“Feeling stuck in the legal field – any career change advice?
Are you a lawyer who’s had enough of the stress and pressure? Have you been practicing law for years but now crave a normal 9-5 job? Want to transition to a career with less stress and more balance? Looking for suggestions on what to do next?
#LegalCareer #CareerChange #Suggestions #WorkLifeBalance #TransitionTips
If you’re feeling burnt out and long for a change, you’re not alone. Here are some key points to consider:”
Reasons For Career Change
– Stress, pressure, and deadlines
– Desire for work-life balance
– Financial constraints
Possible Career Paths
– Alternate legal roles with fewer demands
– Non-profit or government work
– Corporate compliance or consulting
– Teaching or academia
Transitioning Advice
– Update your resume and LinkedIn profile
– Network with professionals in desired field
– Consider part-time or contract work to test the waters
– Seek guidance from career counselors or mentors
By taking steps towards a fulfilling career change, you can find the balance and satisfaction you’re seeking. Don’t hesitate to explore new possibilities and make a change that aligns with your goals and values.
Government agencies are always looking for lawyers and they generally work closer to 9-5. Not like a DA’s office or anything like that, just a straight up lawyer to help the agency understand laws. Any chance you live near DC?
State agencies do the same thing but 6 figures is much more questionable at that level.
Contract Specialist roles
Slippin jimmy?
are you prepared for a large loss of income, responsibility, title and benefits?
Forgot what it’s called, but look into logistics or anything related. My bosses wife makes around 100k doing that while working at home(actually working)
I have been a lawyer for 14 years and can definitely understand where you are coming from. Burnout is real. Especially when you have a young family.
The advice I am about to give is very much dependent on your relationship to your firm and the trust you have in your partners. That said I think it may be worth your time talking to them about your feelings and whether adjustments can be made to your time/duty requirements and your salary. They may not be willing to adjust but then again perhaps they are. I know of several firms that have moved lawyers to an “of counsel” role in order to give more flexibility.
Your issue is that you are going to have to work as much at another place because your skill set is in the law. Whereas, if you can just reduce your hours you may find you are not as burned out by the practice and can utilize your skill set to keep a decent salary even at reduced hours.
Just food for thought.
>I just want a normal 9-5 (tbh even less) job where I show up, do what I’m told, and go home.
Ehh…engineer here. Ain’t no such thing as a job like that. Not one that pays well.
You always have to solve problems, and there will always be stress, pressure, deadlines, and responsibilities for anything that pays well. Why else would they pay well?
I like solving math problems, hence engineer. But I still work a lot. If I have slow days, it’s because I worked it out that way. I tend to lead multi-month projects, so I can take it easy at times. But at other times it’s insanely stressful because the things you need to work just don’t work. And you need to find magic or invent something new or something.
But why would any “just do as you’re told” job pay you well? Most primates can eventually be persuaded to follow instructions.
We pay the ones who know how to solve problems better.
Start investing the money you made and live off the passive income. Then invest more.
Accountancy sounds like for you my man
I have a law degree and handle insurance claims. Strictly a 9-5. Salary is decent. You’d just need to pass an adjuster exam (which is cake compared to the bar). I know there are construction defect claim roles out there which might suit your skill set but there are a lot of different areas as well (I do employment/D&O). A lot of positions seek people with law degrees for cases/claims that are in litigation.
Just an idea. It’s what I turned to when I realized I didn’t want to deal with everything you’re describing.
I’d imagine there are also in-house opportunities out there for someone with your experience that wouldn’t require billables?
Best of luck! You’ll find something that suits you.