Weddingbee boards

Hi bees!

So, I'm in my third year of law school, preparing to take the CA bar exam, and I just can't see myself "practicing" law.  I have worked in a civil litigation office while in law school, and did a summer at the Capitol, drafting legislation.  I'm definitely leaning more towards the government work, but I'm just not feeling terribly excited about any of it right now. 

Do any of you bees who are attorneys have a "non-traditional" legal career or do you know someone who has undergone a career change?

I'm basically just looking for ideas so I know what ground to cover while job hunting!  I'm hoping that I can find sommething a little bit outside of the box that will make me happy. 

Thanks!

@pb and j:  That sounds incredible!  I'm also applying to lots of positions in DC (I'm currently in San Diego).  That is kind've the path that I'm hoping to take.  That or become a wedding planner ; )

Hello Fellow 3L Bee!

I'm taking the Colorado bar.  I sometimes feel that way about practicing law.  I really want to do estate planning, but that seems to be everyone's fall back (like if I can't find another job, I can always write wills).  I actually want to do it full time.

Have you thought about being a law librarian?  If I didn't already have an MA, I would go back to library school (it was a toss up between library school and law school when I decided to go back).

What about being a law clerk for a judge?  I'm interning with a judge right now, and I love it.

They do an "alternative" career panel at our school every year, and usually the whole panel is filled with our librarians.  Last year, they had a guy who became a priest after law school (which seemed like a really strange person to put on the panel...I mean, you kind of have to have a calling for that kind of work).  One that really interested me was a woman who worked for an adoption agency.

I'm actually hoping to work for a Legal Aid type place for a few years so I can be exposed to a bunch of different areas of law to find something that clicks for me.

I know what I don't want to do...Tort law.  I spent all summer doing tort law, and I hated every second of it.

I definitely know where you're coming from, though!

@buttontoes:  I'm doing tort law right now......like literally at this very moment I am sitting in my office thinking to myself "I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS!"  So I know what you mean!

I am definitely not a librarian type, but I have thought about working in Student Services or Career services later. 

Good luck!

@LeahP:  My name is Leah, too!  That's so funny that we're both 3Ls, both hate tort law, and we are both named Leah.

I definitely had most of my thoughts about not wanting to actually practice law this summer while I was working at that firm.  Don't get me wrong, my bosses were amazing, but I just can't picture myself doing it.  It's not for me.  I bet if you find a good fit for you, you won't mind actually practicing law.

I'd love to go work for the EPA and do environmental law, but I don't have a science background.

I imagine that I'll end up teaching legal writing some day.  I have an MA in English, and I wanted to be a English professor.  That fell through, so I went to law school.

@buttontoes:  Wow!  That is crazy!  What state are you in?  I know, working for the EPA would be cool.  I hope to teach someday too, but probably college level.  I'm not so sure I want to do anything law related right now!  (Maybe that's because I'm having a crappy day at work and honestly, the thought of doing this for the rest of my life is really dragging me down!)

I'm in Florida for school, but I'm from Michigan.  We decided on Colorado because FI is a chef, and Denver/Boulder are hot cities for up and comers in the restaurant world.  I didn't really care where we went as long as it wasn't South Dakota.

I graduated from law school last year took/passed the bar and am now a wedding photographer :)

I started the business on the side while in law school and while studying for the bar realized that's what I really wanted to do.  The economy was in such a terrible state when we graduated that finding a legal job was really hard for me, even with really good summer job experience.

I decided to follow my passion and have never looked back!

The upside of government work is that (in most cases) you have fairly set hours and great benefits.  There's also the option of repaying loans that's attractive :)

@HoffmanE:  I just applied to this program yesterday!  I've had my eye on it for the past two years, and hope for the best.  I know how competitive it is, but here's to hoping!