The Former Lawyer Podcast

This week on the podcast, I am super excited to share with you a preview of the first episode of a secret pop-up podcast series called “The Simple Five-Step Framework to Identify an Alternative Career that You Actually Like” that I have just released.  This series is available for a limited time, until September 8th, partially in celebration of the starting of the first Guided Track in the Collabo...

There’s one thing you need to know about being miserable as a lawyer: it is not normal. I want to say that again, it’s not normal to be miserable in your job. I often see lawyers who think that it is normal since everyone around them is miserable in their jobs. Even though their complaint is not so much about the hard work that goes into being a lawyer, but about the indignities that they suffer f...

Maya Markovich is the Chief Growth Officer at Nextlaw Labs, an innovation company in the legal tech industry. Maya pioneered her way to this position after her jump from practicing law. Her passion to create influential change was her driving force, and with that, Maya found a post-legal career that she’s extremely talented at, and most importantly, that she is passionate about. In this episode, w...

We recently started a new series of episodes where I will be interviewing some members of The Collaborative to hear their stories and experience with the membership. In this episode, we are joined by Jamie, who is sharing what transitioning out of the law looks like. Jamie intends to leave by the end of the year.  As always, my goal with the podcast and membership is to help lawyers taking the bol...

For those who may be new, Former Lawyer is run by me, Sarah Cottrell. Through my work with Former Lawyer, I help those that are trying to transition from a legal career and into something that’s really meaningful for them. This is part two of the story of my journey transitioning from a legal career and into starting Former Lawyer, as interviewed by Jessica Medina. See Show notes at formerlawyer.c...

To celebrate the 100th episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, I’m sharing something a little different than usual, an interview with me about how I transitioned out of the law and began Former Lawyer.  I first shared my story on the very first episode of the podcast two years ago, but I didn't go into a ton of detail around how I transitioned out of the law and that was a long time ago, so I w...

Like you, quitting law did not come easy to me. I distinctly remember sitting on the couch with my laptop in our house, scrolling through Indeed — because that was where jobs were posted back in the day — and having no idea what I wanted to do next. I was miserable and was willing to pay any price to get someone to tell me what to do. Fortunately, no one did. I know how it feels to be unhappy abou...

As you know, my podcast and membership, the Collaborative , is all about helping lawyers who feel they want to leave the law determine what they want to do instead, and how to do it.  Usually, I share the stories of guests who have left the law already or want to leave the law, they are other “former lawyers” who are ready to share their stories. Now, we’re kicking off a new series of episodes whe...

One of the most common searches I get from lawyers thinking of leaving law is “How bad is it to have a resume gap as a lawyer?” Or what they are really asking, "How bad is it to just quit my job without something else lined up and take that time to figure out what I want next?" To put a rest to most of your concerns, I’d say the answer is a resounding no, not as much as you think . In my...

Rachael Philbin is a legal project manager and former lawyer, who shows us that we don’t have to stray too far from the law if we’re ready to stop being a lawyer. There are many lawyer-adjacent roles that exist in the legal industry.  In this episode, Rachael shares with us how she went from litigator to a legal project manager and what to consider if you are thinking the same. She did this recent...

So you’ve decided to seek the help of a lawyer career coach to help you redirect your work path? That’s a good first step. You obviously want a change in your current work life but you may have some misgivings in terms of where you’re headed. It’s not an easy situation, and a good lawyer career coach should be able to help you navigate this transition. But as someone who went through the same pred...

Nnamdi Nwaezeapu is a law school student, entrepreneur, and author of Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer: How to Pursue Your Dreams Without Giving Your Parents A Heart Attack. His book is geared towards children of immigrants who are navigating and deciding what to do as a career and whether to pursue being a doctor, lawyer or engineer or take an alternative path. This is part two of our conversation with N...

