May 1998
Career Path
Nontraditional Legal Careers
by Hillary Mantis
You know that you still love the law. But, you have decided that it's time for a career change. A variety of nontraditional legal careers now exist for the flexible lawyer with an open mind. Consider the following positions that members of the Class of 1995 opted for, according to a survey by the National Association for Law Placement.
Assistant to Township Manager
Bail Bondsman
Bailiff
Chapter 13 Trustee
City Planner
Coach of Mock Trials
Dental Legal Consultant
Docket Attorney at IRS
Evidence Expert
Family Court Counselor
Labor Relations Representative
Legal Publisher/Editor/Writer
Legislative Aide
Political Consultant
TV News Legal Reporter
Once you've identified one or two types of positions that interest you, realize that it may take time to make the transition. "Don't say to yourself 'I'm going to quit practicing law tomorrow and the next day I'm going to start sending resumes to networks saying I'd like to anchor one of your shows,'" advises Jack Ford, a 1975 Fordham Law School graduate who is now Chief Legal Correspondent for NBC News. He suggests that you find a "starting niche," such as a cable television spot. Then you have to establish yourself as an expert in some area of the law, he adds.
What if your legal expertise is not the primary interest of your potential new employer? What do you have to offer? In any part of the job search, from cover letter to interviews, your credo should be: "Ask not what the employer can do for you, but what you can do for the employer." Fortunately, lawyers have many skills that can be transferred to another profession. Below is a rundown of skills you probably take for granted, but that are very marketable - and very transferable.
- Problem solving
- Research and writing
- Attention to detail
- Negotiation/persuasion
- Public speaking
- Listening/counseling
- Interviewing (both prospective clients and associates)
- Juggling multiple projects/tasks
- Working well under dead line pressure
- Client development
One transferable "skill" that is valuable in many nontraditional legal careers is your knowledge of the profession. This was true for Mindy Bass when she made the switch from practicing lawyer to program coordinator for the Lawyers in Transition Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. As a bar association executive, she also uses her familiarity with the association's structure and her prior experience in dealing with lawyers.
Marketing your skills (and yourself) occurs predominantly at the job interview. Depending on the type of nontraditional legal position, you may have to actively convince the interviewer that the company will benefit from hiring someone with a law degree. You will be most likely overcoming their implicit or explicit objections: Why don't you want to practice? Why would you want this job? Would you stay, or is this a temporary stop for you?
To allay the prospective employer's fears: (1) Address them - you can bring up their unspoken objections yourself and give them assurances, and (b) Always use positive, affirming language when answering their questions, for example:
INTERVIEWER: Why don't you want to practice law?
INTERVIEWEE:
Wrong Response:
- Practicing law is not as glamorous as you think it is.
- The hours are really long!
- There have been a lot of layoffs recently.
- It can be boring at times.
Correct Response:
- I have enjoyed my five years of practice with X, Y, and Z. During my time there, I developed an interest in commercial real estate and have decided to pursue a full-time career as a real estate developer.
Today's diversified job market makes it easier to change careers without leaving the law. With a measure of courage and creativity, you can do it. Heed the advice of one lawyer who did successfully step away from a traditional position:
"You have to go out and try it. It will eventually lead to something else, like networking to find a job," says Lesley Friedman who practiced law for only two years before starting her own business, Special Counsel, a legal temporary agency in New York City. "It's a journey. You have to allow yourself to start it," says Friedman, who recently sold her agency to the tune of $21 million.
Excerpted, in part, from Alternative Careers for Lawyers, by Hillary Mantis, 1997, Random House/Princeton Review (1-800-793-2665). The author is the
former chair of YLD's Career Issues committee and currently a career counselor who specializes in helping lawyers find alternative careers.
 
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