Pathways to a Legal Career

The legal profession isn’t saturated. Litigation is. Too many lawyers feel stuck not because their degree failed them, but because they were only shown one narrow path forward. Court appearances. Chambers. Partnership. Here’s what often gets left out some of the strongest opportunities for lawyers don’t have “Lawyer” anywhere in the title. In recent months, graduate trainee and entry-level programmes across major industries have become one of the fastest ways in and many are still accepting applications. Lawyers are being recruited into: Banking and financial institutions, fintech, oil and gas, telecommunications, consulting firms, insurance companies, and regulatory bodies. These structured programmes are built to train and absorb talent, offering direct pathways into corporate, compliance, regulatory, and advisory work. Beyond trainee schemes, experienced hire roles are opening up for lawyers with skills in compliance and risk management, contracts and commercial advisory, regulatory affairs, governance, and legal operations. Here’s something worth saying clearly: walking away from litigation doesn’t mean your law degree was wasted. Legal training has value far beyond the courtroom in boardrooms, compliance units, regulatory teams, and strategy sessions. If I were speaking to a young lawyer in Nigeria today, I’d suggest: Rethink the assumption that law equals court. Keep an eye on graduate trainee programmes. Position yourself for compliance and regulatory work. Build a credible, visible LinkedIn presence. Don’t wait until you feel completely ready to explore alternatives. A law degree can lead into banking, energy, fintech, consulting, policy, and technology. But many never discover that because they stop looking before they’ve really started.

A reality check I wish someone had given me at 18 about law school… Law school doesn’t tell you this, but your only options are not barrister or solicitor. I had absolutely no idea when I was an undergrad. And honestly? Believing your future hinges on just two paths makes law school far more stressful than it needs to be, especially when everyone’s scrambling for legal work experience. A few days ago, a solicitor friend of mine and I were catching up and she said something that stuck with me: “Most people I know with law degrees aren’t even practising, and they’re doing really well.” She’s right. A law degree is one of the most transferable qualifications out there. People quietly move into other, well-paid roles all the time, they just don’t get talked about enough. Here are some of the paths you can take: Legal & Law-Adjacent: Paralegal, Legal Executive (CILEX), Legal Consultant, Compliance Officer, Risk & Governance, Contracts Manager, Policy Advisor, Regulatory Affairs Corporate & Business: Management Consulting, Company Secretary, Corporate Governance, HR (Employment Relations), Business Analyst Finance & Commercial: Compliance /AML/ Financial Crime,Investment Banking & PE (legal/regulatory teams), Insurance, Tax (non-contentious) Writing, Research & Policy: Legal Research, Journalism & Editing, Policy Research, Academia/PhD Tech & “New Law:” Legal Tech, AI Ethics & Governance, Cybersecurity Policy, Legal Operations Public Sector & NGOs: Civil Service Fast Stream, Local Government, NGOs, International Organisations If you’re studying law and feeling boxed in, you’re not behind, you may just be under-informed. A law degree doesn’t limit you, it opens doors you may not even know exist (yet). Consider them all! Happy Tuesday humans ☺️

The truth about getting your first legal job Everyone tells law graduates the same things: “Work hard.” “Fix your CV.” “Do more internships.” Yeah… all of that matters. But none of it is the real game. Here’s what actually gets you your first role in the legal industry — not the polished brochure version, but the version you only learn when you’re inside the system (or get burned by it). When you graduate, the market doesn’t see a “future lawyer.” It sees another name in a stack of 500 applications. And the job isn’t to be the best. It’s to make it impossible for them to ignore you. 1/Start by understanding the landscape. “Law” isn’t one big door — it’s 20 different doors, and each one requires a different key. Corporate law, litigation, family, compliance, in-house, regulatory… they don’t look for the same traits. Juniors often waste years applying everywhere, instead of figuring out where they actually want to go. 2/Your experience matters more than your GPA — but not because firms “value experience.” No. It’s because experience gives you evidence. Anyone can claim they’re detail-oriented and hard-working. Show me you handled a real client, a real problem, a real deadline — that moves you to the top of the pile. 3/And your CV? It’s not a biography. It’s a pitch. If your CV can be sent to 50 firms without changing a word, then it’s not a CV — it’s a template. Tailor it. Shape it. Make it look like you actually know what that firm does. 4/Networking isn’t optional either — especially in law. People pretend it is because it feels uncomfortable. But here’s a secret nobody likes to say out loud: the legal industry runs on relationships long before it runs on merit. Your LinkedIn, your mentors, your alumni, your side connections — those will open doors faster than any online portal. 5/Interviews? They’re not testing your legal knowledge. They’re testing whether they can trust you in a room with their clients. Whether you panic. Whether you speak like a human or like a textbook having a meltdown. Whether you can hold yourself. 6/And here’s the part grads hate the most: You need persistence. Not the motivational-poster kind — the ugly kind. Rejections. Waiting. More rejections. Doubting yourself. Fixing your CV again. Sending the 41st application when the first 40 got ignored. The people who land offers aren’t always the smartest. They’re the ones who didn’t emotionally collapse after week 3. 7/Finally — be flexible. Your first legal role doesn’t have to be your forever role. Compliance, legal ops, contract work, in-house — these paths build skills that make you a monster candidate later. Law isn’t a ladder anymore. It’s a maze. Learn to move with strategy, not ego. If you’re a new graduate: You’re not late. You’re not behind. You’re not invisible. You just need a plan that actually matches the reality of the industry — not the fantasy they taught you in school. And trust me: Once you break in, everything becomes easier.

