Are you looking to hone your skills and experience outside of a traditional law practice or legal role? Great career options exist. But before you start applying and interviewing for something new, it will serve you well to do your due diligence and research alternative career opportunities to do with your law degree in hand.
To help you narrow the field and find what most interests you, we’ve partnered with Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA), the world’s leading legal search firm, to explore the different paths that may be available to you.
The same skill set applies to many roles beyond being a lawyer, both inside and outside the walls of the legal practice. Here are a few options to consider as you work to align your transferable skills with the job market.
Alternative careers within the law
- Legal recruiter for a law firm or legal search firm
- Law school career counselor
- HR professional
- Career coach for lawyers
- Professional development counselor
Alternative careers outside the law
- Other types of recruiting and client counseling
- Legal operations
- Financial advising
- Anything with a critical-thinking or writing focus, such as policy and ethics
- Real estate
Making the transition away from law practice may take some time and some persistence. Keep these tips in mind to help you move forward in choosing and pursuing an alternative career.
- Write down what you are passionate about. What’s important to you? What are your goals?
- Cross-reference the above list with the skills you have. Where did you excel in school? What area(s) of law did you find most interesting?
- Read (or reread) What Color Is Your Parachutes? for unique guidance and discovery tools.
- Reach out to people on LinkedIn who have the job you think you want or that you would be good at. Ask questions and learn more about what they do.
- Create job alerts for those jobs that entice you.
- Apply. Apply. Apply.
Find what will be the best fit and the most fulfilling. It’s out there. With some strategic exploration and a good self-assessment, you will find your alternative life after lawyering.
Watch the video to learn more about alternative legal careers and where to go for job search resources.
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