Welcome to the fourth and final interview in our Legal Profession Q&A series! Today we're chatting with Caitlin Moon, inspired lawyer and passionate entrepreneur, about alt legal, millennials in the workforce, mental health, and so much more. Having both founded her own law firm and a communications consulting firm, Cat has no shortage of expertise when it comes to using your law degree outside of the courtroom and we're so lucky to be able to share her insight with you today. Without further ado, here's Cat's exclusive interview:
A. “Alt Legal” means different things to different people, I think. At its core? The idea that someone with a JD uses his/her education and experience in a non-traditional way — not necessarily by leaving the legal profession altogether, but pursuing a path diverging from a traditional private or government sector practice.
Often, a lawyer pursuing an alternative legal career is following a passion that intersects with skills. For example, you love to write so you create a blog that grows into a platform serving the legal profession (like David Lat). Or you turn your love of writing into a novel … about BigLaw (like Lindsay Cameron). Or you’re a tech early adopter and after being a change agent for your firm, you now bring new technologies to a wider audience in the legal profession (like Dan Hauck).
“Alt Legal” also makes room for professionals who don’t have law degrees to bring their expertise to the legal profession — especially in the areas of technology, process management (e.g. agile, lean), and business development. I’ve observed that the profession hasn’t traditionally embraced non-lawyers, but this is shifting. We can learn a lot from how other professions have innovated.
I think there’s room for lawyers who continue to practice but do so in non-traditional ways to be considered part of “Alt Legal,” too. We’re slow to change our ways, but the shift is picking up momentum — I consider collaborative divorce, firms leveraging technology to improve service delivery, and the use by firms of proven, iterative systems from outside law to all be examples of this.
My journey away from solely a traditional practice and into an “Alt Legal” role is explained below in response to #2 ...
A. My “Alt Legal” work has included coaching and consulting with lawyers on building a law practice that sustains them on multiple levels — financially, of course, but also in ways that fulfill other important goals and needs. I’m a fifth generation lawyer, and with 17+ years in practice, I know well the toll this work takes, both professionally and personally. (Sadly, there’s a reason why the rates of depression, substance abuse, and suicide are so high for lawyers.)
My path to doing this work was actually serendipitous. In 2006, I formed a small firm with two other women. We eventually grew to four partners and an associate (all women). In this process, I took on the role of figuring out everything about running a practice (and firm) — from the best way to manage a case (it’s not what most lawyers think), to how to shift from hourly to flat-fee (it’s easier than most lawyers think), to using technology to get a lot more done with a lot less expense and effort (it’s not as scary as most lawyers think). After doing this work for myself and my firm, other lawyers started asking me about how we do what we do. And they started asking me to help them do the same thing. So I did!
Eventually this work evolved into coaching/consulting, focusing primarily in my areas of passion: communication, design thinking, and agile methodologies. My client base now extends beyond the legal profession.
I also maintain a limited business transactional law practice, working with a small number of long-time clients. I have one associate, who handles wills, trusts, and estates for my firm.
A. I earned a JD from Vanderbilt. But before law school, I earned a Masters in communication, taught at the university level, and worked as a journalist. These experiences have contributed as much (if not more) to my work in the legal profession, as my law school experience. Frankly, I can’t imagine being a lawyer without a solid background in communications — these are the skills that make me an effective counselor and advocate for clients (and not what I learned in law school, or from the communication modeled by most attorneys).
During law school, I sought out atypical work experiences, including clerking for a solo criminal defense attorney. He sent me (alone) to a high-security prison to meet with clients (one of whom was James Earl Ray) — quite an experience for a first year law student! I also clerked for a small business law firm, and for my father (an attorney and elected official). I had no interest in a corporate BigLaw experience, I think largely because my model for what it means to be a lawyer was shaped by my father, my great-uncle (a criminal defense attorney), and my grandfather (a judge) — all of whom practiced in a small community and were more committed to access to justice than to reaping great financial rewards.
Working with entrepreneurs in my law practice definitely helped propel me in my current direction, as well. Much of my work with and for clients went far beyond simply setting up legal entities and drafting contracts. Drawn into business design, strategy, and development with clients starting new businesses, I learned a lot about how to create an enterprise from nothing but a vision. So in many ways, my law clients inspired me to become an entrepreneur myself.
