Originally published in Student Lawyer , December 2002 (Vol. 31, No. 4)

Jobs

by Donna Gerson

A nonlegal career with a law degree takes imagination but can make sense

Each year, approximately 11 percent of law graduates enter the work force in so-called nontraditional positions—those that do not directly involve the practice of law. Law students can, indeed, avail themselves to career options in business, publishing, real estate, the arts, education, social services, and countless other areas.

Look at any sector of the economy and you’ll find thriving law graduates who aren’t drafting contracts or arguing motions for a living. To name some of the higher-profile examples, consider Tony LaRussa, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals; Herb Kelleher, chairman of Southwest Airlines; and Elizabeth Dole, former head of the American Red Cross.

Studies indicate that Americans can expect to change jobs or careers several times in their working lives. Even if you’re intent on being a lawyer today, you may find that your interests and priorities change with time.

Some students enter law school knowing that traditional practice won’t offer the best fit for their skills and interests. Others experience a dawning realization during law school that a nontraditional career holds more appeal. For others, the nontraditional option becomes more compelling after graduation, once they’ve practiced for a few years. No matter what your initial direction may be, it can be helpful to keep an open mind about nontraditional careers and explore options while you’re in law school.

Why spend the time and money going to law school if you don’t end up practicing law? Part of the answer is to realize that a legal education is one of the most challenging, broadening educational experiences imaginable. The skills honed in law school—writing, research, critical thinking, the Socratic Method, and attention to minute detail—all are transferable outside the legal profession. According to one law graduate who now works as a university administrator, the problem-solving skills she acquired in law school continue to help her see the other side of a dispute and anticipate objections.

The biggest hurdle for law students contemplating a nontraditional career is figuring out exactly what to do with a law degree. Students focused on traditional options have a fairly circumscribed menu of choices: private practice, government employment, or public interest. Students pursuing traditional jobs also have the ease of tapping into a well-established system for hiring through on-campus interviews and job fairs.

In contrast, nontraditional practice is as broad and free as your imagination, and there’s no clear-cut hiring process. What kinds of jobs do you apply for? How do you learn about jobs and hiring timelines?

Nontraditional careers are not one-size-fits-all propositions. In fact, you may need to engage in more self-assessment and conduct more research than the average law student to find the right nontraditional career niche.

The following equation, developed by the former assistant dean of career services at William Mitchell College of Law, expresses the nontraditional route succinctly: “Nontraditional Career = J.D. + _______” (fill in the blank with your interests, passions, and talents). For example, if you’re in law school and have a deep interest in issues related to child welfare, then you might parlay your skills into an executive director position of a children’s rights nonprofit organization.

Your career services office offers resources to help you learn more about your options. First, talk to a career counselor about books that offer common-sense advice and guidance for finding a nontraditional job with a law degree. Among them is Nonlegal Careers for Lawyers, by Gary Munneke and William Henslee (ABA Publishing, www.ababooks.org).

Other excellent resources include What Can You Do With a Law Degree? A Lawyers’ Guide to Career Alternatives Inside, Outside & Around the Law (Niche Press), by Deborah Arron; Alternative Careers for Lawyers (Princeton Review), by Hillary Mantis; and The Lawyer’s Career Change Handbook: More Than 300 Things You Can Do With a Law Degree (Avon Books), by Hindi Greenberg. Chapter 13 of Kimm Walton’s Guerilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams (Harcourt Brace) also covers nontraditional options.

Taking a career aptitude test such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator also can help you identify your interests. Such tests may be offered through the career services office of your law school, affiliated university, or undergraduate alma mater.

Several web resources, particularly www.wetfeet.com and www.VaultReports.com, cater to a wide range of careers with in-depth information, including recruiting information and hiring tips.

Although reading about nontraditional careers is a good start, learn about mentor opportunities with alumni who have pursued nontraditional careers, and follow up on all leads. Attend educational programs featuring nontraditional practitioners. Read about your field of interest and learn about conferences or job fairs that you can attend.

Talk one on one with law graduates who have pursued other career paths and learn from them. Try to arrange informational interviews with individuals working in nontraditional venues. Ask specific questions: “How did you decide to pursue this career path?” “What advice do you have for someone who’s interested in this type of work?” “Who else should I talk to about this type of work?”

In positioning yourself for a nontraditional career, you’ll probably need to reformulate your résumé and cover letter from the traditional law model to something more in tune with nontraditional employers. Ask for help from your career services office or refer to samples found in the books mentioned earlier. Although some employers welcome law graduates and understand the unique talents they offer, others may be suspect of career changers. So be prepared to address their concerns directly. Prepare for interviews by rehearsing questions and objections to hiring a law graduate.

Many law students ask whether they should take the bar exam if they intend to pursue a nontraditional career immediately after graduation. The answer depends on your circumstances. One view is that you should always take the bar exam, even though it costs money and takes time. It’s the culmination of your graduate studies, your license is always there “just in case,” and, depending on the type of nontraditional work you pursue, membership in national, state, or local bar associations can be an effective way to network and gain information. If you decide to take the bar and maintain your law license, remember that you’ll need to pay your annual bar dues, and you may have to keep up with continuing legal education credits.

On the other hand, if your career route isn’t related to the law and you absolutely don’t foresee using a license to practice as a backup or as a value-added credential, then it makes sense to forgo the bar. One law graduate, who enjoyed law school but wanted to pursue a career as a technical writer, never took the bar and never doubted her choice. For her, the time, money, and licensing obligations were superfluous to her career goals. Another colleague decided after several years of practice to begin graduate school in occupational therapy. She’s cutting her ties to the law and surrendering her license, without regret. She’s passionate about her new career and isn’t looking back.

If traditional law practice is what you want to do with your law degree, then go for it. But that option isn’t the best for everyone. Devoting yourself to a nontraditional career is a perfectly sensible way to use the skills you develop in law school creatively and meaningfully.

Donna Gerson (gerson@law.pitt.edu) is a Pittsburgh-based lawyer and author. A former law school career services director, she covers legal career issues.

For further career and job search guidance, visit the ABA Career Counsel at www.abanet.org/careercounsel/students.html.

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