Having a law degree can prepare you for a career in far more fields than law alone — particularly finance and corporate leadership.

1. WANT TO
THRIVE IN
FINANCE? GO
TO LAW
SCHOOL.
By Norbert Wicki
W W W . N O R B E R T W I C K I . C O M

2. Most aspiring lawyers expect to follow a defined path when they
pursue their jurisprudence degree. They head to law school,
graduate, and then find a place at a private firm or government
office. Later in their career, they might even land a seat on a judge’s
bench, later in their career. Regardless of the specifics, newly-minted
lawyer’s work remains firmly within the bounds of legal offices,
corporate meeting rooms, and courthouses.But what if a law
student finishes their degree, explores their options — and realizes
that the limitations of legal practice aren’t quite their cup of tea?

3. Newly-minted lawyers’ divergence from law practice is
more common than most aspiring lawyers might think.
According to the American Bar Association, only 71% of
the J.D-holding class of 2014 were employed in long-
term, full-time positions that required or preferred a
degree in jurisprudence. This statistic indicates that
over a quarter of law school graduates are pursuing
careers in a capacity beyond the traditional bounds of
a lawyer’s path.
Research suggests that they may even be happier and
more secure by doing so — one Gallup report
commissioned by the nonprofit AccessLex Institute in
2018 found that “Fifty-five percent of the JDs who didn’t
practice law reported that they had a thriving financial
well-being, compared to 43 percent of the respondents
who were practicing lawyers.”

4. THERE IS NO SHAME IN CHOOSING TO PIVOT YOUR
CAREER AWAY FROM LEGAL PRACTICE; IN FACT, IT MAY
EVEN HELP YOU GROW YOUR CAREER IN NEW AND
PROFITABLE WAYS.
I say this from experience. After earning my degree in
jurisprudence, I realized that my interests lay more in
finance and entrepreneurship than they did in the legal
field and decided to make a pivot. I began working in
portfolio management in the private banking sector,
and gradually garnered more responsibilities in project
management and financing. I was able to obtain roles
at top banking institutions, including UBS, Dresdner
Bank, and BNP Paribas on the strength of that
experience.

5. AS THE YEARS PASSED, I CLIMBED THE LADDER
INTO UPPER MANAGEMENT — I BECAME THE CEO
THEN, LATER ON, THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD
OF DIRECTORS FOR THE CENTREX GROUP, A
WELL-KNOWN ENERGY FIRM. NOW, I SERVE AS
THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF WETEC CONSULTING,
A DUBAI-BASED FIRM THAT CENTERS ON
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND FINANCING.
The lesson here? Having a law degree can prepare you for a career in far more
fields than law alone — particularly finance and corporate leadership.

6. LAW-TRAINED CANDIDATES ARE OFTEN
SOUGHT-AFTER BY FINANCIAL COMPANIES
THAT INTERSECT WITH COMPLIANCE,
LEGAL, AND TAX INTERESTS. IT IS WORTH
NOTING THAT MAJOR FIRMS USUALLY
REFUSE TO GIVE LEGAL AND TAX ADVICE AS
A MEANS TO AVOID LIABILITY FROM
DISPLEASED CLIENTS; HOWEVER, SOME
SMALLER, BOUTIQUE FIRMS DO OFFER
CONSULTING SERVICES IN THOSE FIELDS. IN
THOSE ADVISING ROLES, A
JURISPRUDENCE-TRAINED FINANCIAL
OPERATIVE COULD BE INVALUABLE.

7. WANT TO BREAK INTO FINANCE? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO.
Candidates with legal training are also
valued in the financial sector for their
ability to screen communications copy and
project work for potential problems before
counsel needs to step in, thereby saving the
company time and money. These employees
are also valued for their high-level
communication skills, making them top-
choice candidates for management and
leadership roles in the long run.

8. That said, pivoting may not be quite as easy as looking for jobs in a
different field — you may need to undergo further training to qualify
for the role you want. These requirements change depending on the
position at hand and the country you live in, so do your research
before you start pursuing a promising opportunity.
START TALKING TO YOUR CONNECTIONS. IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS
CURRENTLY WORKING IN THE TYPE OF ROLE YOU THINK YOU MAY WANT
TO HAVE, ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE. GET A SENSE OF WHAT
YOU WOULD BE DOING DAY-TO-DAY SO THAT YOU CAN DETERMINE IF
THAT TYPE OF JOB IS ONE THAT INTERESTS YOU.