical Psychologist with Dr. Jan Newman
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Iâm sharing my conversation with Dr. Jan Newman. Jan moved from Biglaw associate to clinical psychologist and executive coach who works ...
How Janelle Christian Went From Biglaw to Starting a Coaching Business
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode is an installment in The After series that focuses on showing lawyers that the after is really better than before. This episode features J...
The After Series: Life After Biglaw
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kicking off a new podcast series, The After Series. The new series will help unhappy lawyers who are hesitant to quit their soul-sucking jobs for fe...
Leaving Private Practice Behind for a Career in Tech as a Data Scientist
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features Greg Jacobs, who has successfully transitioned from the law into the technology industry as a data scientist after 14 years of p...
How to Work Through Conflicting Emotions as You Transition Out of the Law
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sarah talks about lawyers and former lawyers struggling with the decision to transition out of the law for fear of missing out or und...
How to Avoid Coaching Scams and Find the Right Fit Coach for You
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
First things first. You are totally justified in thinking coaching is a scam. Why is that? Because in the great big online world, there are a ton of â...
Why Your Toxic Workplace Makes It Impossible To Figure Out What You Want To Do
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah took a break from interviewing former lawyers to share something important for anyone in a t...
How Laura Evans Left Environmental Law Days After a Terrible Anxiety Attack
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Evans went to law school wanting to be an environmental lawyer. She focused on that all the way to actually practicing environmental law, which ...
Lawyers, Your Job Shouldn't Make You Cry
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you crying because of your job as a lawyer? Hang tight for some advice! This is by far the most popular episode that has been released on The Form...
It's Not As Unusual As You Might Think to Leave the Law After 20 Years
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah shares something she has observed in her clients who have worked in the law for a long time. Many of these lawyers fear being the only one with ...
From Biglaw Partner to Success Coach for Lawyers with Heather Moulder
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah chatted with Heather Moulder. Heather worked in Biglaw and even made partners. But in the end, sh...
Normalize Grieving Your Legal Career Even When You're Happy About It
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, weâre going to talk about something that comes up for almost anyone who decides to leave the law to do something else, especially those who s...
Leaving Biglaw To Become an Author and Writing Coach With Mary Adkins
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Adkins followed her dream of becoming an author after leaving the law. And she knew the law wasnât for her by the second day. Today she's ...
Career Advice Lawyers Should Avoid: Do What You Love, You'll Never Work A Day
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This particular piece of advice is generally garbage advice for lawyers. The advice in question is, âdo what you love.â or âWhen you do what you...
What Happens In The Guided Track
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you sick of your job as a lawyer and want to find an alternative career? Have you been searching for a coaching program for lawyers that can suppo...
Simple But Not Easy: Finding A Post-Legal Career
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer, Sarah takes a break from interviewing former lawyers to talk about a realization that many clients have wh...
Life After Biglaw in a new Hybrid Role with Ed Cottrell
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, weâre sharing the second part of Sarahâs conversation with her husband and former lawyer, Ed Cottrell. Last week, Ed and Sarah talked...
The Long Process Of Leaving A Legal Career with Ed Cottrell
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lawyers are under constant stress and pressure yet always have a âthis is fineâ mentality. âEverything will be fine,â we keep telling ourselve...
Leaving The Legal Profession After Practicing For Years With Landis Wade
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah sat down with former lawyer Landis Wade to talk about his journey in leaving the law after ...
âYou Have To Learn To Love Where You Areâ Is Trash Advice For Lawyers Who Want To Leave The Law
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, weâre talking about a piece of trash advice that can really harm some lawyers who want to leave the law. We really need to talk about a pie...
Creating Change In The Legal System with Aliza Shatzman
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, youâll learn about Aliza Shatzman, a former lawyer turned co-founder of a non-profit called Accountability Project. Aliza shares ...
Writing A Book About Former Lawyers While Leaving The Law With Adam Pascarella
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of the podcast, Sarah had a conversation with Adam Pascarella about his journey in and out of Biglaw. Adam is currently the fo...
Career Coaching for Lawyers: Working 1:1 with Sarah Cottrell
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If youâre a regular listener, you know that I practiced law for ten years, and now, I help unhappy lawyers ditch their soul-sucking jobs. On this po...
How (And Why) Navneet Mann Left The Legal Field For Coaching
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah spoke with Navneet Mann, a former lawyer and listener of the podcast turned professional coa...
Do I Think Everyone Should Leave The Law
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As you know, on the Former Lawyer Podcast, I share advice and strategies for aspiring former lawyers. And, I do interviews with former lawyers who hav...
Exiting The Legal Profession For A Startup With Karen Spencer
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I'm sharing my conversation with Karen Spencer. Karen is a former lawyer who responded to my requests for guests who had experience in pa...
Living With ADHD As A Lawyer with Annie Little
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I'm sharing a bit from my conversation with Annie Little, a former lawyer turned coach for lawyers. I had spoken to her before for the podc...
Giving Up A Job In The Law For A Growing Side Hustle with David Sparks
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I am sharing my conversation with David Sparks. David practiced law for close to 30 years and he has only recently left his job in the law to f...
The âNo Assholes Rule" (And Why Itâs A Joke)
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today is going to be a little bit of a spicy episode, and we'll be talking today about The No Asshole Rule. I'm guessing that most of you in...