But necessary. When I first told people I was in law school, and that I had one year left before graduating, they got excited. Their eyes lit up and I could tell they were proud. But as the conversation inevitably developed, they learn that I had (still do) three kids, and a full time job.
Then the confusion begins to set in. The little crease between the eyebrows is a dead giveaway. And when they ask what my full time job was – managing partner of a marketing firm – that little crease becomes a full-on furrow, and the head usually tilts at the “is he stupid?” angle.
Then they repeat back to me what I said, just to make sure they heard it right. Yes, law school. Yes, a father of three. Two girls and a son. Yes, a full time job, and yes, one that has been a lucrative career.
So why change careers?
When I started in marketing, I did it because I was good at it. I was bred for it from a young age. My mom used to quiz me over dinner about what tagline resonated best, what image brought what feelings out of people, and how to craft the perfect message for my audience.
So when I started learning how to make websites in college, my career in SEO (search engine optimization), where you use marketing psychology and code to get websites featured on Google without having to pay for ad space, was a natural fit. And I was (am) really good at that. I started two companies and helped startups make millions.
By all logic, what I’m doing is really stupid. No one in their right mind accrues hundreds of thousands of dollars in student debt to change their career to a less lucrative one.
And if my career change was motivated by money, it would be a stupid move. And as much as I love money, this ain’t it.
I’m hoping that by focusing on law (right now family law), I can support and protect people going through some of the hardest times of their lives. And from what I’ve seen already, family law has become its own complex beast.
Attorneys can’t just dabble in multiple areas of law anymore. Let’s take family law as an example: the law surrounding families, marriage, property, and custody has developed to such a degree that you really need to be a specialist to offer any kind of value. But, that kind of specialization comes at a price, and as the market is now, it’s a price that many families can’t afford, especially the ones that need the help the most. As a matter of fact, 70% of family law cases in San Francisco don’t involve an attorney. 85% in Riverside.
I’m not offering an answer to that problem. I don’t have it. But I’m hoping by making this seemingly stupid (at least from a purely financial point of view) decision to switch careers, I can be a part of the solution.