5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Legal Career

How is your relationship with your law career? Whether you are someone who has spent decades in the courtroom or you have only recently graduated with your J.D., you might find this an interesting question to ponder. My guess is your relationship with law is probably like mine: ever-changing.   If I’m honest with myself, I went to law school because of the prestige of being an attorney. Not to mention, I thought I would be making big money, especially since the average salary for an attorney in the U.S. is about $123,000. That’s pretty good money, but what if money isn’t enough? 

Frankly, the salary can only get you so far, as the legal business is a challenge even on a good day. Deadlines, statutes of limitations, frustrated clients, angry opposing counsel, and slow court systems are all part of the hassle of being a lawyer. But in law, as in any profession, there needs to be something more than the paycheck. This leads to an important question to ask: why are you doing what you do? 

 If you don’t have an answer to that question, a response that truly resonates with your authentic self, you may not enjoy staying in the law business long term. There are five questions I want you to ask yourself: 

1. What led you to the law in the first place? 

2. What gets you up in the morning?  

3. What do you hope to accomplish in your career?  

4. What is your definition of success?  

5. How will you know when you have succeeded?

 If these questions have you scratching your head or looking for a transition from your current relationship with the law, I want to work with you. Schedule your free introductory conversation with me, and let’s see how we can work together.