The Former Lawyer Podcast

Sarah Cottrell
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Do you hate working as a lawyer? Are you an unhappy lawyer who wants to leave the law, but isn't sure what to do next? Do your family and friends think you're crazy for wanting to leave the law, or are you too afraid to tell them you don't want to be a lawyer? The Former Lawyer Podcast is for you! Each week, host Sarah Cottrell interviews a different former lawyer who has left the law behind. Hear inspiring stories about how these former lawyers are thriving and found their way to careers and lives they love.

  1. 4d ago

    Reconnecting With Your Creativity After Years in the Law

    After years in the law, it can be easy to believe that creativity simply is not part of who you are. Maybe you stopped making time for things you used to enjoy, or maybe you decided a long time ago that being artistic was not practical, serious, or something that fit with the kind of person who becomes a lawyer. That belief can shape more than what you do outside of work. It can also shut you off from whole groups of jobs because you think of them as jobs for creative people, and you do not see yourself as one of those people. Reconnecting with your creativity does not mean you need to become a working artist. It may just mean realizing that creativity is important to you and that you have been setting that part of yourself aside. In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell talks about why so many lawyers say they are not artistic or creative, how legal work can leave people feeling stifled, and what can happen when creativity starts to bubble back up. She also talks about making room for that part of yourself, whether it changes the kind of work you want to do or simply helps you build a more fulfilling life. 0:30 - Telling yourself that you are not artistic or creative 1:10 - Learning that being an artist is not a realistic career path 2:19 - Feeling stifled by the constraints on creativity in legal work 3:28 - Realizing that being artistic or creative is important to you 4:35 - Picking up old hobbies and reconnecting with creativity 5:30 - Being afraid that recognizing your creativity will make you more dissatisfied 6:40 - Cutting yourself off from an avenue for joy and fulfillment 8:24 - Sarah’s own experience of saying she was not artistic or creative 9:38 - Making room for all the different parts of who you are Mentioned In Reconnecting With Your Creativity After Years in the Law First Steps to Leaving the Law The Former Lawyer Collaborative 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.

    Reconnecting With Your Creativity After Years in the Law

  2. Aug 10

    What’s Next for the Former Lawyer Collaborative

    If you have been thinking about joining the Former Lawyer Collaborative, now is the time. Enrollment is closing permanently on August 31, 2026, and while the program will remain open for another year, this is the last chance to join the community and work through the Former Lawyer Framework with Sarah’s support. In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell talks about why she decided to close the Collaborative, what members will still have access to through August 31, 2027, and where she plans to focus her work next. She also shares what the last few years have made even clearer to her about how important it is for unhappy lawyers to feel seen, understood, and less alone while they figure out what comes next. 0:27 - Why enrollment in the Former Lawyer Collaborative is closing 4:48 - How the Collaborative grew from a community into the Former Lawyer Framework 6:57 - How AI and information overload changed Sarah’s thinking about the future of Former Lawyer 9:32 - When the Collaborative will close and why enrollment ends a year earlier 10:14 - What members will still have access to through August 31, 2027 11:34 - What Sarah plans to focus on after the Collaborative ends 14:52 - The importance of human connection for lawyers figuring out what comes next Mentioned In What’s Next for the Former Lawyer Collaborative You Don't Have To Quit Your Job To Start Leaving Law  The Former Lawyer Collaborative Collab Plus One-on-One Program 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.

    What’s Next for the Former Lawyer Collaborative

  3. Aug 3

    The Misery of Knowing That One Is Doing Harm as a Lawyer

    In today’s episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book B******t Jobs by David Graeber. The final misery covered in the book is the misery based on knowing that one is doing harm. The most obvious example of this as lawyers would be representing a person or entity, and they are asking you to do something that is itself harmful. While these situations may arise, people tend to be aware and can deal with the moral conflict.  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.

    The Misery of Knowing That One Is Doing Harm as a Lawyer

  4. Jul 27

    The Misery of Not Feeling Entitled to One's Misery as a Lawyer

    In today’s episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book B******t Jobs by David Graeber. It’s part of a series of podcast discussions diving into the miseries of a b******t job, and today, it’s time to dive into the third misery that comes with b******t jobs. If you missed the first two, go back and catch up. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/189 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.

