Careers for Attorneys that Don’t Want to Practice Law
Each year at the beginning of law school, future attorneys wander the halls engaging in idle chit chat that always seems to focus on what kind of lawyer the different students hope to be when they graduate.
As the first year develops, the chit chat changes to focus on what kind of clerkship or summer job the first year students will be taking for the summer. As the three years of law school progresses, the talk turns to interviews and what firm the soon to be graduates will be going to work for or, if not a firm, what judge or prosecutor’s office the new attorneys will be heading to.
So that is how the majority of the law students that attend law school end up practicing law. Even though most law schools provide only a smattering of classes in practical skills that instruct future attorneys how to practice law, the vast majority of the graduates head off to practice law, almost as if they have resigned themselves from the start that they have to practice law as a career. Sure, some may go to work for the government or for some state or federal agency but these attorneys are all practicing law. However, many careers exist where an attorney or recent law school graduate can go, benefit from their legal education and not practice law.
Now when I discuss or mention “practicing law,” I am referring to working for a government agency, working as a prosecutor or assistant attorney, or simply working in a law firm. Most of these jobs involve the attorney having a client or clients or offering counsel to an entity or individual. Even the government attorneys who don’t see client after client, generally represent a governmental agency or entity. All of these jobs generally pave the way for these attorneys to have a career of representing others. Ultimately these attorneys, even the ones who work for the government, will likely end up in a law firm, working on a partnership track and representing clients. For many this approach to professional life is appealing, challenging and rewarding. For others, it is, quite candidly, hell. More and more, I hear stories of law school graduates who are considering giving up the law all together because their professional lives are, quite simply, miserable. Many attorneys even turn to alcohol or other substances as an escape from the stresses of their professional lives.
The good news for attorneys that thrive in the corporate law firm existence is that there will always be a market for attorneys that want to practice law. From the large corporate firms, to the smaller partnerships to the solo practitioner there will always be an opportunity for those that want to practice law. However, for those that want to go to law school, but don’t want to practice law, or for those that have practiced law for a while and no longer want to, what is there to do? It so happens there are a number of careers that these individuals can look to. Most can even be just as lucrative as the practice of law. Below, I have put together a list of several different careers where a law degree would be quite beneficial and where there is no law practice associated with the work.
1. Sports or Entertainment Agent. These are the individuals who represent and negotiate deals for professional athletes, musicians and actors. Many such agents have law degrees.
2. Practice Management Consultant. These are individuals who consult with law firms on methods to make their law practices more profitable and operationally sound.
3. Legal Headhunters. These individuals work with law firms to seek out upper-level associates and partners to supplement the practice areas for the various firms.
4. Politics. Many people in politics, from the politicians on down have law degrees that they put to work to help them in their political pursuits.
5. Lobbyist. Many lobbyists, both in D.C. and around the nation have law degrees.
6. Legal Correspondent. All of the major networks, Court TV, and even local stations have on air correspondents who are attorneys that provide commentary on legal affairs and other legal matters.
7. Professor. It is not unusual for professors or other higher education instructors to have law degrees. If you want to teach at a law school, it will be completely necessary to have a law degree.
9. Law Enforcement. Many attorneys go into law enforcement either on a local level or a federal level. In fact, many of the agents who work for the FBI or other federal law enforcement agencies have attended law school.
10. Professional Baseball Management. Tony LaRussa, the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals has a law degree, but has devoted nearly his entire professional career to managing professional baseball teams.
The careers listed above barely scratch the surface on the numerous careers an attorney can have without practicing law. Someone once told me that going to law school opened the door to numerous careers. This is true. While many of the careers are in support of or in conjunction with the legal profession, many of the careers are completely separate from the legal community. The point is that a legal education, even if the attorney doesn’t practice law, is never a waste and can only be a benefit.
