For many lawyers, career progression feels like endurance rather than strategy. The long hours, demanding workloads, and rigid career expectations make it easy to lose sight of what success actually looks like beyond just keeping up.
At some point, many lawyers ask themselves: Is this the career I want, or just the one I ended up in?
Career coaching provides a structured way to pause, reassess, and take control of your career trajectory. It helps legal professionals build confidence, clarify their goals, and create careers that align with their strengths and values.
As a former lawyer turned career coach, Lara Wentworth recently joined David Turner, host of Hearsay: The Legal Podcast, to discuss how coaching helps legal professionals overcome common obstacles like imposter syndrome, burnout, and rigid career pathways. Their conversation explored how lawyers can build careers that reflect their personal values and long-term goals. The discussion was later summarised in Hearsay’s blog post, Navigating Legal Careers with Purpose: Insights on Career Coaching, which highlighted key takeaways from their discussion.
Breaking Free from Outdated Career Narratives
Lawyers are often expected to follow a predictable path: work through private practice, aim for partnership, or transition in-house. While the legal industry is evolving, many professionals still feel trapped by traditional definitions of success.
Lara explains that these challenges often stem from career expectations passed down through generations. Even as the profession changes, outdated ideas about success continue to shape how many lawyers view their careers:
“Lara points out that these challenges often stem from fixed mindsets inherited from older generations of lawyers. In the past, legal careers typically followed a narrow, well-beaten path: grind through private practice and either aim for partnership, pivot in-house or barrister it up. While this model is evolving, many lawyers still feel constrained by outdated expectations about what a “successful” legal career should look like.”
Career coaching helps lawyers step outside of this limited perspective. Instead of asking What should I do next?, coaching reframes the question: What do I actually want?
Developing a Sustainable Approach to Career Growth
Many lawyers move from one career milestone to the next without stopping to assess whether their path aligns with their long-term aspirations. The pressure to keep advancing can make career decisions feel more reactive than intentional.
Coaching provides a structured way to take a step back, reassess priorities, and build the skills needed for long-term success:
“As Lara mentioned, coaching is not just about immediate results; it’s about equipping lawyers with tools for lifelong growth. Lara’s methodology includes:
- Teaching clients to manage their internal dialogue.
- Helping them anchor themselves in positive emotional states.
- Encouraging regular reassessment of values and goals to adapt to life’s changes.”
Rather than following the next opportunity simply because it is the logical next step, coaching helps lawyers make choices that align with their unique strengths and interests.
Building Confidence in a Profession That Thrives on Doubt
Imposter syndrome is common among lawyers at every stage of their careers. The pressure to meet high standards, prove competency, and maintain a relentless workload can leave even seasoned professionals questioning their abilities.
A lack of confidence can hold lawyers back from pursuing opportunities or making career decisions that reflect their aspirations. Coaching helps shift this mindset by reframing self-doubt and teaching practical strategies for developing resilience in unfamiliar situations:
“Negative self-talk can derail even the most talented professionals. Coaching introduces techniques to “reprogram” your inner voice from a critic to a friend, which allows you to manifest positively and build self-confidence.
Don’t wait for burnout to force a career change. Career coaching emphasises intentionality and encourages you to periodically reflect on your trajectory and course-correct as needed.”
Through rewiring limiting beliefs at a deeper level, lawyers develop the confidence to set meaningful career goals and apply tools and systems that support a resilient, growth-oriented mindset.
Take the Next Step with Coaching Advocates
Your legal career should be one you shape, not one you feel stuck in. If you feel uncertain about your next move, weighed down by expectations, or disconnected from the work you once found meaningful, you are not alone.
Coaching Advocates helps legal professionals at every stage of their careers find clarity, confidence, and direction. Whether you are a junior lawyer looking for guidance, a mid-career professional questioning what comes next, or a senior lawyer ready to redefine what success means along your journey, coaching provides the structure and support to help you move forward with certainty and purpose.
You do not have to figure it out on your own. Coaching gives you the tools to make decisions that align with your values and the confidence to follow through.
📞 Book a free introductory call today and take the first step toward a career that works for you, not against you.