A. Yes! I think legal technology needs contributions from both inside and outside the profession. Lawyers have much to offer, though this contribution will be most valuable if it’s informed by more than their legal experience and expertise. For instance, a firm grasp on legal design, grounded in human-centered design theory, is crucial for any lawyer who wants to contribute meaningfully to the evolution of legal technology. Without a deep understanding of, and empathy for, the consumers of legal tech (legal professionals as well as “clients” of the profession), the industry will never reach its full potential.
A. If the generalizations about millennials hold true, then their impact on the legal industry should absolutely move it in a positive direction. Millennials value collaboration and cooperation — and we need a much greater degree of both, within the industry and with other industries and professions. Millennials rely on technology that delivers true value, and simply works. Hopefully this will drive the creation of better legal technology. And, perhaps most obvious, a shift from primarily financial values to more socially-driven ones could trigger a positive sea change in how both the legal profession and the legal system operate.
With all of this said, there are strong forces committed to maintaining the status quo in the legal profession. My biggest fear is that millennials will give up and move into other professions and industries due to the snail’s pace of change. This is a continuing, and serious, problem for our profession: those who could do the most good leave out of frustration that things will never change. Personally, I’ve had this feeling often myself, and is a big reason I’ve expanded my work to include other professions, and now spend a great deal of time working outside the legal industry.
A. Success in Alt Legal requires an entrepreneurial mindset, I think. It’s definitely not the place for someone who wants a steady paycheck every two weeks, guaranteed for the next X number of years. You’ve got to be willing to take chances, risk failure, and go in a direction that, at times, feels very much as if you’re swimming against a very strong tide. Prepare to be rejected. A lot.
The flip side? Pursuing an alternative legal career that gives you the opportunity to do the kind of work that truly satisfies you and ignites your passions is infinitely more satisfying that toiling away in a law firm.
A. If you’re passionate about doing work for social good, you can take the knowledge you have via law school (about legal process, the justice system, legal theory, etc.), and apply it in almost any arena. You don’t have to practice law to create (or work for) a nonprofit committed to social justice, or advocate for those who are disadvantaged or underserved.
For example, I’m very interested in alternative methods of dispute resolution and see this area as one having tremendous potential for any law school grad interested in improving access to justice — outside of the typical litigation practice trajectory.
A. For those who’ve been in practice, see below. If you’re reading this and are contemplating law school (or are a 1L or 2L) and aren’t sure you actually want to practice law, definitely read this advice from my friend Jennifer Alvey, a career transition coach for lawyers.
If you’re already a lawyer and are looking for a change, my advice really is more universal than lawyer-specific. The transferable skills you should pay attention to are those things that you’re both (a) really good at, and (b) really enjoy doing. Lawyers get good at things that we don’t really enjoy doing (which is one reason we seek Alt Legal opportunities!). So the last thing you want to do is go looking for a new career based on those skills. Instead you want to focus on what you do well as a lawyer, that you also enjoy doing. Make a list. And start researching other jobs and industries that utilize and value those skills.
I believe any skill a lawyer develops during his or her legal career transfers to work outside the law. The key is identifying those skills you have that you also enjoy using on a regular basis.
A. What a great question! I’m pretty passionate about making the legal profession a healthier one, and have written a lot about what individual lawyers can do to create a work life that supports a person physically, emotionally, and intellectually: get moving, practice gratitude, meditate, practice yoga, commit to continuous improvement through lifelong learning. Lots of research validates engaging in all of these (which explains why you see many people recommending them for anyone who wants to be less stressed, more productive, and happier). I’ve also conducted my own personal experiments with all of these. They really work!
A. Intentional networking is key to creating a successful career, whether legal or alt legal or outside of legal completely. I’ve been in the workforce since well before social media and digital marketing existed — so I’ve relied primarily on in-person networking with others who’ve both taught and inspired me. My total career spans 24+ years and if I’ve learned nothing else, it’s this: You are better when you are surrounded by other really good people. A great network both lifts you up and stretches you. And it also gives you a place to contribute, which is a key element of professional satisfaction.
For me, social media and digital avenues have simply expanded my ability to create a really exceptional network. Connection is the common element — connecting with peers, mentors, mentees, clients. Your network should include all of these people, whether you meet them via Twitter or in person at an event.