Having made the outside/inside/inside/outside move twice in my career, here are 7 factors to consider before making either move. 1. Start with Your Why. If you're attracted to working inside a business, helping shape strategy, and learning how companies actually operate, in-house could be a powerful step forward. If you're running from billable hours, partnership pressure, or toxic firm culture—be careful. You might solve one problem only to find yourself with a different one. The grass isn’t greener. It’s just different grass. 2. How Do You Like to Work? Do you like deep dives into highly technical areas of law? Do you thrive on being the expert in the room? If so, law firm life might feed your soul. OR: Do you enjoy being part of a cross-functional team? Do you get satisfaction from building solutions that blend legal advice with business practicality? If so, in-house life might light you up in ways a firm never could. 3. What Kind of Visibility and Recognition Do You Want? In a firm: You bill. You win. You’re promoted. Recognition comes from peers, clients, rankings, and revenue. In-house: Success often looks like a problem that never became a crisis. In-house, you often win quietly. 4. What’s Your Appetite for Risk and Ambiguity? In a firm: The path is relatively structured. Associate/Counsel/Partner In-house: Your future is tied to the company’s fortunes—and to the politics inside. 5. How Important Is Work-Life Balance? Law firm life: Client emergencies dictate your schedule. Long nights, weekends, and unpredictable travel are part of the deal—especially if you're on the partner track. In-house life: You're company is your only client. But balance depends on industry and culture: Some companies can be just as intense as a firm especially during major transactions, investigations, or quarterly earnings seasons. 6. Do You Want to Be a Lawyer—or a Businessperson Who Happens to Be a Lawyer? Firm lawyers are prized for legal expertise. In-house lawyers are prized for business judgment. If you're excited about learning the business and becoming a true strategic partner, in-house could be transformational for your career. If you want to be a purely technical expert without business pressures, firm life might be more satisfying. 7. Are You Ready for the Compensation Tradeoffs? Law Firm Compensation: If you're at a top firm, your salary, bonus, and potential for partnership can be very lucrative. Increases are often formulaic and predictable. In-House Compensation: Base salaries are often lower than what you'd make at a top firm. Bonuses are tied to company and personal performance (and can vary wildly year-to-year). Equity can be a game-changer at high-growth companies—or worth little at a struggling one. Final Thought: Changing roles is not just a career move. It’s a personal transformation. No path is perfect. But when you choose intentionally, you give yourself a shot at real, lasting success.

Law students, It's natural to assume that you will go to law school and that law firms and government agencies will come looking to hire you. And, for some, that is exactly what happens. But for the vast majority of law students, OCI's are not the path to a job. So, how do you find a job in the law? I've been studying the legal market for over 25 years. Here are three conclusions I have drawn - and I wish I'd understood all three back in law school. 1. Most legal jobs are hidden. Most law firms do not have an HR department. They don't advertise their positions. In order to know if a firm is hiring, you need access to the hidden job market. This occurs by building relationships (commonly called networking). And relationships get you jobs. Period. 2. Some of the most fun legal jobs that a lawyer can have right out of law school are with local, county, and state agencies. I'm not overlooking federal agencies. But federal agencies are well known. Yet some exciting, challenging, and career building opportunities exist at the local, county, and state level - in all types of law. 3. You need to push yourself to see the various practice areas at work. Assumptions are often wrong. As an example, many people think that trial work or litigation is what they want to do. Yet when they get into such jobs, they decide it isn't the area they want to work in, nor is it the lifestyle they want (Nothing wrong with that at all). Law school won't expose you to practice areas, except for clinics. But you can find exposure by going to court, going to CLE's, and talking to adjuncts who practice in different areas. Don't be shy! You'll find most lawyers are happy to share with you the unvarnished truth of their chosen practice areas. Three things that if I'd know in law school would have helped me beyond measure. All three tips are free. They cost you only time, effort, and consistency. #lawstudents

