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The Former Lawyer Podcast
Sarah Cottrell
326 episodes
6 days ago
Maybe you're thinking about leaving the law, but you aren't quite sure you're ready to start working through the process. You're thinking, "I really think this isn't for me, I definitely want to get out eventually, but maybe not at this exact moment." If that sounds like you, there's something you can do. This is going to be the most unsurprising recommendation, but one of the things that's really important for lawyers who are going through the process of figuring out what they want to do tha...
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Maybe you're thinking about leaving the law, but you aren't quite sure you're ready to start working through the process. You're thinking, "I really think this isn't for me, I definitely want to get out eventually, but maybe not at this exact moment." If that sounds like you, there's something you can do. This is going to be the most unsurprising recommendation, but one of the things that's really important for lawyers who are going through the process of figuring out what they want to do tha...
Show more...
Careers
Education,
Business,
Self-Improvement
Episodes (20/326)
The Former Lawyer Podcast
The Best First Step When You're Not Ready to Leave Law Yet
Maybe you're thinking about leaving the law, but you aren't quite sure you're ready to start working through the process. You're thinking, "I really think this isn't for me, I definitely want to get out eventually, but maybe not at this exact moment." If that sounds like you, there's something you can do. This is going to be the most unsurprising recommendation, but one of the things that's really important for lawyers who are going through the process of figuring out what they want to do tha...
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6 days ago
8 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
Why Community Support Matters When You're Leaving the Law
When lawyers start thinking about leaving, they focus on the practical steps. What career should I pursue? How do I update my resume? What skills do I need? Those things matter, but Sarah consistently hears from lawyers that they underestimated something else. They didn't realize how much they needed to know they weren't alone. The legal profession can be deeply isolating, especially for people who are unhappy. In a field focused on prestige, lawyers often feel like they have to maintain a pr...
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1 week ago
6 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
The One Decision Unhappy Lawyers Must Make Before Changing Careers
Most people who are thinking about leaving the law spend a long time in a familiar place. They know their job feels awful, they say it to themselves and to other people, and they imagine how much better things could be somewhere else. But imagining you'd like to leave is not the same thing as deciding that you want to. That shift sounds simple, but it's tied up in identity, prestige, sunk costs, and everything you've been taught about what it means to be successful. It's the first real ...
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2 weeks ago
9 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
When “I Invested Too Much to Leave the Law” Becomes the Reason You Stay Stuck
There comes a point where the math you’ve been doing in your head stops adding up. You spent years in school. You passed the bar. You took on the loans. You built the career you were told would make it all worth it. Now you’re tired, anxious, or checked out, but the idea of leaving makes your stomach drop. It feels like walking away means none of it mattered. That’s how the sunk cost trap works. It convinces smart people that the only respectable choice is to stick with a decision that’s hurt...
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3 weeks ago
10 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
You Don’t Have to Earn the Right to Leave the Law with Zi Lin
Zi Lin did everything “right.” Philosophy major, law school, great grades, OCI, Biglaw offer, six-figure salary. From the outside, the path looked impressive. From the inside, it felt like being processed through a conveyor belt. No one asked whether the career actually fit. It was just the obvious next step. Parents approved. Professors approved. Colleagues approved. When everyone around you nods along, it’s easy to assume there’s nothing to think about. The problem came later, once Zi was a...
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1 month ago
50 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
How Scarcity Keeps Lawyers in Jobs They Don’t Want
A lot of lawyers assume that making more money will make leaving easier. In reality, the opposite often happens. Once you are in a high-paying legal job, it can feel like there is no other path that will work. People outside the profession are usually surprised by this. They assume lawyers have endless options, but many lawyers feel they have to hang on to what they have because there may not be anything else that fits. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/289
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1 month ago
9 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
Your Burnout Started Long Before Your First Legal Job
A lot of lawyers believe they shouldn’t feel burned out because they haven’t been practicing very long. But burnout isn’t measured by years in the profession. For many lawyers, it started long before their first legal job. Sarah hears from people who have only been in practice a few years and are already exhausted, overwhelmed, or checked out. They feel embarrassed or confused because they can point to colleagues who have been doing it longer. But measuring burnout by the calendar misse...
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1 month ago
7 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
The Mistake Lawyers Make When They Want to Leave the Law
For years, the idea of leaving the law can sit quietly in the back of your mind. You tell yourself you’ll figure it out eventually, that one day you’ll know it’s time. But months turn into years, and the only thing that changes is how tired you feel saying, “I don’t want to do this forever.” The biggest mistake most lawyers make when they want to leave is assuming it will just happen on its own. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/287
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1 month ago
8 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
Why You Feel Like You Can Never Turn Your Brain Off as a Lawyer
Lawyers often describe feeling like they can never fully turn their brains off. Even during downtime, there’s a sense of waiting for the next email, the next call, or the next fire to put out. It’s not simply overthinking. It’s the body staying on alert, a nervous system trained to expect that something could go wrong at any time. Sarah explains why this constant state of vigilance makes sense, why it’s not a personal failing, and what it means for lawyers trying to find relief from the press...
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2 months ago
14 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
What to Expect in Your First Year After Leaving the Law
The first year after leaving law is a strange mix of freedom and fatigue. There is relief in stepping away from billable hours, but the exhaustion runs deeper than expected. Sarah Cottrell hears it constantly from clients. They imagined a clean break. Instead, it feels like living in a body still bracing for impact. At first there’s quiet. The noise of practice fades, and breathing feels easier. Then comes the question no one expects. What now? For years the answer was always clear. Get throu...
