If I weren't a lawyer. . . .

If you have any regular interactions with me on the internet, then you probably know (because I sent you a note asking you to donate to our office--thanks for tolerating that, by the way) that at the beginning of December, the director of the small, non-profit law office where I toil representing people on death row told us (the staff of same office) in a meeting that we would likely have layoffs in July.  After spelling out for us how bleak the funding situation is after cuts from the state legislature, it is hard to imagine how we won't have layoffs.  Because I was one of the last people hired there, and because I work part-time, and because I am one of the only attorneys who is not the primary bread winner in my family (this shouldn't matter, but it probably does), I have to think I'm vulnerable.  Probably not the most vulnerable, but if I'm not the first laid off, I may well be the second or third. . . .

Anyway, this got me to thinking about what I might do if I leave the law.  It also spun me into a bit of a panic and caused me to take the GRE right in the middle of holiday craziness (which, thankfully, went great!).  I could get another job as a litigator, but it almost would certainly not be part time and would require 60-80 hrs. a week.  . .not my bag, now that I'm a mama. As for all the other alleged jobs you can get as a lawyer that don't actually require one to litigate, well, I really don't know what they are. . . .So, I probably should bone up on that before I do anything rash and relinquish my bar license.

Time with Mira--much more intriguing and fulfilling than billable hours at a law firm!

Do I have what it takes to be a pastry chef (lol)?  These are tiger cupcakes I made for Mira's 2nd bday!

More to the point of the title of this post, though, is the fact that I have been thinking more and more of this situation as an invitation to leave the law.  I have had a love-hate relationship with my profession since I entered it. But, this begs the question of where I might go?  I don't know, but my ideas right now seem to center most around getting an MSW so that I can become a licensed counselor and use that skill in an entrepreneurial way.  I also fantasize about being a pastry chef or doing something more creative, but I don't know how practical that is (probably not very). Ideally, it would be something flexible, family-friendly, not as stressful as death-row litigation (so, pretty much anything fits that category, esp. since I don't really see surgical residency or firefighting in my future), and would allow me some measure of fulfillment and knowing that I'm increasing the goodness in the world, rather than decreasing it.  Do you have any ideas of what I should do or who I should talk to to figure it out?   If so, let me know. . .I would love to hear your feedback!

Thanks!
Robyn