The Lawyer's Escape Pod

Geoffrey Stein leaves litigation to become a portrait artist

Geoffrey Stein is a litigator turned portrait artist. Geoffrey initially went into the law because it was something reasonably stable to do with a liberal arts degree. Although he wasn’t passionate about it, he found himself at the top of his class and going down the standard firm route. He practiced in a few different arenas, while trying to incorporate more and more of his long-standing love for art. Eventually he decided to go all-in and leave the law to be a full time painter.

In this episode we discuss:

• Art was always a part of Geoffrey’s life
• Geoffrey knew that big law wasn’t for him
• Geoffrey tried to combine his practice with his interest in art for many years
• Eventually Geoffrey went all in on his art career
• It was a gradual process to identify fully as a painter, not a lawyer

Lawyers’s Escape Call: http://bit.ly/escapecall 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megansmileyesq 

 

Geoffrey’s Website: https://www.geoffreystein.com/

Illegal Design: Why your strengths, not skills, are the key to fulfilling work

In today's episode I talk about identifying your unique strengths through the Clifton StrengthsFinder test, and why this will be more useful in helping you identify next steps than just trying to repackage your skills.

 

Lawyers’s Escape Call: http://bit.ly/escapecall 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megansmileyesq

Alli Elmunzer transitions from traditional practice to photography to running her own firm

Alli Elmunzer is the Attorney & Founder of Influencer Legal, a virtual law firm helping entrepreneurs navigate the legal side of online business. Alli started her career in commercial real estate. But after becoming quickly disillusioned, she left to be a wedding photographer. Alli was a photographer for 6 years. During that time, she also helped other creative business owners with legal issues on the side. She found that the legal work, done on her terms, was a good fit. She is now able to run her law practice the way that suits her and still be immersed in the world of entrepreneurship that she loves.

• Alli was pretty clear from the beginning that she wasn’t happy in firm life
• In the process of planning a wedding, Alli fell in love with photography
• Alli initially gained experience by offering to work for photographers for free  
• She was able to build her business before quitting
• As life evolved, she didn’t want to work on the weekends and started considering another pivot
• She was able to jump back into practice helping other creative business owners 
• Alli considers herself a lawyer-entrepreneur 
• Working for herself makes all the difference
• The traditional law industry is so antiquated, it’s become a bad fit for more people  

Lawyer’s Escape Call: http://bit.ly/escapecall 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megansmileyesq 

Alli’s Website: https://www.influencerlegal.co/

Illegal Design: What Google Knows About Designing For Happiness

In this episode, I talk about how big tech companies know that well-designed spaces can reduce stress, improve cognitive function, and enhance mood, creativity, and productivity. They go to great lengths to incorporate this knowledge into their office space.

I also give a few tips on how you can leverage this information to get some of these same benefits, even when you work in a boring gray box.

Stacey Wang leaves BigLaw litigation for the start-up world

Stacey Wang is the Director of Product Marketing at Ironclad, Inc. Stacey went from Harvard Law to being a BigLaw litigator, along the traditional path. But a few years in, she started to feel unfulfilled and started assessing what, specifically, wasn’t working for her. She realized that the practice of law was stifling her creativity. She also had an epiphany that you only live once, so she better make it count. So, she pushed past the identity crisis and fear and landed a job at a start-up. From there, she’s been building a career in start-ups that she loves.

 

In this episode, we discuss: 

• Stacey reflects on how her experience in the early years of practice were colored by being very young
• You can be dissatisfied in law even if you don’t have horror stories
• She felt like her creativity was stifled
• Her identity as a lawyer and the weight of her loans held her back for a little while
• Stacey ultimately reframed things and realized she was more concerned about losing time than the financial challenges
• Stacey used the Designing Your Life book exercises for self-observation and discovery
• She found a start-up company she liked and then applied to an open job she thought she could fit into
• The key is knowing you can learn quickly. If so, you’ll be fine in any new position
• Don’t just jump into the next thing without the reflection on who you are and what you’re really looking for

Illegal Design: Leaving Law made Fun Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/leavinglawmadefun 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megansmileyesq 

Illegal Design: Surround Yourself with Bad Influences (i.e. non-lawyers)

In today's episode I talk about the importance of broadening your circle of influence. If you're always surrounded by lawyers sticking to the traditional path, it's going to continue to make it hard to see different perspectives and opportunities. So, spend time with people who expand your world, not limit it.

