Former Lawyer Podcast with Sarah Cottrell: Part 1
Moving Beyond Biglaw As A Single Mom Of Twins With Jessica Medina (TFLP 59)
As kids, some people dream of being lawyers when they grow up. Then they grow up, become lawyers and dream of doing something else.
Sarah Cottrell is one of those people. Now she helps lawyers who are considering leaving Biglaw explore alternative careers and identify the next right step for them. In addition, she also hosts a weekly podcast called The Former Lawyer Podcast where I was honored to be a guest.
I love to share my story of Biglaw exit. Although there is no “typical” exit, my story started out a little off the beaten path because as a 2L, I was a single mom of twin boys.
We had such a good chat that we had to break our conversation into TWO episodes. Episode 059 is the first half.
Going into law school straight out of college at a great school like Columbia was really an eye-opening experience for me. I was used to being towards the top of my class using less than all my effort, but now all of the sudden I was middle of the pack surrounded by super accomplished people. I felt like I was wearing my age and my experience on a sign around my neck.
When I started law school I thought I was going to serve the people changing the government from the inside out. As I went through my law school journey and student loans piled up in addition to raising my family, Biglaw was the only logical path.
Click the link below to hear more about my slip-n-slide journey including:
How becoming a single mom shaped my experience
Why I was grateful to have my Biglaw job
The exact moment I realized that maybe this wasn’t worth it after all
The internal struggle of staying vs leaving to break the glass ceiling
Why staying in Biglaw was easier than leaving
Listen to the first half of this full disclosure episode https://formerlawyer.com/059
I can help you pave the way and set up your finances to create a Biglaw strategy that works for you and for your family. Schedule a no-hassle, free phone chat with me to see if we are a good fit. www.jessicamedinallc.com/scheduling
