The Former Lawyer Podcast
Episodes
Working As A Woman In Biglaw And Patent Litigation with Ashley Chi
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, I spoke with Ashley Chi. Ashley worked in Biglaw for seven years in patent litigation. Then, she w...
Do Group Programs Work For Introverts?
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As you know, one of the things I do is share advice and strategies for aspiring former lawyers. Today, I'm going to talk about a question that co...
How Kevin Ha Side Hustled His Way Out Of The Legal Profession
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, I had a wonderful conversation with Kevin Ha. Kevin has a unique story compared to my other guests...
If You're Not Suffering In The Law, You're Not Working Hard Enough
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I want to talk about an issue that I see come up so often for lawyers. What we're going to talk about today is the mindset of "i...
Falling Out Of Love With The Law With Julie Lythcott-Haims
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I'm sharing my conversation with Julie Lythcott-Haims. I first heard Julie share her story on a podcast called The Anxious Achiever P...
Do You Really Want To Leave The Law Or Just This Job?
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do I really want to leave the law? Or is it just my particular job? How do I know whether it's just my particular job or whether it's the l...
Finding Your Strengths Using CliftonStrengths Assessment With Vanessa Kuljis
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I'm sharing my conversation with Vanessa Kuljis. Vanessa and I overlapped at the same law school, though we didn't meet each other wh...
Trauma as a Lawyer With Kara Hardin
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, I asked Kara Hardin to come back on the podcast to talk about trauma and lawyers. You may remember...
Transitioning Out Of The Law To Legal Marketing With Andy Cabasso
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I'm sharing my conversation with Andy Cabasso. Andy is a former lawyer and startup founder that began by starting a legal marketing busine...
The Expectation Of Perfection In The Law Is Leaving Lawyers Exhausted
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most frustrating things in the legal industry is when you aren't happy with your job, you're feeling a ton of pressure and stress...
How to Leave Litigation and a Legal Career for Consulting with Stinson Mundy
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I'm excited to share my conversation with Stinson Mundy with you. Stinson started as a litigator and eventually, opened her own solo practi...
Signs of Malignant Narcissism In The Legal Profession
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I want to talk about a hot topic on the Former Lawyer Podcast: narcissism. The reason that we really need to talk about it is that, as bad as i...
Finding An Alternative Career In DEI With Amber Haggins
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I'm really excited to share my conversation with Amber Haggins with you. Amber is a former lawyer who now sits as Prophet's Vice...
Four Myths That Keep Lawyers From Exploring Non-Legal Career Paths
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you looking to leave the law, and find a non-legal career, but something is holding you back? Do you think thereâs something wrong because you ...
Learn about how Rho Thomas went from struggling in her career as a lawyer to becoming a popular, thriving financial coach for lawyers.
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, I'm excited to share my interview with Rho Thomas. Rho and I originally connected when she was still working as a lawy...
What Burned-Out Lawyers Need To Know: Signs Of Lawyer Burnout with Ilona Salmons
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer podcast, I had Ilona Salmons back to continue our conversation about burned-out lawyers. We wanted to hav...
Burnout In Lawyers with Ilona Salmons
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I am talking about my interview with Ilona Salmons. She's actually not a lawyer but she works primarily with mental health in lawyers ...
What It's Like Inside The Collaborative During A Guided Track
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you ready to find a new job after leaving the law? Do you want to find the right post-legal career for you? Well, youâve come to the right place...
What Burned Out Lawyers Need to Know
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer podcast, I talked about The Eight Signs of a Toxic Legal Workplace. For this episode, I am going to pull h...
The Pernicious Cycle Thatâs Trapping You In Your Job As A Lawyer
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I want to talk to you about the pernicious cycle that is trapping you in your lawyer job. Obviously, this doesn't apply to everyone b...
How You Can Leave The Law This Year
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the very first episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast that's releasing in 2022. Today, I want to talk to you about a question that I&ap...
Biglaw Associate Burnout (What I'm Seeing In 2021 & Why It Matters)
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Iâll be talking about the issue of Biglaw associate burnout. I cannot tell you the number of people who I have heard from in the last year wh...
Stop Telling Lawyers That Their Thoughts Cause Their Feelings | When Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Lawyers Is Abused
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, weâre going to be talking about a topic I feel very strongly about. Itâs also something that Iâve been seeing more and more in the legal ...
Your Job Shouldn't Make You Cry
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, we re-released one of the most popular episodes of the podcast. I wanted to make sure that if you haven't heard it befo...
From Lawyer to Therapist: Therapy As A Post-Legal Career With Kara Hardin
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kara Hardin is a therapist and used to be a corporate and securities lawyer. In the latest episode of the podcast, I talked to Kara about her journey ...
