The Former Lawyer Podcast

Hosted by Sarah Cottrell

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361

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Aug 2026

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About the show

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.

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August 17, 2026Episode 31611 min

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.

August 10, 2026Episode 31517 min

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.

August 3, 202631 min

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 Bullshit 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.

July 27, 202626 min

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 Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. It’s part of a series of podcast discussions diving into the miseries of a bullshit job, and today, it’s time to dive into the third misery that comes with bullshit 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.

July 20, 202641 min

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 Bullshit 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 bullshit 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.

July 13, 202637 min

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 Bullshit 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 bullshit 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.

July 6, 202627 min

Is Being A Lawyer A Bullshit Job?

Sarah revisits the Bullshit 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 Bullshit 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 bullshit 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.

June 29, 2026Episode 31442 min

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.

June 22, 202631 min

How to Take A Mental Health Leave of Absence From Your Law Firm with Megan Nogasky

Listen, it's the summer of 2026. Everything is a dumpster fire, and there are a lot of people who have been struggling a lot with their mental health, especially in the last two years. Sarah's seen a lot of clients take mental health leave or after taking mental health leave. This episode serves as a reminder that even though it's not available to everyone, because it depends a lot on your particular employer, if it is something that your employer offers, and if you are struggling, it can be an incredibly helpful tool in your mental health toolkit. Sarah is joined by Megan Nogasky to discuss taking mental health leave, what it's like, what you can expect, and some of the things to think about when you're considering it. Show notes at https://formerlawyer.com/176 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.

June 15, 2026Episode 31312 min

Leaving the Law When You’re Already Burned Out

Leaving the law when you’re already burned out can feel impossible, because the job you need energy to escape is the same job draining all of your energy. You may understand that you need to figure out what comes next, but when you are scraping by energetically, even one more task can feel like too much. That is where a lot of burned out lawyers get stuck. They assume that if they do not have hours and hours each week, whole weekends, or a huge amount of bandwidth to put toward leaving the law, then they cannot make any real progress. But Sarah talks about why consistency matters more than massive amounts of time, especially when everything already feels hard. In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell talks about leaving the law when you are already burned out, why the process may require less weekly time than you think, how bridge jobs can create relief, and when mental health leave may be worth considering. 0:27 - Leaving the law when you are already burned out 1:09 - The question burned out lawyers ask when they know they need to figure out what comes next 3:14 - Why career change does not require five or ten hours a week 4:54 - How bridge jobs can help burned out lawyers get relief 6:51 - Why mental health leave exists and when lawyers should consider it 8:43 - What to remember if you are leaving the law while already burned out Mentioned In Leaving the Law When You’re Already Burned Out Take Mental Health Leave Of Absence From Your Law Firm Burnout In Lawyers With Ilona Salmons Signs Of Lawyer Burnout - What Lawyers Need To Know 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.