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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There is more to an hour than just billing it

July 21, 2011

It’s just not a great model, ticking off increments of a sixty minute period.  It is not efficient and clients doubt its value.  And it’s just not much fun.
There are so many other ways to make money

Create a service that people subscribe to and provides recurring revenue (build a members website)
Provide consulting and be rewarded [...]

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You got great skills

July 12, 2011

One constant theme emerged from the emails I received after last Friday’s Leave Law Behind phone chat:  We often, if not all of the time, only think of ourselves as attorneys.  We focus on our title, not our underlying skills and talents.  We think that we can only be one thing.
It can be difficult to [...]

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