 

Leaving Law Made Fun Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/leavinglawmadefun

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megansmileyesq

Amy Impellizzeri leaves big law to become a novelist

Amy Impellizzeri is a former big law corporate litigator who leveraged a sabbatical opportunity to do freelance writing for a  start-up publisher. She then permanently left practice to lean into her interest in writing and is now, as she says, a writer who used to be a lawyer rather than a lawyer who writes. She’s published 5 fiction novels and one non-fiction book, “Lawyer Interrupted”. In 2022, “How to Leave the Law”, her second non-fiction book with co-Author Liz Brown, will be released.

We have a great conversation about creativity, limiting beliefs, and prioritizing taking the time for exploration. For anyone who has thought about chucking it all to become a writer, I think you’ll love this interview.

 

In this episode we discuss:

• Amy started in a smaller law firm, then moved to big law for a decade thinking that’s what you do if you have the chance
• Having kids was a respite from a grueling practice
• Amy was offered a 1 year sabbatical offer during the great recession 
• Amy used the year to gain clarity on her next step
• Amy did freelance writing for a start-up publisher
• Law is basically designed to stamp out your creative and innovative sides
• Amy reconnected with her interest in writing
• A legal background helps you in so many business ventures
• Craft exit plan by spending a year of intentional exploration
• You have time - you just have to draw boundaries and take it

 

Illegal Design Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/illegaldesign

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megansmileyinteriors/ 

Amy’s Website: https://www.amyimpellizzeri.com/

Illegal Design:3 Reasons Play Is Not Just For Kids

In today's episode I talk about 3 reasons why you should prioritize play in your life: 

• Calms the mind
• Sparks creativity
• Connects you to what you enjoy doing

I also talk about the 4 main types of play:

• Physical
• Ritual
• Imaginative
• Discovery

Illegal Design Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/illegaldesign

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megansmileyinteriors/ 

Vanessa Perlman finds her flow between a freelance legal career and a travel business

Vanessa Perlman is a corporate attorney and has mixed freelance legal work with running her own travel business. She gives us a great example of how building a career isn’t an all-or-nothing endeavor. You can mix and match. You can go back and forth. You can do what makes most sense for each season of your life. As lawyers, we often put so much pressure on making a change, and Vanessa shows us that we can lighten up on ourselves a bit and it will still all work out.

• Vanessa ended up doing freelance legal work
• Freelance work opened up time and space to start a travel business 
• Vanessa incorporated her interests by including a global health philanthropic element in her travel business
• You don’t have to be all or nothing in your approach to exploring your interests
• Vanessa has balanced exploring different career options with the reality that she’s her own sole breadwinner  
• It’s ok if something ends up not working - it’s all still a worthwhile experiment 
• Let go or be dragged

Illegal Design Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/illegaldesign

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megansmileyinteriors/

Kim Nicol leaves practice to become a mindfulness and leadership coach

Kim Nicol is a lawyer turned mindfulness and leadership coach. Kim tells us about how she explored her natural interests and that took her into a new field. It was scary, but also enlightening to realize that people actually make money outside of the legal and corporate world. Kim has created a portfolio career for herself. Among other things, she specifically works with lawyers on wellness and mindfulness. It can be an important tool to calm your brain long enough to get clarity on whether you hate practice or just hate your environment. Kim is a great example of someone who’s found work that really aligns with her personality and strengths. And she gives us some hope about managing the stresses of being a lawyer. 

In today’s episode we discuss:

• Being good as a litigator was going to run against Kim’s natural grain
• Being a lawyer is like becoming a professional pessimist...possibly negative
• Competition isn’t a natural strength for everyone
• Kim initially landed in legal publishing 
• The next career pivot was the scary part for Kim
• Kim’s interest in mindfulness, yoga, and fitness guided her next steps
• Kim realized people make money outside the legal/corporate world
• Kim’s curiosity and confidence combined into courage
• We have the skill of advocacy, we need to start advocating for ourselves
• Kim has created a portfolio career of mindfulness, leadership, and life coaching
• Kim specifically teaches continuing legal education on wellness and mindfulness

Illegal Design Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/illegaldesign 

Kim’s upcoming CLE: https://www.lawline.com/course/the-role-of-attorney-wellbeing-in-your-legal-practice

Kim’s Website: https://kimnicol.com/