This is the Exact Template I Used to Meet with Former Lawyers
When I was looking to leave the law, I met with a lot of former lawyers. A lot.
They were like gold to me. I’d browse LinkedIn for hours, noting every local former attorney I could find. That was the only criteria I used. Did you ever practice law? Have you stopped practicing law? If yes to both, I wanted to meet you.
Why?
I had a few reasons.
First, at the time, leaving law was a mystical concept. I built it up in my head to be a herculean task. I needed to gather as much information as I could about the process. Why did lawyers leave? How did they figure out what to do instead? How did they leave the law? How long did it take? Any tips or strategies? Did they regret it?
Second, I was expanding my network. I wasn’t expecting any actual job offers to come out of the process. I definitely would have been thrilled if anything like that came out of it, but I never pushed any of the people I met on that front. I was still too early in the process to make an effective ask. But on occasion I did get some productive leads. Not for jobs, but for people that I should talk to. For example, at one point I spoke to a former lawyer who worked in a university’s student admissions office. I had some interest in working in higher ed, so that former lawyer connected me with another person in the university’s administration. Not a former lawyer, but a person I could meet on an “informational interview” to learn more about the details of the role. Based on my conversation with that person, I eventually decided that higher ed administration was not what I was looking for. But I wouldn’t have gotten to that point without the introduction.
Third, there is a psychological benefit in meeting people who have done what you want to do. It inspired me and built my confidence every time I met with a former lawyer. If they can do it, so can I!
If you want to leave the law, you should try to meet with former lawyers. This shouldn’t replace any informational interviews you’ll be doing, which you should also be doing.
I have nothing to offer? Why would they want to meet with me?
Some people may not want to meet with you. Some people may not even respond to your email. Don’t take this personally. People are busy. A cold email with a request to meet probably won’t shoot to the top of anybody’s to-do list, so it can be easily forgotten.
But a lot of people will be willing to meet with you. To get more positive responses, consider a few things:
Here is the exact template I used:
Hi _______,
My name is _______________. I see that you're a non-practicing lawyer now in [name of company and department]. I'm curious how you transitioned from a legal career to your current role. I've been practicing law for [time period] here in [add city if local] and am exploring a similar transition. If you're open to it, I'd love to buy you a cup of coffee sometime to learn more about your story and get any advice you may have about moving out of law. I wouldn’t take more than 20 minutes of your time.
How does next [provide at least 2 days] sound? [Propose specific times or at least time frames like “afternoon”].
Thanks, and looking forward to hearing from you.
What do you talk about when you meet?
First, thank them for taking the time to meet. Skip the business card exchange unless they ask for yours. If you’ve met, you probably already have their email, which is all you really need. Sharing your card – which is likely your business card as a lawyer – doesn’t really have a great purpose here.
You’ll probably want to start by telling them a bit about yourself. Respect their time and be brief. What is your practice area? How long have you practiced? Why do you want out? What have you tried? How can they help? Then just let them talk.
There is one specific question I suggest asking: Is there anybody you think I should meet?
They may introduce you to another former lawyer that they know, a relevant person you should meet with, or perhaps even a job lead.
They were like gold to me. I’d browse LinkedIn for hours, noting every local former attorney I could find. That was the only criteria I used. Did you ever practice law? Have you stopped practicing law? If yes to both, I wanted to meet you.
Why?
I had a few reasons.
First, at the time, leaving law was a mystical concept. I built it up in my head to be a herculean task. I needed to gather as much information as I could about the process. Why did lawyers leave? How did they figure out what to do instead? How did they leave the law? How long did it take? Any tips or strategies? Did they regret it?
Second, I was expanding my network. I wasn’t expecting any actual job offers to come out of the process. I definitely would have been thrilled if anything like that came out of it, but I never pushed any of the people I met on that front. I was still too early in the process to make an effective ask. But on occasion I did get some productive leads. Not for jobs, but for people that I should talk to. For example, at one point I spoke to a former lawyer who worked in a university’s student admissions office. I had some interest in working in higher ed, so that former lawyer connected me with another person in the university’s administration. Not a former lawyer, but a person I could meet on an “informational interview” to learn more about the details of the role. Based on my conversation with that person, I eventually decided that higher ed administration was not what I was looking for. But I wouldn’t have gotten to that point without the introduction.
Third, there is a psychological benefit in meeting people who have done what you want to do. It inspired me and built my confidence every time I met with a former lawyer. If they can do it, so can I!
If you want to leave the law, you should try to meet with former lawyers. This shouldn’t replace any informational interviews you’ll be doing, which you should also be doing.
I have nothing to offer? Why would they want to meet with me?
Some people may not want to meet with you. Some people may not even respond to your email. Don’t take this personally. People are busy. A cold email with a request to meet probably won’t shoot to the top of anybody’s to-do list, so it can be easily forgotten.
But a lot of people will be willing to meet with you. To get more positive responses, consider a few things:
- Some people will assume you’re going to ask for a job. You’ll make somebody uncomfortable if you ask for a job after meeting them based on a cold email. If you have no intentions of working for the company where they are, mention that. That can disarm them and lead to a more positive discussion.
- Lawyers share a camaraderie. We’ve all gone to law school. We’ve all studied for the bar. A lot of us practiced law and disliked it. Leaving the law can be a challenge for a lot of lawyers. All of this can create a unique shared bond between you and the person you want to meet. They’ll see part of themselves in you, which will make them more willing to meet.
- Be clear about how long you want to meet. I found that most of my meetings with done in under 25 minutes. Tell your invitee that you’ll respect their schedule and you’ll stick to that time limit. If they want to talk longer, they’ll let you know.
- Make it easy for the meeting to be scheduled. Don’t ask them when they’re free. That puts the onus on them to check their calendar and get back to you. Propose some specific times and locations and they’ll tell you what works for them. The ideal response you’ll get from a cold email is “Sure, Nate, I’d love to meet. Tuesday at 3 works.” You’re sending a cold request to a stranger with a big ask: an unsolicited meeting with no apparent benefit to them. Make it easy for them to accept and respond.
Here is the exact template I used:
Hi _______,
My name is _______________. I see that you're a non-practicing lawyer now in [name of company and department]. I'm curious how you transitioned from a legal career to your current role. I've been practicing law for [time period] here in [add city if local] and am exploring a similar transition. If you're open to it, I'd love to buy you a cup of coffee sometime to learn more about your story and get any advice you may have about moving out of law. I wouldn’t take more than 20 minutes of your time.
How does next [provide at least 2 days] sound? [Propose specific times or at least time frames like “afternoon”].
Thanks, and looking forward to hearing from you.
What do you talk about when you meet?
First, thank them for taking the time to meet. Skip the business card exchange unless they ask for yours. If you’ve met, you probably already have their email, which is all you really need. Sharing your card – which is likely your business card as a lawyer – doesn’t really have a great purpose here.
You’ll probably want to start by telling them a bit about yourself. Respect their time and be brief. What is your practice area? How long have you practiced? Why do you want out? What have you tried? How can they help? Then just let them talk.
There is one specific question I suggest asking: Is there anybody you think I should meet?
They may introduce you to another former lawyer that they know, a relevant person you should meet with, or perhaps even a job lead.