Lawyers seeking alternative career opportunities both inside and outside the legal profession should visit The Canadian Bar Association website.
| Quasi Legal & Non-Traditional Careers for Lawyers | |
| Account Executive | Intellectual Property Manager |
| Administrator | Labour Relations Manager |
| Agent | Lease Administration |
| Arbitrator | Lecturer |
| Business Affairs | Legal Correspondent |
| Business Analyst | Legal Technology Consultant |
| Business Development | Lobbyist |
| Buyer/Procurement Analyst | Management Consultant |
| Career Counsellor | Marketing/Sales Rep |
| Claims | Pension Consultant |
| Compliance Officer | Policy Analyst/ Developer |
| Conference Developer | Production |
| Consultant | Professor/Instructor |
| Consumer Advocate | Project Manager |
| Continuing Legal Education | Promotions/PR |
| Contracts Administrator | Property Developer |
| Corporate Communications | Public Affairs |
| Director of Career Services | Recruiter |
| Editor | Regulatory Affairs |
| Ethics Officer | Reporter |
| Employee Benefits Manager | Research |
| Employee Relations | Risk Management |
| Executive Director – Not for Profit | Seminar Leader |
| Executive Producer | Speaker |
| Fundraiser | Tax Manager |
| HR Management | Training & Development |
| Immigration Consultant | Writer |
| In-House Counsel | |
List generated from: http://www.lifeafterlaw.com/candidates.html
Canadian Bar Association Article: Career Alternatives for Lawyers
| Transferable Skills | |
| Ability to Work Independently | Management |
| Advocacy | Mediation |
| Analytical Thinking | Multi-Tasking Negotiation |
| Attention to Detail | Organizational Skills |
| Awareness of Risk or Liability | Persuasion |
| Brainstorming | Presentation Skills |
| Budgeting | Prioritization |
| Communications | Problem Solving |
| Conflict Resolution | Professionalism |
| Consensus Building | Project Management |
| Counseling | Public Speaking |
| Creativity | Research |
| Decision Making | Sales |
| Discipline | Self-Direction |
| Dissemination of Information | Strategizing |
| Entrepreneurial | Stress Management |
| Fact Analysis | Supervisory |
| Identification of Issues | Synthesis of Information |
| Innovation | Teamwork |
| Interpersonal Skills | Time Management |
| Interpretation of Documents | Troubleshooting |
| Learning | Writing |
| Listening | |
What are my goals in life?
Do you want work/life balance? Maybe you've always wanted to discuss and pursue a specific issue. Maybe you want you legal career to take you around the world. Or maybe you want to apply your legal education to an alternative career. Whatever the case, make a list of goals.
Could I possibly want to be a traditional lawyer in the future?
If you happen to be undecided it is a good idea to article and get called to the bar. Your year of call will determine your seniority and salary, and often if you wait too long to article and be called to the bar you may not have the current legal knowledge needed to be successful in the Bar exams.
Will I be happy if I decide not to become a traditional lawyer?
Ask yourself this question. Maybe you always dreamed of becoming a lawyer but while you were in law school you had a change of heart. You know the value of the legal education you have received, but you want to apply it to another career. Will you be disappointed if this is the path you choose? It's a good idea to back your plans up by articling and being called to the bar.