Most lawyers follow established career paths. Privacy lawyers are creating entirely new ones. This is Path 3 of my privacy career series - the Privacy Legal & Regulatory path and it’s creating some of the fastest-growing legal specializations of our generation. Here’s the opportunity: Privacy legal work has become a field where you can build entirely new types of legal careers. THE FIELD THAT BUILT ITSELF Unlike saturated practice areas with decades of established precedent, privacy law is still writing its playbook. Corporate legal teams, established law firms building dedicated privacy practices, and new boutique firms specializing in data protection are all actively seeking privacy professionals to navigate evolving regulations. You're not just practicing law - you're defining what privacy legal practice even means. The lawyers who recognized this early? They're not following career paths - they're creating them. FROM LAW SCHOOL TO BOUTIQUE FIRM FOUNDER I watched this transformation happen with someone who started with zero privacy experience: → Landed a summer internship at a data analytics company’s legal privacy team after law school → Discovered she loved the intersection of law, technology, and business strategy → Joined a large firm’s emerging privacy practice as an associate → Developed specialized expertise in startup privacy compliance and M&A due diligence → Launched her own boutique privacy firm focusing exclusively on tech startups → Now advises on complex privacy aspects of venture funding and acquisitions What made her trajectory possible wasn’t just legal skills - it was recognizing that privacy law offered the rare opportunity to build a practice around emerging needs rather than following established precedent. SKILLS THAT MATTER The privacy lawyers building lasting careers aren't regulation memorizers. They're: → Regulatory relationship builders - They understand how agencies actually operate → Business translators - They turn legal requirements into executable guidance → Trend anticipators - They see regulatory shifts before they hit → Cross-functional communicators - They speak engineer, marketer, AND lawyer THE CHALLENGES I've seen this path demand more than a lot of legal areas: → Constant evolution - Privacy law changes faster than almost any practice area → Intellectual isolation - You're often the only person who fully grasps the complexity → Gray area navigation - Regulators don't always have clear answers either BUT HERE'S WHAT YOU GET Something most legal careers lack: the opportunity to build expertise in a field that is still defining itself. Question for the privacy legal community: For those who've been in privacy legal work for a while - what's the biggest shift you've seen in how organizations approach privacy lawyers' role? (Next up in the series: Privacy Consulting).

How Should a Law Student Decide What Kind of Lawyer to Become? Let’s start with the uncomfortable truth: the legal job market is tight. What you want isn’t always what you can get. Many law students graduate with debt and few offers. Entry-level jobs are scarce, and they’re competing not only with classmates, but with experienced laterals. So what happens? They take the job that’s available—not necessarily the one that’s right for them. Students with top grades tend to get offers from larger firms or clerkships with federal judges and state Supreme Court justices. These firms usually focus on civil litigation, corporate work, estate planning, or bankruptcy. These are prestigious jobs—but also the hardest to get. Students with solid but not top-tier grades often land at midsize firms, especially in insurance defense—where the hours are long and the billing rates are low. Other graduates pursue government work, such as with the district attorney or attorney general’s office. Still others take jobs in highly specialized practices like personal injury, divorce, or debtor-side bankruptcy. What’s missing from nearly all of these paths? Fit. Few law students are encouraged to stop and ask: What kind of law matches who I am? That’s where personality testing comes in. Many Fortune 500 companies—especially those hiring elite talent—use personality assessments because they’re highly predictive of professional success. These tests don’t just measure preferences. They can reveal mental hardwiring that aligns with certain skills, environments, and even stress tolerance. Law students should treat them as a legitimate tool for long-term career planning. And here’s the most critical advice: Find a mentor. A real one. Someone who takes a personal interest in your growth and well-being. Mentorship—not money—is often the key to a long, rewarding legal career. Yes, income matters. But in the end, fit and guidance are what keep you in the game.

