The Former Lawyer Podcast

Why Your Law Job Feels More Unsustainable Than It Used To

Your law job may feel more unsustainable than it used to, even if you were managing it fairly well before. Maybe you already knew the environment was not great, or that t

Why “Every Job Sucks” Is Bad Advice for Lawyers Who Hate Their Jobs

“There’s a reason they call it a job.” “If it was fun, everyone would do it.” “The grass isn’t always greener.” Lawyers who hate their jobs hear some version of this all

Do You Need Therapy or Career Coaching When You Want to Leave Law

When you start thinking about leaving the law, it is really common to realize that some of what you are trying to figure out is about your career and some of it goes much

How to Figure Out What You Want to Do Instead of Practicing Law

You can know that you do not want to keep practicing law and still have no idea what you want to do. You may not even know what you could do. A lot of lawyers assume they

Reconnecting With Your Creativity After Years in the Law

After years in the law, it can be easy to believe that creativity simply is not part of who you are. Maybe you stopped making time for things you used to enjoy, or maybe

What’s Next for the Former Lawyer Collaborative

If you have been thinking about joining the Former Lawyer Collaborative, now is the time. Enrollment is closing permanently on August 31, 2026, and while the program will

The Misery of Knowing That One Is Doing Harm as a Lawyer

In today’s episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. The final misery covered in the book is the misery based on

The Misery of Not Feeling Entitled to One's Misery as a Lawyer

In today’s episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. It’s part of a series of podcast discussions diving into the

The Artificial Power Structure and Feeling Helpless as a Lawyer with Annie Little

In today’s episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. It’s part of a series of podcast discussions, so check out t

The Misery of Ambiguity and Forced Pretense in Law Firms

This episode is part 2 of the series where Sarah is chatting with Annie Little about the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. If you missed the first episode in this seri

Is Being A Lawyer A Bullshit Job?

Sarah revisits the Bullshit Job series on today's podcast with Annie Little, another lawyer career coach. Annie has been on the podcast a few times in the past, like

How Lawyers Can Rethink Their Skills for Business with Alex Su

In legal practice, it is easy to start measuring yourself by whether you can cover every detail, do everything perfectly, and keep grinding through whatever is in front o

How to Take A Mental Health Leave of Absence From Your Law Firm with Megan Nogasky

Listen, it's the summer of 2026. Everything is a dumpster fire, and there are a lot of people who have been struggling a lot with their mental health, especially in

Leaving the Law When You’re Already Burned Out

Leaving the law when you’re already burned out can feel impossible, because the job you need energy to escape is the same job draining all of your energy. You may underst

Making a Career Change When You're Afraid of Getting It Wrong with Kelcey Baker

Going to law school felt like the right call. For some lawyers it felt like the obvious call, backed up by experience, by personality, by everything they knew about thems

The Shame Lawyers Feel About Wanting to Leave Law

Somewhere along the way, most lawyers picked up the idea that once you commit to something, you follow through. No exceptions. So when the thought of leaving starts to su

From Commercial Litigator to Personal Trainer and Business Owner with Zach Reisch

Lawyers who know they want to leave often get stuck in the same place. Not because they don't want to move, but because they're waiting to feel certain about wh

Translating Legal Skills for a Non-Legal Job Doesn't Start With Your Resume

When lawyers start thinking about doing something else, the first thing they reach for is almost always the resume. It feels like real progress. It produces something tan

Leaving Biglaw to Become a Sex and Relationship Coach with Amy Terwilleger

On paper, Amy Terwilleger’s life as a lawyer looked great. Partner at a regional firm in Florida. Deputy general counsel. Thirteen years of business litigation. Married w

Trying to Justify Leaving Law Is What’s Keeping You There

If you're thinking about leaving the law, there's a good chance you've asked yourself some version of this question. Am I justified in doing this? You alre