Obiter wonders if the press release announcing that 32% of lawyers on the jobs market are looking for non-legal positions is quite as shocking as it’s made out to be.

It is an odd sort of lawyer who, at least once in their career, doesn’t fantasise about jacking it all in to open an ice cream parlour or become the next John Grisham. We also note that the figure comes from ‘career consultancy’ Life Productions, which funnily enough earns its weekly whack helping lawyers find positions outside the law.

The consultancy says that the findings, which were based on 1,486 job searches, underline a ‘retention crisis’ facing law firms. But it warns lawyers that their professional background is not necessarily a ticket to the top elsewhere. ‘Bolder lawyers looking to do something completely different have to overcome prejudice about the legal profession that many recruiters hold,’ says Martin Underwood, founder of Life Productions.

Lawyers are considered to be ‘blockers’ not ‘creators’, apparently.

Still, some bold spirits are getting over the wall. Reporting its retention rates last week, international firm Bird & Bird said it had offered jobs to 16 of its 18 newly qualified lawyers. Alas one of the hotshots turned down the offer to work in a lion sanctuary in South Africa instead.

 

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