Legal Career Development

There seem to be more exit options for experienced lawyers than there ever were before. A few trends I’m seeing and hearing: 1. Using legal as a springboard to leading other business functions. Common among high performing CLOs and GCs who end up taking over other departments, including HR, technology, operations, etc. Ideal for in-house lawyers who like business/management more than pure law work. 2. Leading a new function within a traditional law firm. Classic examples include leadership roles related to talent or client development; includes ongoing trend of chief innovation or client value officers. Recent trend: AI experts brought in from the outside. 3. Pivoting to a pure business role at a legal-adjacent company/firm. This was my path. Back when I made the pivot in 2016 it felt like the only real option was legal recruiting. These days you have AI startups, large legal tech companies, legal talent staffing/outsourcing, and more. 4. Leveraging expertise to shift to hybrid employee/entrepreneur roles. Could be a fractional GC practice, e.g. using your former employer as an anchor client and then looking for other clients. Or could be practicing law as a remote freelancer, working on specific, limited scope matters that interest you. The ones who have done the best seem to be those who thoughtfully consider what type of work they want to do, and the context (hours, location, flexibility) in which they work—before they plunge head first into something else. 

Lessons from working as a lawyer: 1) Translate complexity into clarity. Don't say "pursuant to section 4.3(b)(ii)..." when "here's what this means for us..." will do. 2) Your value is in providing actionable pathways forward within the bounds of the law. "Here's how we can do this safely" is far more effective than "We can't do this." 4) Good legal counsel evaluates paths forward, not just roadblocks. An 80% answer today often beats a 100% answer next week. 5) Learn when "good enough" truly is good enough. Become business-fluent, not just legally sound. 6) Understand revenue models, growth strategies, and competitive landscapes. The best legal advice accounts for both legal and commercial realities. #legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

"I have no idea what kind of law I want to practice." If you're a law student and you've said this (or thought it), let me tell you: you're not alone. I was in the same position. And if you're a first-generation lawyer like me, that uncertainty may feel even heavier. No family members guiding the way, no inside knowledge of the legal world—just you, trying to figure it out. But here’s the good news: not knowing is not a weakness. It’s an opportunity. You are a clean slate. You get to explore, learn, and shape your own path. You’re not confined by anyone else’s expectations. So how do you start figuring out where you belong? 1️⃣ Follow your natural interests. If you’re obsessed with true crime podcasts, explore an internship with the District Attorney or Public Defender's office. If binge watching Netflix documentaries on corporate greed and the opioid epidemic got you fired up, look into firms handling mass torts or personal injury cases. 2️⃣ Think about the people you want to help. Do you want to advocate for vulnerable individuals? Consider family law, immigration, or criminal defense. Want to support small businesses? Look into corporate or contract law. Passionate about creatives? Entertainment or intellectual property law could be your thing. 3️⃣ Assess your working style. Love debating and being in court? Litigation might be your calling. Want to stay as far away from a courtroom as possible? Transactional law is likely a better fit. Enjoy deep research and writing? Appellate practice or policy work could be right for you. 4️⃣ Get out there and experience it. Intern, shadow, take clinics, and attend public court hearings. You can read about an area of law all day, but nothing compares to seeing it in action. And when you find what excites you? Go all in. Seek mentors, dive into the work, and absorb everything you can. Be extremely curious! Not knowing where you’re headed yet is okay. Staying still isn’t. Lawyers: When and how did you figure out what kind of law you wanted to practice? Let’s help the next generation.