The subject of biglaw burnout amongst lawyers is often talked about. Recently, there have been many articles talking about biglaw burnout, and particularly how associates in biglaw are experiencing burnout because of the way that many of biglaw firms were operating in 2020 and into 2021. People who are experiencing biglaw burnout have a common set of erroneous beliefs about what they're exper...

Nnamdi Nwaezeapu is a law school student, entrepreneur, and author of Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer: How to Pursue Your Dreams Without Giving Your Parents A Heart Attack.  On this episode Nnamdi shares how his experience as a first generation student shaped his decision to pursue his entrepreneurial interests and create a resource for others grappling making an alternative career choice.  See Show note...

On this episode, Sarah answers the common question, "How do I know when I'm at the point that I need to hire a career coach?". She has one simple answer and reframing question for you before you hire a coach.  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/091 I'm closing enrollment for my self-paced group program, the Former Lawyer Collaborative, permanently on August 31st, 2026. If you&a...

Jennifer Park decided to chart her own path after law school, working for a legal tech company instead of Biglaw.  On this episode, Jennifer shares why she decided this path was right for her, how she made the tough decision despite external pressure, and how you can get into legal tech or another booming industry with the skills you have.  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/090 I'm closing e...

On this episode, Sarah breaks down her take on the common question, is now the time to leave the law?  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/089   I'm closing enrollment for my self-paced group program, the Former Lawyer Collaborative, permanently on August 31st, 2026. If you've been thinking about joining now is the time.  Head to formerlawyer.com/collab to join before doors close on Augus...

Katherine Porter is a former lawyer turned consultant at her firm The Resource Woman , who now helps law firms cultivate a culture that attracts people and invites them to actually want to stay.  On this episode of the podcast, Katherine shares how the idea of Designing Your Life and human-centered design changed her career trajectory and is now changing the culture of firms that are forward-think...

Heather Horton is a lawyer by training who now operates her own grief recovery company, The H-Squared Group, LLC .  On this episode of the podcast, Heather Shares how she moved from accounting to law and now into her current role advocating for and teaching stigma-free grief recovery for lawyers and non-lawyers alike.  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/087 I'm closing enrollment for my self-...

Loly Orozco left a prestigious clerkship and career as a financial restructuring lawyer to run her stationery design company, Little Postage House. In this episode, she shares how hard it can be to leave the “machine” of big law, why it’s worth it for some, the importance of reconnecting to ourselves, and how her clerkship changed her path.  See Show notes at formerlawyer.com/086 I'm closing...

Ivy Grey left a bankruptcy legal practice to work in legal tech. How did she do it? A mix of her mindset, skillset, and recognizing that there isn’t just “one” way for lawyers to grow their careers.  In this episode, she shares more about what legal tech is, how we can use our mindset to find new career paths, and the importance of creative problem solving in law. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/08...

Jonathan Liu hated public speaking and basically everything about litigation. Even so, he spent 7 years as a litigator before leaving the law for a career in real estate. On today's episode of the podcast, Jonathan shares how he figured out it was time for him to leave the law, and how he developed his career as a real estate agent and investor. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/084 . I'm c...

Robert Ingalls practiced criminal law, civil litigation, and estate planning before deciding to leave the law and start his company, Lawpods , which produces podcasts for law firms. On this episode of the podcast, Robert shares about how his podcasting hobby turned into a full-time career that he loves. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/083 . I'm closing enrollment for my self-paced group progra...

Many lawyers harbor a secret dream of one day getting to write for a living. Today on the podcast I'm sharing my conversation with Marie Sotelo, who left legal practice after 10 years and built a career as a full-time freelance writer. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/082 . I'm closing enrollment for my self-paced group program, the Former Lawyer Collaborative, permanently on August 31st,...

Lawyers often make career choices based on what's prestigious, but prestige is a liar. Here's why it's hurting your career satisfaction and can sabotage any moves that you make. Show notes at formerlawyer.com/081 . I'm closing enrollment for my self-paced group program, the Former Lawyer Collaborative, permanently on August 31st, 2026. If you've been thinking about joining...