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THE BONDS OF MONEY, STATUS, AND PURPOSE

Leaving a legal career remains one of the most difficult things many lawyers can envision, no matter how unhappy they are. It means giving up the professional identity they have invested their time and money in. It may mean going without a professional identity for a time as they explore alternatives. It means giving up the status that law practice conveys and the relatively easy access to high salaries they may have become dependent on. Lawyers are notoriously risk-averse and accomplishment-oriented on the whole, which doesn’t help matters. For every lawyer who musters the courage and vision to change his job, hundreds more would make that change if they knew how to overcome these obstacles.

When unhappy ...

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