Exploring Different Legal Specialties? Discover Comprehensive Insights Here

At a certain point in your career, you may become interested in another area of law. So interested, in fact, that you think about changing legal practice areas.
 

Switching practice areas in law is certainly possible. If you find a different practice area that’s more fulfilling, investing in making the switch is certainly worth it. But it isn’t easy. As some lawyers consider adding or switching practice areas in light of COVID-19, it’s important to take a strategic approach—and stay mindful that change won’t happen overnight.
 
For lawyers who want to change their area of practice, we spoke to Alycia Kinchloe of Kinchloe Law. She switched her primary focus from disability law to family law, and has spoken extensively on changing legal practice areas.
 

Can lawyers change practice areas?

The short answer to this question is “yes.” With a willingness to learn about an entirely new area of law, you can change to the legal practice area of your choice.
 
Changing legal practice areas is doable, but it’s a significant undertaking. Make sure this is a path you want to take before you start.
 

Should I switch legal practice areas?

Switching legal practice areas may be the right move for you and your career, but first consider making  a different type of change in your practice.
 
Alycia stresses asking yourself why you want to switch practice areas and get really critical before doing so. The reason? You may be able to uncover efficiencies or make changes in your existing practice, and that’s much easier than taking on an entirely new practice area.
 
In other words, use caution if your main driver behind changing legal practice areas is slower business. This should be a strategic decision, not a reactive one, so look at improving current practice areas before deciding to switch.
 
See more
4 Things Future JDs Should Know About Choosing Their Practice Areas
Switching Practice Areas - How to Successfully Transition Your Legal Career
 

Why do you want to change legal practice areas?

In the meantime, use these tips to weather any slow periods. If your business is facing serious challenges, look at your budget, and follow these tips for improving law firm cash flow.
 
That said, there are other factors that may signal a switch is right for you. Ask yourself these questions:
 

Are you unhappy in your current practice area?

 

• Do you have evidence to suggest that a different practice area may offer what you seek? (more fulfillment, better hours, etc.) 
• Do you have staff or colleagues with different professional backgrounds you could be leveraging? 
• Are you referring a lot of potential clients to other firms? 
• Is there a market for additional, complementary legal services in your client base? 
• Are you up for the challenge?

 
If any of the above questions ring true for you, ask yourself if you’re truly up for making a switch:
 

Are you ready to feel like a novice again?

Are you willing to invest substantial time and effort into learning a new practice area?
 
Do you have a solid explanation of why you want to switch? (This is especially important if you’re an associate: You’ll need to explain why you want to switch practice areas to hiring managers).
 
This first question is important, as feeling like a novice may be difficult even if you think you’re mentally prepared.
 
However, if you’re willing to become a novice again, and if you’ve answered “yes” to the other questions above, switching practice areas could be right for you.

How to choose a new legal practice area

 
Woman with a choice near the forked road
 
The best way to find out about a different practice area is to talk to lawyers practicing in that area. Leverage your professional networks to find lawyers practicing in the area you’re interested in. Take them out for coffee, ask what their day-to-day is like. Maybe even spend a day at the office with them if they’re up for it.
 
You might feel like a college student once again. However, this is a technique encouraged by Stanford design instructors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, authors of Designing Your Work Life.
 
You may think you’ll love criminal law now. But trying it out in-person is one way to make sure the time and effort you put in to switch will be worth it.
 
If you don’t already have a new practice area in mind, or if you’re considering adding a practice area to your firm rather than switching, you’ll want to be strategic about your choice:
 

• Think about the cases you refer to other firms. Could you be keeping that revenue if you added a new practice area? 
• Think about areas where your current practice area may overlap with your new one. (Are cases billed the same way? Are cases structured in a similar way?) 
• Think about where those overlaps give you a chance to offer unique expertise. 

 
That said, the best test is what you see your future self doing, as switching practice areas is not a short-term game.
 
At the heart of it, changing legal practice areas successfully will take a committed, earnest effort on multiple fronts. It will also take time and it’s important not to rush the process. It may take 1-2 years before you feel you’ve fully switched to your new area of legal practice.
 

1. Study

studying when switching to a new law practice
Switching practice areas in law means you’ll be a student all over again. Get ready to study!
 

2. Find a mentor

Second to regular study, one of the most important tips for successfully changing practice areas is to find a mentor.
 

3. Write

writing notes
The best way to understand something is to explain it to someone else. Don’t just read: Write about what you’re learning. And if you’re up for it, post your learnings on your website once you’re ready. This helps communicate that you now practice in your new area.
 

4. Network with others in your new practice area

Meeting others who practice in your new practice area can be invaluable for learning about who you might be interacting with. You can learn the nuances about judges in your area, opposing counsels, and more.
 
Attend practice-area-specific bar events. Reach out to others in your jurisdiction that practice in your new practice area. Or, plan an event yourself!
 

5. Do CLEs targeted for your new practice area

Beyond your study of case law, look for quality CLEs as an additional avenue for bumping up your expertise in your new practice area. You need to meet your CLE requirements anyway, so you may as well do so while reaching your goals of becoming versed in a new area of practice!
 

6. Use Google Alerts

Trying to stay on top of new developments in your new practice area? Consider setting up a Google alert for new results covering your practice area. You can personalize how often you receive notifications, which sites you’ll receive them from, and more, so it’s possible to follow as little or as much as you have bandwidth for.
 

7. Learn the business side of things

As mentioned above, you won’t just need to learn about the law when learning a new practice area. The business side of things may be different too, and it’s important to acquaint yourself with that, and get help from a mentor if needed.
 

8. Establish a new network

For family law, this could be therapists. Attending networking events for these groups, building relationships with people in these roles, and making it known you practice in a relevant area of law will help earn you referrals in the future.
 

9. Don’t forget your old network

As much as it’s important to build a new network, your old network and relationships are still important. They need to know you’re doing something different. As Alycia points out, the last thing you want is for people in your old network to hire someone else for a certain case because they don’t know you practice in that area of law.
 
And remember, if you’re able to find a powerful intersection and become a “hybrid” expert like Alycia, your old network will be all the more important.
 

10. Create structure

This tip is especially important for lawyers switching practice areas during trying times. Creating some sort of structure for your “project” of switching practice areas will keep you accountable—and sane.
 
See more
How to Write a Bar Exam Essay
The Structure of a Summer Associate Program
 

Adding expertise

There are plenty of ways to connect with others in the legal industry. You can add a new practice area to your firm that way. This might look like:
 

• Hiring a lawyer with experience in the practice area you’re interested in.
• Hiring a freelance lawyer to complete cases in the short term.
• Build referral relationships with lawyers in different practice areas.

 
 
If you go this route, follow some of the steps above, like networking with those in the new practice area you want to add to make connections with talented lawyers in your area. You may also still want to find a mentor to help you navigate the business side of your new practice area.
 

Conclusion: Switch legal practice areas the right way

If you’re willing to invest the time, effort, and need to be a novice again in switching, changing legal practice areas could be right for you. Some high-level takeaways:
 

• Choose a new area that makes sense for you
• Look for a strategic intersection of your new and old practice areas
• Study relentlessly
• Learn about the business of your new practice
• Build a new network (but don’t forget the old one)