As mediators, former advocates may continue to engage in client contact, counseling and analytical thinking, but are freed from the pressure to prevail. Moving even further from traditional legal training but using the same client contact and counseling skills, an increasing number of lawyers have decided to return to school to train to become psychologists or therapists. While large numbers of lawyers who actually switch careers move into politics, real estate, banking, finance, the communications fields or become managers or administrators in business, other defectors seek even further afield. There are former lawyers who are art professors, journalists, humane society presidents, career counselors, gardeners, chefs, screenwriters, stock brokers and literary agents. Many lawyers say that although they no longer practice law, their legal training was extremely helpful to their transition and gives the credibility they wouldn't otherwise have.
Lawyers contemplating change are in good company.
To increase your chances of creating a more satisfying work life, spend time identifying your preferred skills, values and interests. With knowledge of the skills and interests you possess and desire to use, and the values which motivate you, you can more easily focus on those jobs or fields that will permit the full utilization of your skills, integration of values important to you, and satisfaction of your interests. Be open to various options-they may be within, related to or outside of law. Jobs can be identified by reading articles about people, talking to everyone and asking them what they do for a living and reading the employment want ads in both legal and lay publications. Once several interesting options are identified, your next step should be to obtain information about your new industry or field via trade associations and their newsletters.