This coming Monday, February 6th at 6pm Pacific at the Book Passage at San Francisco’s Ferry Building, please join me as I interview Deborah Schneider, Esq., co-author of Should You Really Be A Lawyer? The Guide to Smart Career Choices Before, During and After Law School (click here to buy the book on Amazon).

If you are, or know of, a prospective law student, a current law student or a lawyer who’s wondering (a) if they should become, or remain, a lawyer and (b) what they should do with their life, this event shouldn’t be missed.

We’ll discuss how aspiring and practicing lawyers can learn to make better career choices that will lead them to work they love, and answer your most vexing career questions.  Whether you’re thinking about law school, currently in law school or practicing law, this program will help bring clarity to any current career confusion.

Once again, the event is scheduled for Monday February 6 at 6pm at the Book Passage at the San Francisco Ferry Building, where Market Street meets the Embarcadero (map).

Buy the book:  http://amzn.to/zaUGCk

Learn more:  www.shouldyoureally.com

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How giving thanks helps us leave the law

by Casey on January 25, 2012

Leave Law Behind is back, after a bit of an extended holiday.  When we last spoke in the Fall, we heard a lot about “giving thanks”.  Blogs, books, social networks, the media – there were reminders, advice and lists of how to be more thankful, more appreciated, more self-aware of what we have.  This of course is appropriate for Thanksgiving time.

And this is appropriate throughout the rest of the year.  Throughout the rest of our day-to-day lives.  And it’s essential if you want to leave law behind.

Now, let’s be real – it can be difficult to be thankful and full of appreciation.  Even in our relatively privileged lives, the forces around us are replete with examples of what we don’t have yet, of what we are not yet, of what we have yet to accomplish.  This makes it very easy to focus on the gaps we have:  It’s easy to dwell on the fact that we haven’t yet made equity partner . . . and not beam with pride that we are a long way from that nervous, law school graduate we once were years ago.

And giving thanks is not just a fluffy, good energy mantra that is nice to practice and write about.  It is also an essential tool for leaving law behind.  When we think of what we have, what we have completed already, it makes us feel more confident, more secure, more empowered.  It shows us what we’ve achieved so far, which can be a good indicator of what we can (exponentially) accomplish in the future.  Giving thanks gives us clarity.  It helps us determine the next babystep we want to take, we can take, we should take, that is most appropriate for us, and most in alignment with our unique genius.

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Why failing is a sure sign you’re doing the right thing

October 25, 2011

There is no doubt about it, when we leave the law, we mess something up.  A lot of stuff.  We miss the boat on some things.  We are too early with others.  We will never understand how this-and-that works.  We’ll feel that we are becoming short on cash.  We’ll suffer from self-doubt.  People we admire [...]

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Why it’s good to remember that it’s not all about Fame, Fortune and Power

October 12, 2011

It can be very difficult to escape the fact that our society ranks an individual’s success almost exclusively on the basis of fame, fortune or power.  The more you have, the more successful you are.
You don’t need to look far to see how this is reinforced time and time again.  It could be the recent [...]

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Why all you really need is a good compliment

September 30, 2011

We work for money.  We need to pay our bills and support our families and live the good life we strive for.
We also work to be recognized.  We have spent a lot of time and effort becoming a lawyer, and while a salary is a good reflection of our worth, a kind word goes a [...]

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Why realizing law school wasn’t really for us might be the best thing we can do

September 20, 2011

Before we even think of leaving the law, let’s first try to get a handle on a fundamental question: Why did I go to law school?
With the cushion of hindsight, let’s take some time and critically think about this. We need to ask ourselves, as well as our friends and family (who were [...]

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Why you might just need to change your plans

September 1, 2011

Many of us who consider leaving the law feel that we may have lost our way.  We feel like we’re just in a weird stage.  We often look around and wonder if this is it.  We don’t think we’re as cool any longer.  We wonder if we’re doing the right thing.
To take [...]

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The real truth behind job security

August 24, 2011

I spoke with a very unhappy attorney last week.  She is dying to leave her job and leave law altogether.  The firm life saps her of energy.  She dreams of a more flexible schedule and satisfying day-to-day life.
But she stays.  For job security.
The refrain I hear the most from attorneys who wish to [...]

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You don’t have to be an “entrepreneur” to leave law behind

August 11, 2011

I was never an “entrepreneur”.  I was not that guy running lemonade stands at age 14 or working in my parents’ garage on a software company at 24.  I enjoyed college, trudged my way through law school, and sent a ton of resumes out for “traditional” jobs.
It wasn’t until 2004, when I [...]

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You can do anything with a law degree

August 2, 2011

With the shrinking legal job market and decreasing job satisfaction for many attorneys, this long accepted truism may no longer be that accurate . . .
. . . that is if you stay in the law.
Leave the law, however, and (ironically) you’ll see how your law degree (and all the training that comes with it) [...]

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