Can I salvage my career after SAHM 22 years?

[Anonymous]

I disagree with the repeated suggestion to start out as a paralegal. If the firm is small enough that its paralegals are nearly doing everything but sign pleadings, they can take her on as a lawyer. In a large firm, most paralegal work (at least in litigation) bears little to no resemblance even to low level associate work.

[Anonymous]

Can you do some doc review?

[Anonymous]

Not as a lawyer but you can do many other things

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not in a position to hire anyone right now but if I were, I would hire someone like you for a junior lawyer position. And I would do it gladly. You have the same prerequisites any junior lawyer would have (law school isn’t helpful anyway), and I would expect personal maturity and organizational skills.

Same. I work at a small law firm of former BigLaw lawyers. We have high standards but can't compete in hiring with BigLaw. The associates we've hired the past 5 years have all been terrible despite having good grades from respectable law schools -- can't write, no ability to figure things out on their own or problem solve, can't analyze a case correctly, complain about 2 in-person days in the office. I can only conclude that there has been a brain drain from law to STEM fields. I've been thinking lately that what we really need is a SAHM former lawyer with good credentials heading back to work. I can train someone within reason to write or read a case but I can't figure out how to get someone to problem solve or take ownership of a project who does not seem to have that chip. I've been practicing for almost 30 years and the decline the last few years has been notable.

OP I think the suggestion to be CASA volunteer is a good one -- just to get you back in the mindset of advocacy and being around lawyers. If you have some money to throw at the problem, it might be worth checking out some LLM programs. I'm normally not an advocate of these, but in your case if you can go and do a year of law school and get good grades it might get your confidence up, and you will at least have something on your resume to show you are serious.

Don't do document review -- it's the worst and it won't get you where you want to go. Tell everyone you know you are looking -- maybe a solo or small firm will pick you up to do some temp overflow work or something. Get your foot in the door. Even if you are in your 50s you could still have a 10-20 year work life ahead of you. Law is one field where ageism is less of a problem -- I work with plenty of crusty old lawyers who are at the top of their game. Good luck!

How do we get in touch with you if you decide to move in this direction?

Signed, not OP. Rather, a PP in a somewhat similar position.

Also interested in contact information for that PP. I am a PP upthread who said I was home for many years after 5 years at a law firm but took a nonlegal job because it had been so long since I practiced.

[Anonymous]

OP -- it won't be easy but you can do this! I agree with suggestions to find an internship or temp agency job doing low level legal (NOT paralegal) work to get foot in door -- companies who have these types of hiring needs often have gaps to fill and are in a position to eventually hire someone full time. You will need to work hard, over-deliver, and have an easy to get along with personality.

As a hiring manager, I would much rather hire a good temp who can do the work (known quantity that we have worked with) over a random applicant pool.

Do not accept paralegal-type titles or work as an attorney or you will be stuck in those types of roles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You might volunteer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate

+1 other states have CASA too

This is the answer. I bet advocating practice will help you see your options more clearly once you get more experience and exposure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m just going to throw out another idea.

If you have a license to practice law, you can practice law regardless of whether anyone hires you as an employee.

It’s actually one of the most entrepreneurial fields imaginable once you get past the student debt issue. All you need to open your firm is a license, a laptop and some bad malpractice insurance.

As for clients? If you’re moderately competent, pick an area that’s unsexy but in demand and charge cheap enough rates, you’ll have a client.

Someone will pay you $100 to represent them in DUI court tomorrow if you have a license. But you need to be scrappy.

Grandpa? Is that you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP -- it won't be easy but you can do this! I agree with suggestions to find an internship or temp agency job doing low level legal (NOT paralegal) work to get foot in door -- companies who have these types of hiring needs often have gaps to fill and are in a position to eventually hire someone full time. You will need to work hard, over-deliver, and have an easy to get along with personality.

As a hiring manager, I would much rather hire a good temp who can do the work (known quantity that we have worked with) over a random applicant pool.

Do not accept paralegal-type titles or work as an attorney or you will be stuck in those types of roles.

Can you list a few specific examples of the kind of work you envision the temp attorney would do?

[Anonymous]

Are you truly interested in the law or thinking about the road not taken? Many people find a new career interest, such as being a paid fundraiser for a legally-adjacent or educational organization. Tons of these in DC-area if you are there.

Also many jobs in law schools, including fundraising.
Law firms also need pro bono coordinators, etc. your law degree will be viewed as an asset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don’t have a career to salvage.

I did work for a very short period of time until I was in the 8th month of my pregnancy. Still not much of a "career" so I clearly wasn't as accurate as I could have been. Try, however, to focus on the point of my post.

[Anonymous]

Nope.

Agree w PP that you never built or had a career and hence nothing to “salvage” after 22 years of no career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you need to look at this like you are a new law grad. Get an internship, clerk, exc... whatever you need to get in the door. You will also need to show that you are up to date on whatever developments have happened in your speciality since you have been out.

Employers will worry that you will quit like you did before. You need to show why it is different now.

Do you know anyone still in the field that can give you a reference?

Unfortunately, I never worked long enough to develop a "specialty." I don't know anyone in the field right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not in a position to hire anyone right now but if I were, I would hire someone like you for a junior lawyer position. And I would do it gladly. You have the same prerequisites any junior lawyer would have (law school isn’t helpful anyway), and I would expect personal maturity and organizational skills.