I get so many DMs from junior lawyers seeking career advice. They're exhausted, working 60-hour weeks at big law, and starting to question if it’s all worth it. And I get it. The industry hasn’t changed much. Junior associates are still buried in tasks that AI could handle in minutes. Long hours are still seen as a badge of honor. Everyone dreams of making partner, but the reality is, very few actually do. But here's the thing: there are countless opportunities for lawyers beyond the partner track. At SpotDraft, we’ve seen incredible career pivots: - Romit, a lawyer, joined us as a legal analyst and is now a product manager. - Udit started as a law associate, pivoted to marketing, and is now the director of product marketing & growth at SpotDraft. - Akshay moved from big law to legal ops and is now our COO. And it’s not just at SpotDraft. Look at these inspiring transitions: - Alex Su went from a law firm associate to a sales role, then marketing, and is now the CRO at Latitude Legal. - Sarah Irwin transitioned from various law firms to in-house roles, and finally started her own business. If you’re feeling stuck, it’s okay to question the traditional path. It’s possible to find a career that makes you happier and more fulfilled. Here’s how you can start exploring new paths: - Identify your interests: What excites you? Marketing, business development, product management, operations? Your legal skills can translate into these areas. - Network actively: Reach out to people who’ve made similar transitions. Learn from their experiences. - Learn new skills: Take courses, attend workshops, and read extensively about fields that interest you. - Be open to change: It’s scary to leave a well-trodden path, but sometimes it’s the only way to find your true calling. The traditional path isn’t the only way to have a successful and fulfilling career. Your career should work for you, not the other way around.

Too many lawyers sell themselves short. They get pigeonholed into purely legal roles because they don’t know how to effectively market their skills to other domains. But the reality is that the skills you develop as a lawyer can take you far beyond the traditional legal sphere. Here are a few reasons why: Lawyers are highly organized and process-oriented. We excel at turning complex problems into simple steps, creating systems, and paying meticulous attention to detail. These skills are invaluable in operational roles. Lawyers are excellent communicators. We’re adept at distilling multi-faceted, highly technical challenges into narratives that focus on the essential, easy-to-understand components. This is a necessary skill for any leader. Lawyers have an uncanny ability to grasp complicated business models quickly and see the big picture. We're used to diving into the nitty-gritty details while keeping an eye on overarching strategy. Lawyers deal in risk assessment and mitigation on a daily basis, which makes us uniquely qualified to take on roles involving business strategy and decision-making. So, how can lawyers leverage these skills to grow beyond traditional legal roles? There are a few common paths I see. Here are some examples within each: 1. Expanding to a GC+ role, like: - Andy Dale at OpenAP (GC + Chief Privacy Officer) - Conor French at Zipline (GC + Chief Regulatory Officer) - Galya Blachman at Enliven Therapeutics (CLO + Head of BD) - Shaun Sethna, our own GC at The L Suite, who manages Content (event programming) and HR in addition to Legal 2. Moving entirely to non-legal leadership roles, like: - Alex Su at Latitude (Chief Revenue Officer) - Abigail Johnson at Sapphire Ventures (COO) - Jason K. at OpenAI (Chief Strategy Officer) - Kristin Sverchek at Lyft (President) - Kent Walker at Google (President, Global Affairs) - Julie Sweet at Accenture (CEO) 3. Starting a company, like: - Jen Berrent at Covenant - Cecilia Ziniti at GC AI - Caroline McCaffery at ClearOps - Ashish Walia and Raad Ahmed at Lawtrades - Jason Boehmig at Ironclad - Shashank Bijapur at SpotDraft - Winston Weinberg at Harvey - Tony Lewis and Kelsey C. from Aumni (sold to JPMorgan) - Eric Berry from TripleLift (sold to Vista Equity Partners) - Renaud Laplanche from LendingClub (now public) and Upgrade There are many, many more examples that I didn’t have space for. The lesson here? Don't let yourself be painted into a legal box. The skills you have learned as a lawyer are incredibly versatile and valuable across various business functions. You just need to learn how to market them.