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2 months ago
15 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
How to Break the Outrage-Complacency Cycle and Finally Leave Law
Ever feel trapped in the cycle where one week you swear you have to get out of law, and the next you convince yourself it isn’t so bad? That back-and-forth isn’t clarity, it’s burnout and fear of judgment keeping you stuck. In this episode, Sarah Cottrell breaks down how to recognize the outrage complacency cycle and what it takes to finally step out of it. Join Sarah for a free live masterclass on October 10, Five Simple Steps to Identify a Career You Actually Like. Sign up at&nb...
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2 months ago
15 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
It’s Okay to Care What People Think and Still Leave Law
Many lawyers, when they stop and reflect, realize that one of the reasons they went to law school was to impress other people. Prestige mattered. But the moment they name it, the shame sets in — “That was a bad reason. I shouldn’t care what others think.” Sarah Cottrell pushes back on that belief, reminding lawyers that caring about opinions is normal and human. In this episode, she shares how caring becomes a problem only when it outweighs your own needs, especially if you’re consideri...
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2 months ago
12 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
The Former Lawyer Framework 2.0: Streamlining Your Exit Strategy
The Former Lawyer framework has recently received a glow-up, and this podcast episode covers all the fun updates. Sarah has a few things that stuck out to her and would be the most helpful to anyone considering becoming a former lawyer. She covers those items in this episode to highlight them for all the podcast listeners considering joining. Reserve your seat to learn The Simple 5-Step Framework To Identify An Alternative Career (That You Actually Like!) on October 10th. See show notes at fo...
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3 months ago
15 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
Why Talk Therapy Stops Working for Burned-Out Lawyers
You’ve been in therapy. You’ve talked through your career. You understand, logically, that your boss’s mood isn’t your responsibility, that your worth isn’t measured by productivity, and that burnout doesn’t mean you’re broken. And yet… you’re still panicking every time Outlook pings. You’re still second-guessing every boundary. You’re still bracing for impact. For many lawyers, this is the point where talk therapy hits a wall. You’ve intellectually processed the stress, but your body hasn’t ...
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3 months ago
14 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
Nothing is Worth Sacrificing Yourself - A Reminder for All Lawyers
Today’s podcast episode is an important reminder every lawyer needs to hear. Sarah reminds listeners that nothing about your job is as important as you and your emotional, mental, and physical health. For lawyers, it’s easy to feel their value as human beings is basically in job performance. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/229
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3 months ago
6 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
It’s Not Too Late to Leave the Law in 2025
2025 is more than halfway through, and if you told yourself this was the year you’d leave practice, this is your check-in. September is basically here, which means four months left in the year. That’s still plenty of time to make progress. And honestly, the start of fall always feels like a reset — school year vibes, even for those of us who haven’t been in school for decades. So if you haven’t taken steps yet, you haven’t missed your chance. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/281
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3 months ago
6 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
Is the Grass Greener When You Leave the Law? (What Former Lawyers Say)
The question comes up constantly - in podcast interviews, on Collab group calls, and in emails from listeners. "What if the grass isn't greener on the other side?" It's tied to this idea that maybe being miserable at work is just what it means to be an adult with a job. Maybe every workplace is toxic. Maybe no one really likes what they do. You'll even hear people outside the law say things like "Well, no one likes their job." There's something almost protective about believing this. If you d...
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3 months ago
7 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
The Partner Who Makes Everyone Quit Isn't Your Problem to Fix
There's a partner at your firm. Everyone knows about them. Multiple people have quit working for them. Multiple people have gone out on mental health leave. When people talk about this partner, they use phrases like "difficult" or "has sharp elbows." If you listen to Sarah's episode about the no-asshole rule, you know that “has sharp elbows” generally means they're abusive. But somehow, despite the clear pattern of destruction in their wake, you're supposed to act like this is normal. Like ma...
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4 months ago
8 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
Know It’s the Right Time to Leave the Law with Two Questions
In today’s podcast, Sarah discusses how to know when it’s the right time to leave law. Many people listening are grappling with this question, and often, when they ask it, they are looking for an external answer. There is no external answer. You are the only person that can decide when the time is right. The reality is that you need to ask yourself two questions to know if now is the right time for YOU to leave the law. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/231
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4 months ago
8 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
Lawyers Hoping To Be Hit By A Bus Isn't Normal, but Not Uncommon Either with Kelcey Baker
You're exhausted from work and catch yourself thinking, "I wish I could get hit by a bus just a little bit so I could finally get a break." If that sounds familiar, you're not alone - and it's definitely not normal. This disturbing thought is surprisingly common among lawyers in toxic work environments. Sarah and returning guest Kelcey Baker dive into why so many lawyers fantasize about minor injuries as their only escape from work pressure, and why even vacation doesn't provide real relief. ...
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4 months ago
40 minutes

The Former Lawyer Podcast
Maybe you're thinking about leaving the law, but you aren't quite sure you're ready to start working through the process. You're thinking, "I really think this isn't for me, I definitely want to get out eventually, but maybe not at this exact moment." If that sounds like you, there's something you can do. This is going to be the most unsurprising recommendation, but one of the things that's really important for lawyers who are going through the process of figuring out what they want to do tha...