When lawyers start thinking about leaving, they focus on the practical steps. What career should I pursue? How do I update my resume? What skills do I need? Those things matter, but Sarah consistently hears from lawyers that they underestimated something else. They didn&apos;t realize how much they needed to know they weren&apos;t alone.The legal profession can be deeply isolating, especially for people who are unhappy. In a field focused on prestige, lawyers often feel like they have to maintain a professional persona just to be taken seriously. It becomes hard to admit that the work doesn&apos;t fit, even to yourself. Lawyers who want out often believe they&apos;re the only ones who feel that way. They look around at colleagues who seem fine and wonder what&apos;s wrong with them for struggling.In this episode Sarah shares why finding even just one or two other people also going through this process can make leaving the law so much easier. See show notes at <a href='https://formerlawyer.com/292'>formerlawyer.com/292</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;When lawyers start thinking about leaving, they focus on the practical steps. What career should I pursue? How do I update my resume? What skills do I need? Those things matter, but Sarah consistently hears from lawyers that they underestimated something else. They didn&amp;apos;t realize how much they needed to know they weren&amp;apos;t alone.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The legal profession can be deeply isolating, especially for people who are unhappy. In a field focused on prestige, lawyers often feel like they have to maintain a professional persona just to be taken seriously. It becomes hard to admit that the work doesn&amp;apos;t fit, even to yourself. Lawyers who want out often believe they&amp;apos;re the only ones who feel that way. They look around at colleagues who seem fine and wonder what&amp;apos;s wrong with them for struggling.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode Sarah shares why finding even just one or two other people also going through this process can make leaving the law so much easier. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See show notes at &lt;a href='https://formerlawyer.com/292'&gt;formerlawyer.com/292&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

When lawyers start thinking about leaving, they focus on the practical steps. What career should I pursue? How do I update my resume? What skills do I need? Those things matter, but Sarah consistently hears from lawyers that they underestimated something else. They didn't realize how much they needed to know they weren't alone. The legal profession can be deeply isolating, especially for people who are unhappy. In a field focused on prestige, lawyers often feel like they have to maintain a pr...

Why Community Support Matters When You're Leaving the Law

Most people who are thinking about leaving the law spend a long time in a familiar place. They know their job feels awful, they say it to themselves and to other people, and they imagine how much better things could be somewhere else. But imagining you&apos;d like to leave is not the same thing as deciding that you want to. That shift sounds simple, but it&apos;s tied up in identity, prestige, sunk costs, and everything you&apos;ve been taught about what it means to be successful. It&apos;s the first real hurdle for a lot of lawyers, and one that&apos;s easy to avoid.See show notes at <a href='https://formerlawyer.com/291'>formerlawyer.com/291</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Most people who are thinking about leaving the law spend a long time in a familiar place. They know their job feels awful, they say it to themselves and to other people, and they imagine how much better things could be somewhere else. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But imagining you&amp;apos;d like to leave is not the same thing as deciding that you want to. That shift sounds simple, but it&amp;apos;s tied up in identity, prestige, sunk costs, and everything you&amp;apos;ve been taught about what it means to be successful. It&amp;apos;s the first real hurdle for a lot of lawyers, and one that&amp;apos;s easy to avoid.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See show notes at &lt;a href='https://formerlawyer.com/291'&gt;formerlawyer.com/291&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Most people who are thinking about leaving the law spend a long time in a familiar place. They know their job feels awful, they say it to themselves and to other people, and they imagine how much better things could be somewhere else.  But imagining you'd like to leave is not the same thing as deciding that you want to. That shift sounds simple, but it's tied up in identity, prestige, sunk costs, and everything you've been taught about what it means to be successful. It's the first real ...

The One Decision Unhappy Lawyers Must Make Before Changing Careers

There comes a point where the math you’ve been doing in your head stops adding up. You spent years in school. You passed the bar. You took on the loans. You built the career you were told would make it all worth it. Now you’re tired, anxious, or checked out, but the idea of leaving makes your stomach drop. It feels like walking away means none of it mattered.That’s how the sunk cost trap works. It convinces smart people that the only respectable choice is to stick with a decision that’s hurting them. It tells you that if you bail now, everything you put into becoming a lawyer disappears.If you’re stuck in the “I can’t throw this away” spiral and need help figuring out your next step you need to listen to this. See show notes at <a href='https://formerlawyer.com/249'>formerlawyer.com/249</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;There comes a point where the math you’ve been doing in your head stops adding up. You spent years in school. You passed the bar. You took on the loans. You built the career you were told would make it all worth it. Now you’re tired, anxious, or checked out, but the idea of leaving makes your stomach drop. It feels like walking away means none of it mattered.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That’s how the sunk cost trap works. It convinces smart people that the only respectable choice is to stick with a decision that’s hurting them. It tells you that if you bail now, everything you put into becoming a lawyer disappears.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’re stuck in the “I can’t throw this away” spiral and need help figuring out your next step you need to listen to this.&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See show notes at &lt;a href='https://formerlawyer.com/249'&gt;&lt;span style='background-color: highlight;'&gt;formerlawyer.com/249&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

There comes a point where the math you’ve been doing in your head stops adding up. You spent years in school. You passed the bar. You took on the loans. You built the career you were told would make it all worth it. Now you’re tired, anxious, or checked out, but the idea of leaving makes your stomach drop. It feels like walking away means none of it mattered. That’s how the sunk cost trap works. It convinces smart people that the only respectable choice is to stick with a decision that’s hurt...