A brilliant young litigator confessed he was stuffing his own mail just to keep up. One paralegal. Zero support. An entire litigation department resting on his shoulders. I recognized that look in his eyes immediately. Here's what I wish someone had told me when I was in his position: The legal profession glorifies martyrdom. We celebrate those who: • Work the longest hours • Take on impossible caseloads  • Sacrifice everything for clients But this mindset is destroying talented attorneys. This young lawyer—sole litigator at his firm—was drowning. Every new case landed on his desk. No control over volume. A paralegal who created more work than they solved. Sound familiar? I shared four shifts that saved me: 1. Your "no" is a professional obligation You have an ethical duty to assess whether you can competently handle more cases. Sometimes "not right now" is the most professional answer. 2. Advocate for yourself like you would a client When I presented my burnout as a business problem—not a personal complaint—my firm finally listened. 3. Own your energy, not just your time Being present for one important task beats frantically juggling ten. Stop doing low-value work better handled by support staff. 4. Remember your ultimate power Sometimes walking away creates the leverage needed for change. The right to build your own practice is always available. The legal profession tries to convince you that suffering is required. It's not. What I've learned: Your greatest asset isn't your legal mind—it's your wellbeing. Protect it accordingly. #LegalCareer #LawyerLife #Boundaries #TheFreeLawyer

"You don't have to set yourself on fire to keep others warm." That quote saved my career. And it’s one every employee needs to hear. Most of us are afraid of setting boundaries. We fear disappointing others more than burning ourselves out. Think about that for a second. We'd rather: • Work through lunch (again) • Take that 10 pm call • Say yes to another project • Push our limits until we break To avoid risking someone being temporarily disappointed. The irony? Weak boundaries don't just lead to burnout. They breed resentment. They damage relationships. They make us less effective at the very jobs we’re trying to protect. Here’s what I’ve learned - both personally and professionally: Boundaries aren’t selfish. They’re essential. They protect your well-being, your career, and your energy. One of my favorite reminders: "Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously." Effective boundaries look like this: 1. Define your role in writing. Document your duties, expectations, and any changes. 2. Communicate limits early and clearly. Don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed. 3. Document overreach, shifting priorities, and extra demands. Keep a written record. 4. Watch for pressure tactics. “Team player” language often hides unreasonable asks. 5. Know when flexibility becomes exploitation. Helping occasionally is fine, but doing three jobs is not. 6. Use facts, not feelings. Anchor boundaries in workload, fairness, and documented expectations. You don’t owe anyone your exhaustion. You owe yourself clarity, strategy, and self-respect. Follow for more on how to protect your career without sacrificing yourself. #EmploymentAttorney #CaliforniaEmploymentLaw #EmployeeRights Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional legal advice. It does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Please consult a qualified attorney for advice on your specific legal situation.

Yesterday, I spoke with the GC of a massive public company about what differentiates good in-house attorneys from great ones. "𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 in this job knows the law", he said. It's about what comes 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 that baseline. Specifically, it's about the ability to build relationships that drive business forward. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫. Soft skills as seemingly simple as clear communication and being personable. In-house, your law degree is just table stakes. The top performers are the ones who can blend legal expertise with people skills and business acumen.

Advice I give frequently to Partners and Associates of all levels - there are riches in niches. Too many lawyers try to be everything to everyone. An example - it is very hard to set yourself apart from the crowd as a "vanilla" M&A lawyer. The real career accelerators? The ones who find their niche - and dominate it. 💡 Clients pay premiums for specialists. Not generalists. 💡 Partners who are known for one thing frequently find it easier to build stronger books faster. 💡 Lateral moves and partnership prospects are smoother when your expertise fills a specific firm or market gap. Example - tax partners who specialize in renewable energy command a premium right now (even without a book of business). Finding your niche means: - Picking an industry, practice area, or client segment early—and leaning in. - Developing a "mini-brand" inside your firm and externally. - Saying "no" to work that doesn't align with your long-term positioning (this can be hard and is a topic in itself). If you’re early in your career, ask yourself: ➡️ What practice areas are growing? ➡️ Where is client demand outpacing lawyer supply? ➡️ What type of work energizes you enough to master it over years? If you’re mid-career, it’s never too late to reposition. Follow me for more #biglaw commentary, market intel, and roles.