Thursday, June 02, 2005
A LAWYER, A BAKER, A CANDLESTICK MAKER: New Survey Reveals Most Appealing Career Alternatives for Lawyers
TORONTO, May 31 /CNW/ - Despite the long road to their profession,
lawyers are not immune to occasional thoughts of making a career change. When
surveyed recently about related occupations they would consider if they were
to leave their current jobs, lawyers cited mediator (54 per cent), law school
professor or lecturer (49 per cent) and non-profit or public interest legal
services provider (41 per cent) as desirable alternatives.
The survey was developed by Robert Half Legal, a leading staffing service
specializing in lawyers, paralegals and other highly skilled legal
professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes
responses from 200 lawyers among the 1,000 largest law firms and corporations
in the United States and Canada. All respondents had at least three years of
experience in the legal field.
Lawyers were asked, "If you were to quit your current job, which of the
following career alternatives would hold the most appeal?" Their responses:(*)
54% Mediation or alternative dispute resolution counsellor
49% Law school professor or lecturer
41% Non-profit or public interest legal services provider
20% Expert witness
11% Patent expert
11% Researcher
9% Politician
13% Other
(*)Respondents were allowed more than one answer.
"Mediation is an area of law that involves reaching an accord outside the
courtroom," said Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal.
"For lawyers used to lengthy legal processes and court proceedings, part of
the appeal of mediation is the immediacy of dispute resolution.
"In addition to a law degree and conflict resolution training, the job
requires strong analytical, reasoning and communication skills," noted
Volkert. "Since mediators help two opposing parties facilitate an equitable
solution, the ability to remain neutral and use a fair amount of creativity is
essential to success." He added that teaching also holds appeal as a way for
lawyers to share their knowledge and experience with the next generation of
legal professionals.
TORONTO, May 31 /CNW/ - Despite the long road to their profession,
lawyers are not immune to occasional thoughts of making a career change. When
surveyed recently about related occupations they would consider if they were
to leave their current jobs, lawyers cited mediator (54 per cent), law school
professor or lecturer (49 per cent) and non-profit or public interest legal
services provider (41 per cent) as desirable alternatives.
The survey was developed by Robert Half Legal, a leading staffing service
specializing in lawyers, paralegals and other highly skilled legal
professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes
responses from 200 lawyers among the 1,000 largest law firms and corporations
in the United States and Canada. All respondents had at least three years of
experience in the legal field.
Lawyers were asked, "If you were to quit your current job, which of the
following career alternatives would hold the most appeal?" Their responses:(*)
54% Mediation or alternative dispute resolution counsellor
49% Law school professor or lecturer
41% Non-profit or public interest legal services provider
20% Expert witness
11% Patent expert
11% Researcher
9% Politician
13% Other
(*)Respondents were allowed more than one answer.
"Mediation is an area of law that involves reaching an accord outside the
courtroom," said Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal.
"For lawyers used to lengthy legal processes and court proceedings, part of
the appeal of mediation is the immediacy of dispute resolution.
"In addition to a law degree and conflict resolution training, the job
requires strong analytical, reasoning and communication skills," noted
Volkert. "Since mediators help two opposing parties facilitate an equitable
solution, the ability to remain neutral and use a fair amount of creativity is
essential to success." He added that teaching also holds appeal as a way for
lawyers to share their knowledge and experience with the next generation of
legal professionals.
