
Trying to Justify Leaving Law Is What’s Keeping You There
From The Former Lawyer Podcast by Sarah Cottrell
May 4, 2026 · 9 min · Episode 307
About this episode
The episode discusses the internal struggle of seeking justification for leaving the legal profession and how this need for external validation can hinder one's decision to make a change.
If you're thinking about leaving the law, there's a good chance you've asked yourself some version of this question. Am I justified in doing this? You already know the environment isn't good for you. You already know something needs to change. But there's a sense that you need some kind of external sign-off before you can actually go, and until that shows up, you keep waiting. The waiting itself is part of what's keeping you there. The need to feel justified is almost always external, and it'...
People in this episode
Host: Sarah Cottrell
Topics covered
- leaving law
- justification
- career change
- self-doubt
- external validation
Keywords
- law career
- justification
- external sign-off
- waiting
- self-improvement
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