There isn’t one path into climate law. There are 4. After interviewing 10 climate lawyers, here’s what I actually see working: 1. The “Transfer Your Skills” Path This is the most common—and the most overlooked. You don’t need to start over. You don’t need a new degree. You take what you already do… and apply it in a climate context. Real estate → renewable energy Construction → sustainable development Corporate → ESG Same skills. Different clients. 2. The “Pro Bono → Practice Area” Path This is how a lot of climate careers quietly start. You take on one pro bono matter. Then another. Then suddenly… it’s part of your practice. No permission required. 3. The “Self-Education + Signal” Path Most people stop at “learn.” The ones who move forward signal. They write. They post. They engage publicly. And that visibility turns into conversations… which turn into opportunities. 4. The “Build Your Own Role” Path No job posting? Good. That just means you have to be more creative. Pitch the work. Expand your scope. Create something new. Yes, it’s uncomfortable. That’s kind of the point. Same destination. Very different ways of getting there. Here’s the shift that matters: There is no single gate into climate law. There are dozens of side doors. Most people just never try to open them. The better question is: Which door are you going to open?

When Azade finished her PhD in her neuroscience program, she knew she wanted to do something different. That’s when she headed over to the tech transfer office of her university and applied for a role as a tech transfer associate. She had previously worked with a university tech transfer office, which helped her build key connections within that space and land the job. After that role, she pursued patent scientist roles at law firms, and later the patent bar, to become a registered US patent agent. Ever since, she has been integrally involved in drafting and prosecuting patent applications as an in-house patent agent, and independently as a consultant. She’s done all of this with a PhD, meaning that law school was not a requirement for her. When I asked Azade what types of paths someone could take in the patenting field, there were four main tracks, only one of which required a JD: -Patent Agent: (STEM degree + patent bar) -Patent Attorney: (JD/law school required) -Patent Examiner (STEM degree) -Tech Transfer Professional (STEM degree) She emphasized that all of the above roles can offer good entry points into IP work, depending on the goals of the individual. For Azade, the tech transfer route was the most attractive entry point because it provided the level of exposure and experience to IP and licensing deals that positioned her for a patent agent role she passed the Patent Bar. But what does a day in the life of a patenting agent look like? For in-house patent agent roles, here's what you can expect: -Updates from R&D teams to capture new inventions -Review of invention disclosure documentation -Patent strategy and patent applications discussions -Portfolio management and renewal filings -Coordination with outside counsel for prosecution -Budgeting and forecasting for legal costs -Communication with executive leadership -Educating R&D about IP basics and company policy The beauty of this track is that you can work for biopharma, law firms, universities, or the government (USPTO). Azade generously provided some resources for those who are interested in learning more. The Patent Bar The exam: https://lnkd.in/gU_NdW-z Training courses: https://lnkd.in/gya6Xm9C Professional Associations AIPLA: https://www.aipla.org/ NAPP: https://napp.org/ AUTM: https://autm.net/ IP News: IP Watchdog: https://ipwatchdog.com/ Patently-O: https://patentlyo.com/ Big thank you to Azade for volunteering her time and educating the Trulitica Community on what this career path looks like. To watch the full episode and download the slide deck, join the Trulitica Community (link in comments).

Reflecting on a recent conversation with an impressive attorney candidate who, after five years at a large firm, found herself at a professional crossroads, I felt inspired to share some insights. She expressed uncertainty about her next career steps and sought advice on leveraging her legal education and skills in a non-traditional attorney role. Having faced a similar question myself a little over two years ago, I was eager to share my experiences and insights, which I now share here in hopes that it is helpful for other attorneys contemplating non-traditional roles. First, I recommend taking stock of your strengths and recalling professional experiences that brought you joy, excitement, and fulfillment. For me, working at an amazing non-profit (Volunteer Lawyers for Justice) as a Staff Attorney involved triaging legal issues and recruiting attorneys from law firms and corporations to take on pro bono educational law, divorce, and trafficking cases. Additionally, I enjoyed training and collaborating with law, medical, and social work students at Rutgers Law School's Education and Juvenile Justice Clinics when I worked as a Staff Attorney there, which influenced my decision to explore non-traditional legal jobs like academia and recruiting after eight years of practicing law. In academia, attorneys can work in career services or admissions at a law school. Those with impressive academic credentials and an interest in teaching might consider becoming full-time tenure-track or adjunct professors in law school or college. Another avenue is assisting aspiring law students with the admissions process, either by working for a company or starting their own consulting service. Another alternative is to work as a Pro Bono Manager for a firm, especially if you have experience handling pro bono work or come from a non-profit background. Alternatively, consider a role as a Legal Recruiter in-house for a law firm, corporation, or a staffing agency like Robert Half. As with any change in life, one has to be willing to take a chance, and there is always an inherent risk that the alternative may not be perfectly aligned with the expectations and desires. However, there is also an incredible reward if you find a role that aligns with your strengths, experience, professional and personal values, and that you find fulfilling. The above are just a few options I explored during my own career crossroads. If you've successfully pivoted to a non-traditional legal role, please share your experience in the comments. Your insights could help others facing similar dilemmas.