Sometimes it’s time to leave a relationship, whether you’ve been in it for a year or for 20 years.  If you’ve come to a point of leave-taking in your life as a lawyer, or see such a time coming up, read on.  While options abound for lawyers working in the legal field, including private practice, business and government, a spot outside the law may be more suitable for you. 

For Jen Hopkins, who formerly practiced corporate law at Orr and Reno in Concord, leaving the law involved choosing a nonlinear path.  Following a career in business, and then obtaining a law degree, Hopkins’ obvious course was to pursue corporate law.  But when it came to leaving the law, Hopkins notes: “I’m still learning from the decision.  I needed to look for the ‘not obvious’ fit after previously following the obvious route in my career. While law school and the law were fascinating, I exclusively used the left side of my brain, and what was missing was the opportunity to use my creative side.  I needed to find a way to do both,” she says.  Now Director of Program at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Hopkins works with a grant program that funds nonprofits throughout the state. 

For Abigail J. Sykas, who formerly practiced labor and employment law at Soule, Leslie, Kidder, Sayward and Loughman in Salem, the decision to move to a non-legal position was based on an opportunity presented to her.  “I hadn’t given change any serious thought until the position of Vice President of Fund Development at Havenwood-Heritage Heights, a retirement community in Concord, was mentioned to me.”  The opportunity intrigued Abigail, so she began a process of reflecting on what she wanted in her work.  “I realized it was appealing to have the opportunity to see a positive, tangible effect of my work, whether it’s a new building for retired seniors or helping seniors whose resources are depleted.  In the law, all victories come with a large price.  I didn’t enjoy the adversarial nature of practicing law.”  While having no formal background in development, Sykas is learning on the job and calling upon her volunteer experience.                                                                                                                           
 

Leaving the law may be a spot decision for you, or one that takes many years to make.  For me, it was a moment in time I will never forget.  Driving north on I-93 near Bow from my office in Manchester, with Mt. Kearsarge looming ahead, it became clear that despite material success in civil practice as a lawyer, my dreams lay in another direction.  My path was circuitous – from the law I worked in the trades for a time, in the nonprofit sector for 15 years, and then combined my skills and interest in human development to find my work as a life coach.

                                                                                                                                  Abigail J. Sykas

Whether leaving the profession is a sudden or premeditated decision, think carefully about your decision, as it is a significant one.  To come this far (being a lawyer), you have studied diligently to make it through law school and the bar exam, and devoted thousands of hours to developing your skills and serving your clients and employer(s). Your decision may also have to incorporate the added issue of educational debt.  

Both Sykas and Hopkins advise colleagues to consider the move carefully and consult others.  Sykas suggests “talking with people about the implications of the decision and exactly how your daily life will be different from the practice of law.”

It can be helpful to take advantage of the experiences and counsel of others in fields of interest to you or those who have transitioned from the law to other work.  There are a host of resources available, including books, seminars and coaches.  Hopkins found it helpful to read about opportunities, talk with people, hear and consider options, all the while searching for opportunities that really excited her. 

Leaving such a large investment can be a big leap, and yet, if it’s right for you, it’s worth taking.  As former corporate attorney and Harvard Law School graduate Tama J. Kieves writes in This Time I Dance!: Trusting the Journey of Creating the Work You Love (Penguin, 2002, $12.95), “I can’t imagine how anyone ever recovers from giving up on themselves.”