When “I Invested Too Much to Leave the Law” Becomes the Reason You Stay Stuck

Zi Lin did everything “right.” Philosophy major, law school, great grades, OCI, Biglaw offer, six-figure salary. From the outside, the path looked impressive. From the inside, it felt like being processed through a conveyor belt. No one asked whether the career actually fit. It was just the obvious next step. Parents approved. Professors approved. Colleagues approved. When everyone around you nods along, it’s easy to assume there’s nothing to think about.The problem came later, once Zi was actually practicing. The culture inside the firm didn’t match what was promised. “Bring your whole self to work” sounds supportive until you realize it only applies if your whole self fits the mold. Zi found herself performing a version of “acceptable lawyer,” constantly adjusting how she acted, talked, socialized, even reacted. When your value comes from churning out work and avoiding the wrong reactions, there’s no space to be a person. There’s only survival.In this episode Zi Lin joins Sarah to talk about her experience leaving Biglaw and what she&apos;s doing now.<a href='http://zori-nori.myportfolio.com/'>Website &amp; Portfolio</a><a href='https://www.instagram.com/zori_nori/'>Zori Nori Instagram</a> (@zori_nori)<a href='https://www.instagram.com/garbage_collector_s/'>Personal Art Instagram</a> (@garbage_collector_s)<a href='https://linktr.ee/zori.nori'>Linktree</a> (for all other links, shops, etc.)

<description>&lt;p&gt;Zi Lin did everything “right.” Philosophy major, law school, great grades, OCI, Biglaw offer, six-figure salary. From the outside, the path looked impressive. From the inside, it felt like being processed through a conveyor belt. No one asked whether the career actually fit. It was just the obvious next step. Parents approved. Professors approved. Colleagues approved. When everyone around you nods along, it’s easy to assume there’s nothing to think about.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The problem came later, once Zi was actually practicing. The culture inside the firm didn’t match what was promised. “Bring your whole self to work” sounds supportive until you realize it only applies if your whole self fits the mold. Zi found herself performing a version of “acceptable lawyer,” constantly adjusting how she acted, talked, socialized, even reacted. When your value comes from churning out work and avoiding the wrong reactions, there’s no space to be a person. There’s only survival.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode Zi Lin joins Sarah to talk about her experience leaving Biglaw and what she&amp;apos;s doing now.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='http://zori-nori.myportfolio.com/'&gt;Website &amp;amp; Portfolio&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/zori_nori/'&gt;Zori Nori Instagram&lt;/a&gt; (@zori_nori)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/garbage_collector_s/'&gt;Personal Art Instagram&lt;/a&gt; (@garbage_collector_s)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://linktr.ee/zori.nori'&gt;Linktree&lt;/a&gt; (for all other links, shops, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Zi Lin did everything “right.” Philosophy major, law school, great grades, OCI, Biglaw offer, six-figure salary. From the outside, the path looked impressive. From the inside, it felt like being processed through a conveyor belt. No one asked whether the career actually fit. It was just the obvious next step. Parents approved. Professors approved. Colleagues approved. When everyone around you nods along, it’s easy to assume there’s nothing to think about. The problem came later, once Zi was a...

You Don’t Have to Earn the Right to Leave the Law with Zi Lin

A lot of lawyers assume that making more money will make leaving easier. In reality, the opposite often happens. Once you are in a high-paying legal job, it can feel like there is no other path that will work. People outside the profession are usually surprised by this. They assume lawyers have endless options, but many lawyers feel they have to hang on to what they have because there may not be anything else that fits.See show notes at <a href='https://formerlawyer.com/289'>formerlawyer.com/289</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;A lot of lawyers assume that making more money will make leaving easier. In reality, the opposite often happens. Once you are in a high-paying legal job, it can feel like there is no other path that will work. People outside the profession are usually surprised by this. They assume lawyers have endless options, but many lawyers feel they have to hang on to what they have because there may not be anything else that fits.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See show notes at &lt;a href='https://formerlawyer.com/289'&gt;formerlawyer.com/289&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A lot of lawyers assume that making more money will make leaving easier. In reality, the opposite often happens. Once you are in a high-paying legal job, it can feel like there is no other path that will work. People outside the profession are usually surprised by this. They assume lawyers have endless options, but many lawyers feel they have to hang on to what they have because there may not be anything else that fits. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/289 

How Scarcity Keeps Lawyers in Jobs They Don’t Want

Do you hate working as a lawyer? Are you an unhappy lawyer who wants to leave the law, but isn't sure what to do next? Do your family and friends think you're crazy for wanting to leave the law, or are you too afraid to tell them you don't want to be a lawyer? The Former Lawyer Podcast is for you! Each week, host Sarah Cottrell interviews a different former lawyer who has left the law behind. Hear inspiring stories about how these former lawyers are thriving and found their way to careers and lives they love.

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