How To Find A Non-Law Job ASAP
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the Former Lawyer Podcast, weâre re-releasing a previous episode, but this is one that I feel needs to be re-shared because the informa...
Pursuing Mental Health After Leaving The Legal Profession with Lauren Tetenbaum
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I'm sharing my conversation with Lauren Tetenbaum. Lauren is, of course, a former lawyer, and now, practicing therapist, licensed as a...
Shifting Office Culture in Biglaw Firms
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I recently had a conversation with a Collab member about how the legal system normalizes things that really aren't normal about law firm office ...
I Don't Want To Be A Lawyer AnymoreâWhat Can I Do?
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, we are re-releasing an episode that came out about this time last year. It's one of the most popular episodes of the po...
Authority Without Responsibility: The Toxic Work Environment Of Biglaw Firms
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Itâs time to talk about a part of Biglaw that truly exemplifies what is so problematic with the structure of the legal system and how it creates the...
Making The Move To A Non-Legal Career With Nhu-Y Le
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of the Former Lawyer Podcast, I spoke with Nhu-Y Le, Vice President of Client Services at Legalpad. Legalpad is a business immig...
The Cost Of Career Coaching For Lawyers with Annie Little
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Annie Little is an ICF-certified career coach and a former lawyer. Her company is called JD Nation, which was founded in 2012. In 2013, Annie left her...
Gaslighting In The Legal Profession: Are Former Lawyers Just Bitter?
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, I was sent an article from one of the listeners of the Former Lawyer Podcast. This article, entitled Why Former Lawyers Are Bitter Sometime...
Creating A Better Workplace Culture For Working Parents With Debi Yadegari
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Debi Yadegari is a former lawyer who worked in biglaw and in-house law. These days, she runs Villyge, a company that helps organizations support worki...
How To Leave Your Legal Career Without Guilt
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In your legal career, one of the most common things youâll see is people leaving. You want to leave the law too, but you donât want to leave the w...
Leaving Law School and Choosing An Alternative Career With Tarzan Kay
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tarzan Kay is a copywriter that also teaches other people how to write better copy, specifically for emails. I asked Tarzan to join men on the Former ...
The Simple Five-Step Framework to Identify an Alternative Career that You Actually Like
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, I am super excited to share with you a preview of the first episode of a secret pop-up podcast series called âThe Simple F...
The Truth About Being Miserable As a Lawyer & What To Do About It
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Thereâs one thing you need to know about being miserable as a lawyer: it is not normal. I want to say that again, itâs not normal to be miserable ...
Finding A Post-Legal Career in Legal Tech With Maya Markovich
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Maya Markovich is the Chief Growth Officer at Nextlaw Labs, an innovation company in the legal tech industry. Maya pioneered her way to this position ...
What Transitioning Out Of The Law Looks Like With Collaborative Member Jamie
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We recently started a new series of episodes where I will be interviewing some members of The Collaborative to hear their stories and experience with ...
Transitioning From a Legal Career: The Former Lawyer Story Part 2
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For those who may be new, Former Lawyer is run by me, Sarah Cottrell. Through my work with Former Lawyer, I help those that are trying to transition f...
Transitioning Out of the Law: The Former Lawyer Story Part 1
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate the 100th episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Iâm sharing something a little different than usual, an interview with me about how I t...
Quitting Law - Why You Donât Need Someone to Tell You What to Do
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Like you, quitting law did not come easy to me. I distinctly remember sitting on the couch with my laptop in our house, scrolling through Indeed â b...
What Itâs Really Like to Leave the Law with a Collaborative Member
12 Jul 2021
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 t...
Resume Gaps as a Lawyer - How Bad Are They Really?
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most common searches I get from lawyers thinking of leaving law is âHow bad is it to have a resume gap as a lawyer?â Or what they are r...
From Litigator to Legal Project Management with Rachael Philbin
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rachael Philbin is a legal project manager and former lawyer, who shows us that we donât have to stray too far from the law if weâre ready to stop...
What to Look for in a Lawyer Career Coach
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
So youâve decided to seek the help of a lawyer career coach to help you redirect your work path? Thatâs a good first step. You obviously want a ch...
Fear of Career Change & The Unknown After Law - Nnamdi Nwaezeapu
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nnamdi Nwaezeapu is a law school student, entrepreneur, and author of Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer: How to Pursue Your Dreams Without Giving Your Parents ...
Biglaw Burnout - The Biglaw System Creates Burnout
06 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The subject of biglaw burnout amongst lawyers is often talked about. Recently, there have been many articles talking about biglaw burnout, and particu...
Pursuing Your Dreams Without Giving Your Loved Ones a Heart Attack
31 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nnamdi Nwaezeapu is a law school student, entrepreneur, and author of Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer: How to Pursue Your Dreams Without Giving Your Parents ...
