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The Former Lawyer PodcastAuthor: Sarah Cottrell
Do you hate working as a lawyer? Are you an unhappy lawyer who wants to leave the law, but isn't sure what to do next? Do your family and friends think you're crazy for wanting to leave the law, or are you too afraid to tell them you don't want to be a lawyer? The Former Lawyer Podcast is for you! Each week, host Sarah Cottrell interviews a different former lawyer who has left the law behind. Hear inspiring stories about how these former lawyers are thriving and found their way to careers and lives they love. Language: en Genres: Business, Careers, Education, Self-Improvement Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Cost of Staying in a Toxic Law Firm
Episode 322
Monday, 28 September, 2026
Staying in a toxic law firm because you want to help change it can feel like a good reason to stay. You want to get to a position where you have more influence and can use that influence to make the environment better. The question is what staying long enough to get there is costing you along the way.The harder part is that toxic environments can change your sense of what is normal or acceptable. You can start out very clear about what feels wrong and, over time, become more comfortable with things you previously would not have accepted. If the goal is to eventually use your influence to create change, you also have to be realistic about the difference between playing the game to get there and becoming part of the machine.In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell talks about the cost of staying in a toxic law firm because you want to change it from the inside. She explains why toxic environments can change your sense of what is and is not okay, why gaining influence can make it harder to use that influence the way you originally intended, and why it is important to keep reassessing what staying is doing to you.0:30 - Staying in a toxic law firm because you want to change it1:45 - Lawyers think about the cost of leaving, not the cost of staying2:15 - Staying to fix the environment can change you3:08 - Playing the game to make change versus becoming part of the machine4:21 - What happens when you finally have the influence you were waiting for5:23 - Your conscience can be formed by your environment6:18 - Being clear about who you are and what you are willing to do7:50 - When the effect staying is having on you is a reason to reassessMentioned In The Cost of Staying in a Toxic Law FirmFirst Steps to Leaving the Law1:1 Coaching with Sarah Cottrell
