Why we do what we do here at Leave Law Behind
Leave Law Behind’s Vision Statement
(where we are headed)
We believe Leave Law Behind is on this earth to show unhappy attorneys that there is a better way. We help unhappy attorneys find a better way by discovering alternative careers they love, are good at, find meaning & fulfillment within and that pays well.
Leave Law Behind’s Mission Statement
(how we achieve this vision)
We achieve this vision through our career transition course and program designed specifically for lawyers, our active community/mastermind of attorneys and graduates, monthly live trainings and workshops, our library of proven "non-law" resumes and cover letters, our curated collection of alternative jobs to apply to and the personal coaching of former attorneys Adam Ouellette (who will help you overcome even the most dogged fear) and Casey Berman (whose 18 years in the alternative, corporate world enables him to guide you to the exact non-law job that is a great fit for your skills and strengths).
Casey Berman
“I am here to help you land your dream career”
I am the founder of Leave Law Behind, a career coaching program to help attorneys transition out of the law and land “non-law”, alternative careers.
Leave Law Behind grew out of the reality that not every lawyer should continue to practice law … and that an attorney’s skill set can be applied to other industries to add value. Leave Law Behind helps attorneys who want to leave the law to showcase how their “legal” skills are actually transferable to alternative, non-law job in which they can add value and create a new life for themselves.
I graduated University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1999 and after a few years in the legal field left law behind to create a number of different enterprises.
The Hastings career services office asked me to speak about my professional experience in branching out from the law in July 2009 during its summer speaking series. After speaking to a packed room of lawyers and law students, I saw their pain and hatched another business idea – Leave Law Behind.
I’ll give you some color on my background, as I’ve done a lot since I’ve left the law, and this comes in handy when helping Leave Law Behind members on their path out.
I currently work with Slalom, a global consulting firm, and I help Fortune 500 companies with research, corporate strategy and executive storytelling. Previously, I worked with Schireson Associates, a boutique market research and strategy consultancy with a special focus on enterprise leaders in technology, consumer products and media.
Prior to that, I was Chief Communications Officer of File Right, a technology company that empowers its users to securely, affordably and confidently file their immigration applications (Green Card, Citizenship) on their own with the U.S. Government. I led FileRight’s corporate planning, spearheaded its business and corporate development approach and helped steer its overall brand strategy.
In addition, I served for three and half years as Vice President of Operations and In-House Counsel at Workshare, a document comparison, collaboration and security software company where I focused primarily on software licensing.
From 2000 to 2001, I served as Business Development Associate and Legal Affairs Manager for I-Impact, an Israeli data-warehousing and predictive analytics start-up.
I am also the Managing Director of the boutique San Francisco investment bank, Berman Capital.
In December of 2006, I sold my first company, Gytha Mander, a high fashion men’s clothing line, to Revel Industries.
I have a BA in Rhetoric from the University of California at Berkeley and a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. I am licensed by the State Bar of California and hold the Series 7 and 63 security licenses.
Adam Ouellette
I practiced law for 21 years in Florida until it was time to share with you what I learned about business, the practice and life.
I found the profession quite overwhelming for many years until I focused only on what I loved doing day in and day out, and the world opened up!
Some have asked me if I loved what I was doing in the law then why leave to do this work?
I had done it all and was bored! I had some amazing success and decided to listen to my intuition and begin to teach others full time through my online videos and classes.
I am what some would call a “student of life,” since I was always asking questions about life, business, and the law on an everyday basis. As a result, I read thousands of books (usually 3 to 5 a week), went to any seminar I had time for and took a bunch of online classes.
I can call myself an expert on many topics, not only because I learned about them, but IMPLEMENTED it in my life! I am here to share with you all I have learned and how you can use it to move toward your ideal life in every way.
The types of law I practiced were varied and broad, so what I teach can help anyone who calls themselves an attorney anywhere in the world. What I practiced: real estate law, real estate litigation, real estate closings, condo law, condo board representation, family law, guardianships, business litigation, business law, commercial real estate, commercial real estate closings, I represented lenders and banks in their residential and commercial closings, contract law, wills, trusts and probate.
Got a question? Email us: [email protected]
"But," you may ask, "how can I know I'm leaving my law job right?"
Or "How do I create a new resume?" "How do I make enough money in a non-lawyer job?" "How do I get over this negative feeling I'm a quitter?"