How to Know When Itâs Time to Hire a Career Coach
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Sarah answers the common question, "How do I know when I'm at the point that I need to hire a career coach?". She has ...
Charting Your Own Path Outside of Biglaw with Jennifer Park
17 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Park decided to chart her own path after law school, working for a legal tech company instead of Biglaw. On this episode, Jennifer shares w...
Is Now The Time to Leave the Law?
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Sarah breaks down her take on the common question, is now the time to leave the law? See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/089 Â
Designing Your Life and Human-Centered Design in Law with Katherine Porter
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Katherine Porter is a former lawyer turned consultant at her firm The Resource Woman, who now helps law firms cultivate a culture that attracts people...
Stigma-free Grief Recovery for Lawyers with Heather Horton
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Heather Horton is a lawyer by training who now operates her own grief recovery company, The H-Squared Group, LLC. On this episode of the podcast, He...
From Biglaw to Running a Creative Business with Loly Orozco
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Loly Orozco left a prestigious clerkship and career as a financial restructuring lawyer to run her stationery design company, Little Postage House. In...
How a Flexible Mindset Took Her From Bankruptcy Law to Legal Tech with Ivy Grey
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ivy Grey left a bankruptcy legal practice to work in legal tech. How did she do it? A mix of her mindset, skillset, and recognizing that there isnât...
From Litigator To All Things Real Estate With Jonathan Liu
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan Liu hated public speaking and basically everything about litigation. Even so, he spent 7 years as a litigator before leaving the law for a ca...
From Law To Podcast Production For Law Firms With Robert Ingalls
29 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Ingalls practiced criminal law, civil litigation, and estate planning before deciding to leave the law and start his company, Lawpods, which pr...
Marie Sotelo: Former Lawyer Turned Full-Time Freelance Writer
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Many lawyers harbor a secret dream of one day getting to write for a living. Today on the podcast I'm sharing my conversation with Marie Sotelo, ...
Prestige Is A Liar
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lawyers often make career choices based on what's prestigious, but prestige is a liar. Here's why it's hurting your career satisfaction...
A Biglaw Rant (And Why I Created Former Lawyer)
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today I'm sharing about something that happened to one of my guests after they were on the show, which turns into a bit of a Biglaw rant. I also ...
Leaving Law And Finding Joy In Home Organizing With Pia Thompson
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pia Thompson practiced law for years even though it felt wrong to her. On today's episode, Pia shares how she figured out who she is and what she...
Janelle Christian: Built A Six-Figure Side Biz And Left Biglaw
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In last week's episode, Janelle Christian shared about how she learned to prioritize herself over her job. In today's episode, she shares ab...
Learning To Prioritize Self Over Work With Janelle Christian
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Janelle Christian skipped the LSAT twice, and only took it on her third go-round because her parents drove her to the testing site. She says, "My...
Natasha Alladina: Biglaw To Public Service, Recruiting, And Policy Work
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Natasha Alladina started her legal career in Biglaw. But a few years in, she knew it was wrong for her, and so she decided to explore other options. H...
Lawyer Brain, The Lawyer Bubble, And Other People's Opinions
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of different obstacles that you may be running into as you consider leaving legal practice, but three of the biggest are Lawyer Brain,...
Are You A Burned Out Lawyer?
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you're a lawyer and you're feeling burned out, this episode is for you. I share about burnout, how it works, how it relates to our nervou...
This Feels Hard Because It Is Hard
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lawyers are so often expected to operate as though they are unaffected by the events going on around them. This is especially challenging when we are ...
A Cancelled Vacation (And Why Law Was Wrong For Me)
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For the first podcast episode of 2021, I'm sharing about one of the times that I cancelled a planned vacation while practicing law, why the law w...
Student Loan Debt Considerations for Lawyers with Student Loan Planner Consultant Lauryn Williams
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most common things that I hear from lawyers who are contemplating changing careers is that they are worried about how to manage their stude...
Annette ChotiâFrom Government Lawyer To Digital Marketer & SEO Expert
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After 20 years of working as a lawyer for the Department of Labor, Annette Choti decided to take the leap into digital marketing and search engine opt...
What Is The Former Lawyer Collaborative?
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wondering about the Former Lawyer Collaborative? In this episode, I talk about how the Collaborative works, past and upcoming workshops, and some of t...
Lawyers, Don't Try To Figure Out An Alternative Career Without This
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most important things that lawyers need to do if they want to successfully figure out an alternative career is to develop self-compassion a...
I Don't Want To Be A Lawyer AnymoreâWhat Can I Do?
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I don't want to be a lawyer anymoreâwhat can I do?" This is the question that most unhappy lawyers find themselves asking when they ...
