A property management executive in Boca Raton, Florida faced the same problem that most of his friends were facing – lack of legal jobs available. But he used his contacts and managed a well-paying a training position with a great company in their property management group. Within a couple of years, he was making great money and living in a city where he could scuba dive year-round.
Another Marketer with legal training for a Fortune 500 company says that around hallway through law school he realized that really didn't want to be a lawyer. He said that he enjoyed studying law and found it intellectually satisfying but was reluctant to face the conflict that came with practicing law. So he opted for a non-legal job where his legal training is coming in handy. He said that he was happy that he made the choice that his friends never did and whilst they are still waiting for their dream jobs, he is doing what suits him, all the while putting to use what law school taught him. I have the best of both worlds, he said.
Do not view working in the business sector as somehow inferior to practicing law. If you do, you may find yourself working in neither. If you like to think of things in terms of the sequence of doing something, this is step one of the strategy. It must be the first step. If you cannot or will not take this step, then continue searching for a job as a lawyer or, if you are already practicing law, stay there.
Practicing law is your true calling and you should follow it. You may never be happy doing anything else. If you are not one of these people, know that there are already thousands of law school graduates enjoying excellent alternative careers. They have made their choices. Practicing law was not intrinsically bad. It just was not for them. Some decided in law school that practicing law was not for them. Others decided shortly after they graduated. Many decided after practicing law for several years. No matter when they decided, their legal training proved an asset.
Assure yourself that a successful business career can be superior to practicing law. You may not be able to take this step immediately. Taking the step requires understanding just what it is you want. Remember it has to be what you want. Do not embark on a career or stay in one to please someone else. How will that eventually make you feel about that person? Take responsibility for your life. The rest of the strategy follows from this first step. However, there still may be one last self-erected obstacle to remove before you can continue.
Define the career you want in terms of your legal training. Show your legal training has given you valuable business sector skills. Many law students, law school graduates, and practicing attorneys feel inadequately prepared for a business career. They think they will be unable to compete with the business school graduates. They think their legal training will not translate into the business world in any useful way. This is just the legal mindset extending further.
The best journalists all did not graduate from journalism schools. The Fortune 500 executives and billionaire entrepreneurs did not all go through business schools. Maybe a business degree shows you how to connect selling yourself with selling a product or service. However, many business school graduates have not made this connection. It is too intuitive for some to analyze. You cannot learn it at math camp.
So, what does an attorney do that makes him or her valuable in business? An attorney is an advocate and an advisor. As an advocate, an attorney presents a point of view trying to convince others of its correctness. This is what an attorney does when representing a client in court. The successful attorney understands the client's, the opponent's, and the jury's position and situation. The attorney must coherently distill his or her position in an effort to persuade others. Training to do this is
indispensable and translates into the business sector. As an advisor, the attorney researches and interprets the law. Then, the advisor counsels the client appropriately. The innovative advisor sets out options for the client. Business needs innovators. Innovation is the driver of business growth. Your abilities to communicate and innovate are critical to business success.
Show the business people that your legal background will make them and you successful. To do this, you need to know what skills you have that they need. The new strategic positions held by high-profile workers require certain skills learned in law school and refined in the practice of law.
Companies need people who can apply their intelligence toward productive use. A genius without productive direction benefits no one. The vast majority of people running companies are not the smartest people, IQ-wise, in their company. Many were not on the Dean's List. Many did not go to top universities. They are leaders because they have demonstrated qualities necessary for success in the competitive business world. To succeed, you must be productive. You must be able to continuously add value. People who are doing so are well compensated and in control of their lives.
With legal jobs hard to come by it is worth your while to look at the options available to you. Most people think that qualifying to become a lawyer and then deciding against practicing is akin to throwing away a winning lottery ticket. That is because those who are not lawyers don’t understand it. Even when you interview for a job the first question that you will face is that why aren’t you practice law and you better be prepared with a good answer. All you need to tell them that this was really what you were looking forward to doing all the time and that you went to law school because you believed that they would prepare you well for this job.
If your legal job is making you feel entrapped and helpless. Break free of the chains, unshackle yourself. A time comes when even a trapped rat says, to hell with the cheese; I want to get out of here. It may take you a few months to find your new job and get used to the new environs. It could also mean that there will be lesser revenue initially and you may have to cut down on your expenses, but in the long run it will be worth it – the first priority for any job, legal or otherwise, should never be money but that you should have fun doing it, it should something after your heart and never something that you feel burdened with.
Trust me, there will be many potential employers who will find your law school education a distinct advantage and they will prefer you over other applicants. The legal job market has put you in this position and you have to sell yourself hard but in the end you will be glad that you took the decision to kiss legal jobs goodbye and opt for a more easily available alternative.
