Alternative Legal Careers

The process of change begins so simply, often in the midst of the most mundane activities. Perhaps this has happened to you: You’re writing the date on a check, when it suddenly hits you what year it is. 2008? How did so much time pass without your realizing it? Maybe somewhere in the back of your mind you had the vague notion that time was holding steady at around 2005 rather than hurtling toward the close of the first decade of the 21st century, and that there’s still plenty of time before your kids start college.

Then the real questions begin. “What have I been doing while the days turned to years, and is it what I want to be doing? Is this the career I envisioned for myself when I started law school?” For those who are so inclined, these questions can prompt a re-examination of one’s career path and reawaken forgotten career goals and interests.

The routines and obligations of everyday life can exert a powerful influence over the decisions people make, but as time goes by those obligations and pressures change, and then it might be time to evaluate professional goals again. Perhaps one’s skills are needed elsewhere, or the marketplace has changed, or networking among one’s peers has unearthed an exciting opportunity. Luckily, a law degree is highly versatile and affords graduates mobility among a wide range of professions in a way that other degrees do not. Not only is there a vast array of specialties within the practice of law, but the degree also opens doors to other professions as well.

Anne Hensley, who is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri and has worked as a career counselor in the Career Services Office at the law school for 17 years, says that any career is open to someone with a J.D. degree. That fact can be somewhat overwhelming to someone considering a job change, but usually that person already has an idea of what he or she would like to do next. In her chapter for the book Perspectives on Career Services, she writes, “My experience has been that many people may know intuitively what it is they want to do, but for a variety of reasons are fearful of pursuing their interests or dreams.”

The “what” of changing jobs or careers is not nearly as important as the “who.” Hensley says that someone considering a new career path must address these three questions: Who am I? What is out there that will fit my needs? And, how do I market myself? Unfortunately, “people skip the first two questions and go straight to the third without taking time out to ask the first two, even after several job changes.” Most people already realize the importance of networking, creating a flawless and professional resume, and rehearsing the interview questions. According to Hensley, however, few of them “give any thought to what really will make them satisfied in the workplace.”

In order to improve the chances of career satisfaction, one must first undertake the process of self-examination. Lawyers are trained to analyze complex issues, so they can use those same analytical skills to consider the next step in their careers.

Frequently, lawyers exploring their many career options find that their law degree can be combined with a passion that predates their time in law school. Abdul Hakim Shabazz, ’03, said that he “always loved doing things that involve having an audience—theater, stand-up comedy, broadcasting.” He has been in broadcasting in various capacities since 1991, and he is now the morning show host on WXNT-AM and does editorials and commentary for WRTV-TV, both in Indianapolis, in addition to teaching at the University of Indianapolis and Ivy Tech Community College and being of counsel at John, Lewis And Wilkins LLP. It is safe to say, however, that broadcasting—or more specifically, communicating with the public—is his true calling.

His career is an example of how flexible a law degree is, enabling the graduate to enter fields that he or she wouldn’t immediately associate with the law. “I have never been a big fan of sitting behind a desk going through boxes of discovery. Doing talk radio and teaching give me a chance to reach and impact people in a way that ‘traditional’ lawyering never could. I also get a chance to have more immediate influence in my community.” Local issues are typically the topic of discussion on his radio show, and thanks to his law school training, he has also knows how to “figure out legislative proposals, dissect legal opinions and understand court matters.”

Grant Chapman, ’92, is another alumnus who used the J.D. degree to further his career goals rather than have it determine them. Chapman is the associate vice president of academic affairs and director for international programs at Webster University and was just recently awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to visit Japan and learn about its higher education institutions. As a result of having grown up overseas and having been educated internationally, he says he has always been “fascinated with the role study abroad and international studies play with regard to international education.” He pursued a dual degree while at SLU, combining an M.A. in Public Administration with the J.D. He was a legal intern with the Legal Clinics and with a real estate title company during law school, and after graduation he eventually returned to his first love: academia. “I really enjoy the atmosphere and environment of higher educational institutions, particularly those involved with global educational initiatives.”

One of the most important aspects of a legal education—and the reason is it such a strong foundation for a successful career—is the set of transferable skills that graduates can use throughout their professional lives, wherever they may lead. Shabazz agrees, saying, “the skills that make you a good lawyer make you good at other things. It’s your analytical ability, communication skills and ability to connect the dots in a way non-lawyers can’t that make lawyers valuable to an employer.” Chapman echoes this belief as well. “Law school is a wonderful preparation for all sorts of careers. I use skills developed at law school every day in my current profession. The research, written and oral argumentation and advocacy skills I learned prepared me for grant writing, administrative decision-making, negotiating and forming international academic partnerships, and evaluating the risks of international programs.”

