Nonlegal Careers for Lawyers [Paperback]

Gary A. Munneke (Author), William D. Henslee (Author), Ellen S. Wayne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 21, 2006

Great opportunities exist for law students and practicing lawyers outside the traditional practice of law. This important resource shows you when and how to choose a nonlegal career; the specialized skills legal training provides; how to plan and conduct a job search; and provides details on careers in business and industry, government and public service, associations and institutions, and entrepreneurial ventures. A resource section provides surveys and listings of nonlegal careers in several categories, and a listing of publishers and suggested readings on nonlegal careers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The ABA Law Practice Management Section and Law Student Division have given practicing lawyers and law students alike a valuable resource for planning and moving into a successful nonlegal career. I enthusiastically recommend it." - Robert A. Stein, Executive Director, American Bar Association" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

"Many lawyers choose to use their legal skills in key positions that don’t involve the active practice of law, including challenging roles in government, education, corporations, and even nonprofit organizations such as the American Bar Association. In this new book, the ABA Law Practice Management Section has given practicing lawyers and law students alike a valuable resource for planning and moving into a rewarding and successful nonlegal career. I enthusiastically recommend it."
– Robert A. Stein, Executive Director, American Bar Association --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: American Bar Association; 5th Edition edition (July 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590316754
• ISBN-13: 978-1590316757
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #174,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gets the Ball Rolling, March 25, 2006

By 

Kathy "Disgruntled Law Student" (Lexington, Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nonlegal Careers for Lawyers, 4th Edition (Career Series) (Paperback)

(I think three and a half stars would be a more accurate rating, but it's not an option.)
I am currently a third-year law student, in debt up to my eyballs, and after spending two summers clerking at small law firms, I realized that I do not want to become a lawyer. So how am I going to pay off my student loans??
This book was a good resource to get my mind in gear, to organize my priorities, and to begin thinking about what kind of job I'd like to have.
As it turns out, many of the careers profiled in this book are as uninteresting to me as the practice of law. Nevertheless, by the time I finished reading the book, I had a list of quite a few options to consider.
I bought this book along with another one, "The Lawyer's Career Change Handbook," which has more of a hands-on approach. Together, these books have been an invaluable resource for plotting the direction of my post-law-school life. After some background information on how to conduct a job search, how to assess one's skills, etc., "Nonlegal Careers" hightlights different types of careers, and includes little stories about people who were lawyers and ended up changing their jobs - either within the practice of law, or finding fulfilling careers outside of the law. While these little stories were cute, and a real-life application of the concepts set forth in the book, they sometimes seemed a bit fanciful, impractical, or unrealistic to me.
Other reviewers of this book and other books about non-legal careers seemed frustrated that the books don't say, "Here, Kathy, disgruntled law student, we think that you should become a teacher - and guess what? We're going to tell you how to do that without needing to get a teaching certificate, or any additional education." Of course the books don't give that kind of advice. What they are good for is making the reader think about potential options - other career paths within the law, career paths related to the law, and career paths that have nothing to do with the law. John Grisham is always listed in these books - he is an attorney, but gave up the practice of law to become an incredibly successful author. Readers of "Nonlegal Careers" need to understand that reading this book is not going to turn you into the next John Grisham. But maybe, if you are already a talented creative writer (which I most definietly am not!), the book will encourage you to investigate a career as a writer.
This book is great as a way to begin thinking about alternative careers - but it is just a begining. (And, really, it doesn't claim to be any more than that.) No book written by someone you have never met is going to be able to tell you what to do with your life! Take this book for what it is - a step in the right direction toward a fulfilling career.
"Nonlegal Careers for Lawyers" is a wondeful guide, but it might be just as useful to check it out of the library as to have it on your shelf.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars For entry level positions only, June 18, 2008

By 

Anne Masterson (CT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nonlegal Careers for Lawyers (Paperback)

This might be a good book if you are still in law school or only a few years out. However, if you have significant experience and are looking for a new career path, this book offers very little in practical advice. Additionally, for something that is addressed to lawyers (or law students) this book borders on overly simplistic reading that would not be much different than any other "how-to" guide about getting your first job. As mine arrived from Amazon damaged, it was returned the same day it came.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book, title is deceiving, terribly written, no practical guidance, February 2, 2009

By 

Susan Collyer (Manhattan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nonlegal Careers for Lawyers (Paperback)

I am a lawyer considering other career options so I purchased this book based on its title. There are no practical solutions nor is the advice specific. If I needed someone to tell me to become a ballerina or firefighter, I would ask my 3rd grade teacher. I am not a child, these are silly suggestions. What upsets me most is that I know many dissatisfied lawyers and/or people who simply wish to make a career change, and this author is making money from a book which offers no practical guidance whatsoever, no links to find the jobs it suggests and no references to help professionals find realisitic paths to pursue. And the writing is pathetic. I understand why this author never made it as a lawyer. The only thing I gathered from this book is that I could become an author and write almost anything so long as I choose the right title to lure a large population of dissatisfied professionals in. Good idea for the author, I'm sure it's a big money maker. Terrible book. I felt insulted reading such nonsense. If I could return it, I would. It's good to buy books from book stores so you can peruse them before buying.