This is not exactly a question, but it's something that requires an answer. What would help most for embarking on a non-firm career path would be examples of people who have chosen non-firm paths and have been able to make it work.

One example I have is a friend here whose father became a public defender after law school. He then used his contacts/skills to become a very successful criminal defense lawyer.

-- ShawKaneyasuSpeck - 24 Apr 2008

What should I do if I think I may want to work in academia? How do I figure out if I really want to do that? Do I have to want to teach? (Personally, I have serious problems with public speaking but I could be really happy spending the next 20 years doing library research…) How do I figure out if this is really the type of work I would like to do? Am I simply addicted to student life? Am I lazy? Once I decide I might want to do something academic what course of study should I follow? Should I look into PhD? programs? Is that necessary? What if I am interested in the intersection of law and social sciences? Again, how do I figure out if that is really what I want to do? I have never taken a break from school so I think I need to graduate from law school and work for a while. What should I do during that period if I think I may want to return to school? Clerk? Work for a while then just go back to school? What are some helpful resources?

-- ThaliaJulme - 24 Apr 2008

If you're not going to participate in the traditional firm structure, how can you go about looking for a mentor? Additionally, how could you find a mentor that is able to help you with your entire career path? What are some ways to find a pro bono cause outside of the ideas with firms and their billable hours? Is it reasonable to think that you can change the way that law school classes are taught?

-- AndrewWolstan - 24 Apr 2008

-- ElaineTan - 24 Apr 2008

What type of long-term opportunities are there for people who wish to practice outside the US? Are international jobs largely confined to global law firms and large NGO's? How should the desire to practice outside the US affect one's choice of practice area? How are the answers to these questions likely to change in the future?

-- KalebMcNeely - 24 Apr 2008