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 need to have some sense of the answer before they can start when the process is actually designed for people who are in exactly your position.
Part of what makes figuring out what comes next so uncomfortable is that there is no assessment that gives you one answer. You have to get a clearer picture of who you are, pay attention to what you are genuinely interested in, and gather information about what different jobs are actually like. As you learn more, you refine what you are looking for, which can feel confusing when you are used to having a clear path to follow.
In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell walks through the Former Lawyer Framework and explains how she helps lawyers figure out what they want to do instead of practicing law. She talks about why the process starts well before resumes and LinkedIn, what makes the exploration stage so confusing, and how getting more information can help you identify work that is actually a better fit.
0:27 - The Former Lawyer Framework for figuring out what to do when you do not want to practice law
1:17 - Looking back at what brought you to law in the first place
2:46 - Getting a clearer picture of who you are and what makes a job a good fit
4:27 - Why assessments do not give you one answer about what to do next
5:16 - Letting genuine interest guide which career options you explore
8:55 - Refining your options when the process does not follow a clear path
10:30 - Why resumes and LinkedIn come at the end of the process
11:38 - Knowing you dislike your current job is enough to get started
12:39 - Final enrollment details for the Former Lawyer Collaborative
Mentioned In How to Figure Out What You Want to Do Instead of Practicing Law
The Former Lawyer Collaborative
First Steps to Leaving the Law
I'm closing enrollment for my self-paced group program, the Former Lawyer Collaborative, permanently on August 31st, 2026. If you've been thinking about joining now is the time.
Head to formerlawyer.com/collab to join before doors close on August 31st.