Same. I work at a small law firm of former BigLaw lawyers. We have high standards but can't compete in hiring with BigLaw. The associates we've hired the past 5 years have all been terrible despite having good grades from respectable law schools -- can't write, no ability to figure things out on their own or problem solve, can't analyze a case correctly, complain about 2 in-person days in the office. I can only conclude that there has been a brain drain from law to STEM fields. I've been thinking lately that what we really need is a SAHM former lawyer with good credentials heading back to work. I can train someone within reason to write or read a case but I can't figure out how to get someone to problem solve or take ownership of a project who does not seem to have that chip. I've been practicing for almost 30 years and the decline the last few years has been notable.

OP I think the suggestion to be CASA volunteer is a good one -- just to get you back in the mindset of advocacy and being around lawyers. If you have some money to throw at the problem, it might be worth checking out some LLM programs. I'm normally not an advocate of these, but in your case if you can go and do a year of law school and get good grades it might get your confidence up, and you will at least have something on your resume to show you are serious.

Don't do document review -- it's the worst and it won't get you where you want to go. Tell everyone you know you are looking -- maybe a solo or small firm will pick you up to do some temp overflow work or something. Get your foot in the door. Even if you are in your 50s you could still have a 10-20 year work life ahead of you. Law is one field where ageism is less of a problem -- I work with plenty of crusty old lawyers who are at the top of their game. Good luck!

I guess. Whenever I hear of SAHMs who stayed home for long periods of time I think they aren’t career minded at all and don’t want a career. Which is fine but I am not motivated to help them find a job. Pretty much every woman has legit reasons to stay home but if you want to work, you do. It seems high unusual that someone who will focus on a job and do a great job would go without one for 22 years.

Illness that somehow lasts 22 years but she is now “healing.” What kind of illness is it and what does that mean? To me it’s more support she doesn’t want a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do people start with be kind… grow up

It was a blunt comment but the truth. Op is trying to salvage a career she never had. She never used her law degree. It's a big difference between someone who worked for X years vs someone with no experience.

Experience or no experience, she IS a lawyer.

Would you want to hire her for you or a loved one?

She needs to restart as a paralegal and get back into the field. It would be very different if she actually worked 2-5 years as a practicing lawyer, but she says she did not. So just having a degree is different than actual work.

She likely can get back in, but will need some refresher work

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not in a position to hire anyone right now but if I were, I would hire someone like you for a junior lawyer position. And I would do it gladly. You have the same prerequisites any junior lawyer would have (law school isn’t helpful anyway), and I would expect personal maturity and organizational skills.

Same. I work at a small law firm of former BigLaw lawyers. We have high standards but can't compete in hiring with BigLaw. The associates we've hired the past 5 years have all been terrible despite having good grades from respectable law schools -- can't write, no ability to figure things out on their own or problem solve, can't analyze a case correctly, complain about 2 in-person days in the office. I can only conclude that there has been a brain drain from law to STEM fields. I've been thinking lately that what we really need is a SAHM former lawyer with good credentials heading back to work. I can train someone within reason to write or read a case but I can't figure out how to get someone to problem solve or take ownership of a project who does not seem to have that chip. I've been practicing for almost 30 years and the decline the last few years has been notable.

OP I think the suggestion to be CASA volunteer is a good one -- just to get you back in the mindset of advocacy and being around lawyers. If you have some money to throw at the problem, it might be worth checking out some LLM programs. I'm normally not an advocate of these, but in your case if you can go and do a year of law school and get good grades it might get your confidence up, and you will at least have something on your resume to show you are serious.

Don't do document review -- it's the worst and it won't get you where you want to go. Tell everyone you know you are looking -- maybe a solo or small firm will pick you up to do some temp overflow work or something. Get your foot in the door. Even if you are in your 50s you could still have a 10-20 year work life ahead of you. Law is one field where ageism is less of a problem -- I work with plenty of crusty old lawyers who are at the top of their game. Good luck!

I guess. Whenever I hear of SAHMs who stayed home for long periods of time I think they aren’t career minded at all and don’t want a career. Which is fine but I am not motivated to help them find a job. Pretty much every woman has legit reasons to stay home but if you want to work, you do. It seems high unusual that someone who will focus on a job and do a great job would go without one for 22 years.

Illness that somehow lasts 22 years but she is now “healing.” What kind of illness is it and what does that mean? To me it’s more support she doesn’t want a job.

Well, you are correct that my priority for the last 22 years was not work - it was my son. If I had a job, there is no way I would have been able to advocate for his rights in the public or private school system (yes, he has been through both systems in my effort to find a supportive school environment). If I had worked for the past 22 years, I would never have been able to tutor him. Many tutors gave up on him. With my help, he graduated high-school with a 3.8 GPA, having taken a handful of AP and dual enrollment classes. He is maintaining a GPA of 3.3 in college.

My illness began 8 years ago due to exposure to environmental toxins. I was diagnosed with early COPD with a lung capacity of 40% and was immunocompromised. Covid left me bedridden for one month and weakened me further. Conventional medicine could not help me. With the help of a functional medical doctor and holistic practitioners, I am regaining my health now.

So you are absolutely correct that I chose NOT to work because my priorities were my son and my health. Things are different now.