Where to Begin?

While thinking about how to re-launch my legal career, I have asked myself the same question over and over: "Where do I begin?" And the answer I keep getting is: "begin at the beginning." Not knowing exactly where that phrase originated, "Google" reminds me that it's a quote from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In the story, near the end of the Knave of Hearts' trial, an envelope mysteriously appears, and the White Rabbit thinks it is evidence that must be presented at the trial. The King orders the White Rabbit to read the letter, but the White Rabbit is perplexed and doesn't know where to begin. The King tells him to "[b]egin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop." Practical advice, if you're reading a letter.

I am not reading a letter. I am not starting something that has a definite beginning and a finite end. I am attempting to re-launch my legal career; a career that has been on hiatus for two months or five years, depending on who you ask. In many ways, I am having a "mid-career crisis." I am at a point where I can jump back in to a full-time legal position (assuming someone would hire me) or I can figure out how to do my "own thing" and have control of my time, my clients, and my life, in general.

While "googling" the original quote, I came across another Lewis Carroll-ism that may or may not prove to be more helpful to my situation: "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." I refer to it as an "-ism" because it's not an actual quote from the story of Alice's adventure. Rather, it is a paraphrase of a nonsensical exchange between Alice and the Cheshire Cat. Alice asks the cat for directions, but she does not know exactly where she wants to go; she just wants to go "somewhere." The cat informs her that it "doesn't matter which way you go, you're sure [to get somewhere] if you only walk long enough."

I am not naïve enough to think I can re-launch my career without a plan in place or at least an outline of a path to follow. I certainly don't want to end up down a rabbit hole like Alice, but you must admit, she did have one amazing adventure! It's time for me to "make something happen!'

Opting out, how to opt back in

I drafted the below post well over two years ago.  It was the last thing I wrote for "invisiblejulie" before I started my weight loss blog.  I'm publishing it now because even though a lot has happend in my life and career since I wrote that entry, I'm sort of in the same place I was... trying to figure out what to do next.  Today, I have a renewed desire to "opt back in" to the workforce, full time, but perhaps on a different path than I was thinking about two years ago. 

The post:

I read a short article today about professional working moms who "opt out" of their careers, only to opt back in a few years later. The article spoke briefly about former Supreme Court Justice Sandara Day O'Connor who must be the ultimate success story of a laywer who opted out of her career for 5 years and then came back when her kids were older only to rise all the way to Supreme Court Justice. (Wow! That's just "wow!" I had no idea! And, she did it in the 1960's!)

The article mentioned a few things that Ms. O'Connor had done to keep abreast of the law, and it got me thinking about my own career. I opted out for about 6 or 7 months, only to opt back in with a part-time position. But, the article got me thinking that maybe there are actually other ways to develop my career.

Some of my initial thoughts.

1. Volunteer to be a case evaluator for Macomb County
2. Volunteer to help resolve disputes between attorneys and clients through the State Bar of Michigan.
3. Volunteer to help resolve disputes between attorneys and clients through the Attorney Grievance Commission.
4. Become involved with the State Board of Law Examiners, perhaps by grading papers.
5. Design a program for the law schools for "opting back in" after an absence.

I must confess, I did not follow up on any of my "initial thoughts" listed above, but these are great ideas.  Some of these things I should take a hard look at trying to do!  I'm off to see if I can find the article I referenced above, and if I find it, I will update.