Power Of Attorney: Not Happy Hour At The Bar: Still More Alternative Jobs for Lawyers

Power Of Attorney: Not Happy Hour At The Bar: Still More Alternative Jobs for Lawyers

Now I know that some of you are looking on the sly because you fear being perceived as ungrateful since many consider you "lucky" to be among the employed. Others of course are not so circumspect because like you they wish to find a way to earn a living outside of law. On the other hand unlike you they have probably been dumped laid off, blown off, downsized or reduced to pursuits hitherto considered embarrassing. Regardless of the reason, I aim to satisfy your urge to explore more ideas for alternative jobs for lawyers.

Alternative jobs

• Interior Decorator: How many of you take pleasure in decorating your space? Whether its your work space, study or home office, some of you have displayed unbridled creativity as you engaged in this activity. Now come on don't express surprise at lawyer's creative talents. Who do you think devised those attractive contracts or ingenious defenses (depending on the angle from which you are looking of course)? If you think you can't make a living being creative, banish the thought as you take a look at this Censational part time attorney and this internationally renowned designer/former lawyer.
  

• Educator: With the skills you learned and honed in the courtroom don't you think you could condition the minds of some lawyer wanna bees or paralegals or high schools students in a positive way? You have many options here (community college, law school, night school, high school, CLE, LSAT) although depending on your choice you may have to get certification. My son's high school teacher was a lawyer who in addition to using his expertise to impart his knowledge of ethics and philosophy to youngsters, trained the school debating team. So too was this former asst. district attorney and senior vice president at Merrill Lynch.

• Political Scientist/Analyst: How many of you studied political science before entering law school? I bet there are quite a few. Even if you didn't, how many of you are sensitive to current events, workplace issues, work/life balance concerns etc.? Or how many of you have something else to say in this politically charged climate? While you may not want to jump on thelawyer turned politician train, you could transform that sensitivity and political awareness into a new career. Make your opinions known. Write letters to your local newspaper, guest columns for online magazines or blogs, articles in ezines or even a book. Call talk radio or make your own video blogs and let your name be known ,your voice be heard and hopefully a new job be offered.

• Marketing Professional: Those of you who have worked in law firms (big or small) or as sole practitions know the value that is placed on soliciting new business. Marketing is key to building a law practice and while some of you might find it burdensome (you just want to do the work and go homw) others have a knack and love for it so much so they claim to only work 3 days per week. This has very broad potential you can actually have the freedom of leaving your law firm and still having a relationship with them by offering your marketing talents or you can leave completely and become a full time network marketer.
  

• E-business Owner: Lots of you out there have been dreaming about having a business that you can run from home with no overheads, employees or boss to contend with. The E-business option is ideal for this. You may be racking your brains trying to figure out what kind of business you could venture in and succeed. You may have heard horror stories of trying to navigate the online world, of learning the myteries of SEO and of getting virtually no traffic. On the other hand you may already have a website or blog and haven't really treated it as a potential money earner. This could be a mistake as there are enough success stories and reputable businesses that could allow you to achieve your dream. With the right tools and attitude you can turn your hobby, your interests or even your area of specialty into a profitable and relatively stress-free work from home business.
  

Now with all the hours of learning to which you lawyers have subjected yourselves surely you recognize that you are among the most educable people on the planet. The above merely represents areas into which lawyers have transitioned successfully because they had the necessary drive, ambition, know how, support and will. You can do it, you already have the basic skills it is up to you to use them.