Sometimes those skills are put to use in unexpected ways far from a mainstream practice. After a successful 25-year career in employment benefits and ERISA practice at private firms and at Anheuser-Busch, Jackie Johnson, ’80, says she was pulled in another direction. Seventeen years ago, she and her husband bought 300 acres of land in St. Genevieve to use for camping. What began with her husband’s planting of a few grapevines as a fun experiment is now Chaumette Winery, Johnson’s second career. They produced their first bottle of wine in 1997. The vineyard and surrounding acreage now feature a chapel, restaurant, a full-service spa, private label chocolates and a vacation home development.

Her experience is not that unusual; many lawyers become highly successful entrepreneurs. Though she truly enjoyed her legal career, Johnson said she has “always liked being more entrepreneurial and creative.” While in corporate practice, she satisfied this need for creativity by participating in the decision-making process and presenting ideas and proposals to senior management. Now, the winery gives her myriad opportunities to use her imagination and satisfy the creative urge, from picking the towel colors for the spa to designing the layout of the vacation villas. This is not to say, however, that she no longer uses her legal training—far from it.

“I understand the regulations that affect our industry, I can write our own contracts, figure the payroll taxes and set up all the bookkeeping, I know how to create the right documents,” she explains. Her background in employment law and understanding of real estate law also benefit the rapidly expanding business. Like the other alumni we spoke to, she believes that a law degree is “a wonderful preparation for any type of business career because you understand the legal frameworks and regulatory bodies of your business, even if you never practice.”

“Remember, most people will switch careers several times before they retire. The law profession is not different,” says Chapman. Christine Durbin, ’93, echoes that statement. “I think one’s personal career path materializes and evolves over time into the best fit.” She should know: She began with an undergraduate degree in nursing and later earned her J.D. and finished her Ph.D. in nursing in December 2007. “Working out the mechanisms to function in both disciplines has been a challenge. Luckily, I’ve found a job teaching nursing and health law, and I do some pro bono law work on the side.”

She currently is a nursing faculty member at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville and the Director of Community Nursing Services.

As the experiences of these alumni illustrate, a legal career can be molded to fit the demands and aspirations of each individual. Whether your dream is becoming partner, entering politics, teaching law students or starting your own business, the foundation of the dream is your degree. With a law degree, you’re already halfway to your next professional destination.

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Services to Guide Your Career

In the beginning there is law school, and a host of choices for students to consider as they start their law careers. Fortunately, the Career Services Office staff and law school faculty are there to help.

To assist students—and alumni who come back to her for guidance—with realizing their ideal work situation, Hensley administers the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and/or the Strong Interest Inventory, which are assessments of personal preferences and styles of thinking and decision-making. The key to the success of these assessment tools is how honest the taker is when responding to the questionnaire. Hensley says that sometimes people “are afraid the assessments will show they’re not supposed to be a lawyer, so they will skew answers.”
Fortunately, that fear is usually unfounded. These assessments to do not explicitly state what career someone should or should not pursue. For example, if a lawyer is dissatisfied practicing the law even though when she was a law student she thought she would love it, the reason may be that she simply is in the wrong area of practice for her particular personality type. This is where self-assessment and the knowledge of one’s preferences are invaluable. For instance, if the Myers-Briggs results reveal that a person prefers to work with logical, concrete facts and likes tasks with definite closure, then long-range planning and having several open-ended cases on one’s plate may not be the right fit professionally. “If we work against our grain,” Hensley says, “we won’t be happy.”

One of the benefits of having Hensley interpret the results of the Myers-Briggs inventory and the Strong Interest Inventory is that, using the latest research into job satisfaction among lawyers, she can explain how different personality types translate into areas of practice and even adaptive strategies for overcoming work environments that aren’t compatible with a particular personality type.

The law school offers various programs that give current students the best possible chance for a fulfilling law career. The “Thursdays at Noon” series sponsored by Career Services allows students to hear from practitioners in different areas of the law. In addition, Professors Amany Hacking, Barbara Gilchrist and John Ammann bring together a diverse panel of practicing lawyers every semester so that their students can gain insight into the many different types of law careers. The most recent panel featured Kenneth Fleischmann, senior associate general counsel at SLU, Judge Mary Kay Hoff, ’78, of the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District, and Dustin Dechamp, ’04, who is now the director of human resources at the Saint Louis Zoo. Professor Hacking says “students love the exposure” to these varied perspectives on the legal profession. “The students see that a legal career is not linear.” This is an especially important lesson for the students to learn because for most of them, their educational progress up to this point in their lives has been linear. But, more important, the students see the wealth of opportunities in the practice of law—there is room for everyone’s unique talents and personalities.

The professors encourage their students to ask important questions—both of the panelists and of themselves. The students find out whether the lawyers are happy and whether they have challenging work. “It takes time and energy to explore the other areas of law, and the students won’t have time later,” Prof. Hacking says. When it comes to deciding on a career path, she says, “we tell the students that they’re entitled to ask what you bring to it and what you’ll get out of it.” These considerations don’t apply just to students, however; they are appropriate questions for a lawyer at any stage of his or her career wanting to make the best choice among different options and opportunities.

If you would like to speak with any of the Career Services staff, just call 314-977-7100.