Probably a good idea to take stock of your goals, assess your goals and strategy and reset and recommit.

This is taken from the work of startup companies, but is clearly applicable to the job search, career change and all of life’s goals big and small.  

http://www.fastcompany.com/1840022/the-10-minute-exercise-that-will-help-you-achieve-your-goals

For many, this is the dream job.  Great link to understanding the process and what it takes to obtain a coveted law teaching position (as well as the different types of legal teaching positions: tenure track, visiting, adjunct,VAP).

http://ww3.lawschool.cornell.edu/faculty-pages/wendel/teaching.htm

Interesting article on serial entrepreneur (and Northwestern Law School Grad)  Howard Tullman, http://www.inc.com/magazine/201203/leigh-buchanan/howard-tullman-always-on.html

“Tullman developed his nose-to-grindstone ethos in the 1960s at Northwestern Law School, where he assembled defense testimony for the trial of the Chicago Seven and presided over the law review. After graduation, he spent 10 years helping one of his professors and a partner build a law firm. It was while organizing class actions representing tens of thousands of plaintiffs that he succumbed to the imperative and allure of information management.”

A few interesting jobs that you could feel good about:

Outreach works with students from middle school through college to provide them with the vision, skills, and support they need to matriculate at selective colleges and competitive law schools. http://www.idealist.org/view/job/dDFSwBCtDCxd/

Opening at the Federal Defenders of New York for a Trial Attorney position in the Manhattan office of the Southern District of New York. http://www.idealist.org/view/job/327wx8MfGZ3xd/

The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods. The Assistant General Counsel will be a corporate generalist with a focus on employment related matters and will provide legal support to the organization as it expands to new activities and jurisdictions.
http://www.idealist.org/view/job/Nf5gJP96cbJd/

If one of your new year’s resolutions is to transition to a non-legal job, you are not alone. In fact, based on the multitude of emails that I have received in the last month combined with an increased amount of articles written on this subject, makes it clear to me that transitioning to a non-legal career is a priority of many lawyers. Numerous suggestions in a Greedy Associates article titled 111 Ways to Find Your Next Legal or Non-Legal Job attracted my attention. Some of the more creative suggestions:
55) From an email thread to all of your friends letting them know you are job searching and what you’re seeking
106) Volunteering as a small claims court mediator
Reviewing this list is a great way to kickstart your job search and turn your resolution into a reality.

Below is a list of newsletters that you might want to subscribe to, send me suggestions to add to the list:
*Cooljobs
*Manhattan Young Democrats job list

An interesting article outlining a strategy for distinguishing yourself and aggressively pursuing job opportunities. http://laidoffcamp.com/?p=503

There are countless examples of attorneys who have become successful in non-legal roles. It is understandable why, certain traits and skillsets which are common to those entering the legal profession and honed through law school and legal practice (such as issue spotting, work-ethic, attention to detail, ability to multi-task, writing and communication skills) are easily transferable to other industries and roles. In an article published in Chief Legal Officer, twelve successful lawyers turned CEO’s are interviewed and certain observations about this group are made. It particular, the article concludes that these individuals share three characteristics which enabled them to succeed in a non-legal role: (i) risk tolerance, (ii) optimism, and (iii) leadership.

Despite the fact that attorneys are highly valued throughout many industries and professions, you will be hardpressed to find an employer willing to take a chance by hiring an attorney for a non-legal position unless that attorney has a significant knowledge or experience in the field. Luckily there are numerous ways to acquire this knowledge, it just takes some creativity and research (we have done much of the work for you in the Resources section of www.LPNLC.com, which we are continually updating). Trade associatons and volunteer opportunties are excellent ways to remain informed about your chosen industry, learn new skills, network with potential employers and to demonstrate to prospective employers your sincerity and dedication to your new career. Read the rest of this entry »

American Lawyer’s annual survey of midlevel associates which was released in August identified that associate morale plummeted amongst its 6,101 respondents. Eighty-three percent of the respondents reported medium or high anxiety about losing their jobs. Many survey respondents were also disappointed with their firms’ salary cuts, reduced or nonexistent bonuses and decreased benefits. Read more about the survey at American Lawyer here.