    The Misery of Not Feeling Entitled to One's Misery as a Lawyer

  5. Jul 20

    The Artificial Power Structure and Feeling Helpless as a Lawyer with Annie Little

    In today’s episode, Sarah is back again with Annie Little discussing the book B******t Jobs by David Graeber. It’s part of a series of podcast discussions, so check out the others before and after this one. Graeber gives four reasons why having a b******t job feels so miserable. Last week’s discussion was all about the first reason—ambiguity and forced pretense—catch up on that one first. Then, let’s dive into the second reason. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/188 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.

    The Artificial Power Structure and Feeling Helpless as a Lawyer with Annie Little

  6. Jul 13

    The Misery of Ambiguity and Forced Pretense in Law Firms

    This episode is part 2 of the series where Sarah is chatting with Annie Little about the book B******t Jobs by David Graeber. If you missed the first episode in this series, check that out first and learn the background of this series and more about Annie. This episode is about the misery of ambiguity and forced pretense, which is the first of four things Graeber identifies as an impact that having a b******t job can have on you. When it comes to ambiguity in law firms, the lack of transparency is the first thing that comes to mind for Annie. She points out that there should be a simple, straightforward path with clear instructions on each assignment and an obvious ladder to climb within the firm. In reality, there are so many hidden things that lawyers are left to just figure out on their own.  See show notes at formerlawyer.com/187 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.

    The Misery of Ambiguity and Forced Pretense in Law Firms

  7. Jul 6

    Is Being A Lawyer A B******t Job?

    Sarah revisits the B******t Job series on today's podcast with Annie Little, another lawyer career coach. Annie has been on the podcast a few times in the past, like the episode on ADHD. She founded her company, JD Nation, and helps lawyers find better jobs, both in and out of law.  In this new series, the two of them discuss the book B******t Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber and dive into some of the book's observations. This first episode covers why you should care about this book and answer, “Is being a lawyer a b******t job?” See show notes at formerlawyer.com/186 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.

    Is Being A Lawyer A B******t Job?

  8. Jun 29

    How Lawyers Can Rethink Their Skills for Business with Alex Su

    In legal practice, it is easy to start measuring yourself by whether you can cover every detail, do everything perfectly, and keep grinding through whatever is in front of you. If that is not the way you are wired, it can feel like there is something wrong with you, instead of recognizing that the job is rewarding a narrow set of behaviors. Alex Su describes this as game selection. In business roles, especially sales, marketing, and business development, success often depends on trying things, learning what works, moving on from what does not, and prioritizing the things that actually move the needle. The question becomes less about whether you can fix yourself into a better lawyer and more about whether you are playing the right game for your strengths. In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell talks with returning guest Alex Su about what lawyers need to understand when they move out of practice and into business roles. They talk about why legal training can make that shift feel uncomfortable, how performance-based work rewards a different kind of resilience, and why the right role can make strengths visible that law may have treated like problems. 1:43 - Alex’s move from practicing law into a business career in the legal space 3:55 - Why business roles reward a different skill set than legal practice 5:49 - The comfort of hours worked and why the shift to ROI can feel difficult 7:21 - What changes when the goal is producing outcomes instead of putting in more hours 9:15 - Why experimentation requires a different relationship with failure 10:28 - How perfectionism can become counterproductive in performance-based roles 13:05 - When traits that are treated like problems in law can work well elsewhere 14:54 - Alex’s idea of game selection and choosing the right role for your strengths 21:08 - What Latitude partners do after leaving the practice of law 24:22 - Why business roles require ruthless prioritization 27:10 - The kind of resilience that business roles require 30:33 - How legal practice moralizes failure in a way other roles often do not 33:56 - Why a successful pivot requires knowing yourself and staying a student 36:34 - Head intelligence, instinct, and emotional intelligence in non-practicing roles 39:39 - Alex’s advice for lawyers considering a pivot to sales, business development, or business Mentioned In How Lawyers Can Rethink Their Skills for Business with Alex Su From Biglaw to Legal Tech with Alex Su Alex Su’s Substack Alex Su on LinkedIn Latitude Legal | Legal Partner Job Posting First Steps to Leaving the Law Former Lawyer Collaborative 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.

    How Lawyers Can Rethink Their Skills for Business with Alex Su
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About

Do you hate working as a lawyer? Are you an unhappy lawyer who wants to leave the law, but isn't sure what to do next? Do your family and friends think you're crazy for wanting to leave the law, or are you too afraid to tell them you don't want to be a lawyer? The Former Lawyer Podcast is for you! Each week, host Sarah Cottrell interviews a different former lawyer who has left the law behind. Hear inspiring stories about how these former lawyers are thriving and found their way to careers and lives they love.

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Cottrell
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    361
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Former Lawyer Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Former Lawyer Podcast

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