Most Lawyers Would Not Admit This
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For most lawyers, it's hard to admit that we're strugglingâeven to ourselves. Today, I'm talking about my experience with clinical an...
Megan Smiley: From Law To Higher Ed To Interior Design
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Megan Smiley and I are kindred spirits. We just met earlier this year, but she started her podcast, The Lawyer's Escape Pod, the same week that I...
Geoffrey Stein: Former Lawyer Turned Portrait Painter
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'm sharing my conversation with Geoffrey Stein. After more than 10 years of legal practice, Geoffrey went to art school and bec...
Heather Yurovsky: From Lawyer To Career Coach And Start-Up Catalyst
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Heather Yurovsky went to law school unsure of whether she would practice law long-term. After a year of practice, the verdict was in (no pun intended...
Valerie BeckâLeft The Law For A Career In Chocolate
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Valerie Beck felt like she didn't fit in from the moment she arrived in law school. After several Biglaw jobs and an in-house gig, she decided la...
Jessica MedinaâFrom Biglaw To The SEC To Financial Counselor For Biglaw Lawyers
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, Jessica Medina shared all about how she ended up in law school, and then Biglaw, before deciding to leave to take a job at the SEC. In toda...
Moving Beyond Biglaw As A Single Mom Of Twins With Jessica Medina
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica Medina went to law school thinking she would work for the government and change the world for the better. But during her 2L year at Columbia L...
Becoming A Level 3 Sommelier with Helynn Nelson
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hobbies and side hustles can seem like a distraction when you're on the law firm treadmill. But cultivating interests outside the law is often th...
Employment Litigation to Human Resources Pro with Helynn Nelson
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever looked at the people more senior than you at your firm, the partners and senior associates, and thought, "I don't want your li...
From Law to Insurance to Joy Coach for High-Achieving Moms with Meghan Smith
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Who am I if I'm not a lawyer? My guest today, former lawyer Meghan Smith, shares about her own journey from big firm lawyer, to seemingly perfect...
From Law to Nursing with Hector Chavez
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do you think that you're too old to change careers and quit law? My guest today, Hector Chavez, decided to make the move from law to nursing righ...
From Biglaw to Legal Tech with Alex Su
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when you realize none of your strengths are rewarded in Biglawâand many of your strengths are actually considered weaknesses? Hear ho...
Annie Little: Commercial Lending & Real Estate Lawyer to Lawyer Career Coach
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Annie Little worked as a commercial lending and real estate lawyer for 7 years before allowing herself to consider the possibility that there was a be...
Don't Wait Until You Feel Ready
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week I'm reflecting on the one-year anniversary of The Former Lawyer Podcast! I'm sharing some of what I've learned this year, and...
Annie Little: Lawyering (and Leaving Law) as an Anxious Extrovert
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We know that the mental health stats regarding lawyers are grim, but what is it really like to experience anxiety and panic as a lawyer? In this conve...
Andrea Yang: Litigator Turned Law School Career Counselor and Coach
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is quitting law without another job lined up a bad idea? When you're super miserable as a lawyer, you often find yourself wondering: can I just q...
Mary Eberle: From Law Firm Partner to DNA Hunter
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Law is my second careerâcan I still leave? A lot of lawyers ask themselves this question. In this episode, Mary Eberle shares all about how she left...
Leaving Law Without A Dream Job with Lauren Bernadett
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the second half of our conversation, Lauren Bernadett shares about the challenges she faced leaving her high-paying law firm job as a single person...
Feeling Stuck In Law Even Without Student Loans With Lauren Bernadett
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lauren Bernadett spent a lot of time negotiating a full-ride scholarship to law school so that she wouldn't find herself trapped in a firm job th...
It's Okay To Be A Quitter
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are you worried that quitting your job or leaving the law entirely means that you're a quitter? Most lawyers think that quitting things is bad an...
The Sunk Costs Fallacy
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 045, we're tackling another myth that keeps lawyers stuck: the sunk costs fallacy. Have you ever thought, "If I leave my job/the ...
There Is Nothing Wrong With You
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 044 of the podcast, I'm talking about another myth that keeps lawyers stuck in jobs they hate: that there's something wrong with ...
There Is No Perfect Next Step
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 43 of the podcast, we're kicking off a series where we'll be talking about some of the myths that keep lawyers stuck in jobs they...
Your Job Should Not Make You Cry
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you found yourself crying in your office, or on the way to the office, or when working at home? Crying because of your job is weirdly normalized ...
Biglaw Is Inhospitable To Human Life
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 041 of the podcast, I'm sharing why I think Biglaw is inhospitable to human life (spicy!), and why I think it's particularly impo...