Originally published on October 26, 2009 in our free BigLaw newsletter.
Traditionally, there exist but two options for lawyers who want to work in the private sector: law firms or in-house. But modern times call for alternative careers. Fortunately, the Internet can lend a helping hand. Online legal publishers offer a career path especially suited to those attorneys who want to use their JDs but get out of the rat race.
Sharon Makower is one such attorney. She spent three years at Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a securities and M&A associate, racking up more and more billables and seeing less and less daylight. She left Willkie for Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel where she eventually transitioned to part-time to take care of her children.
However, Sharon found that fast-paced deal work did not lend itself to her reduced schedule, so after nine years she departed for Cablevision's legal department. As associate general counsel at Cablevision, she thought she would enjoy those mythic in-house perks: challenging work with a 9 to 5 schedule. Reality set in when Sharon discovered that her in-house job was full-time plus an hour commute each way.
"Cablevision was a terrific place to work, but I still didn't have a work-life balance," says Sharon. "At the time, I thought my only options for a flexible schedule were staying at Cablevision and seeing what happened, or going back to a smaller firm."
A Practical Alternative Surfaces
In 2007, Sharon's options broadened when a recruiter told her about an open editorial position at Practical Law Company, an online legal publisher that creates practical guidance for transactional attorneys. The job involved Sharon's areas of expertise — capital markets, corporate governance, and public company regulations. Sharon agonized over whether to take it.
"I was very much on the traditional path, and leaving an established legal employer for a job in a relatively young industry — that was scary," she recalls.
Ultimately, PLC's lifestyle and mission won Sharon over. Sharon now writes how-to guides, practice notes and model documents for PLC four days a week, and retains the flexibility to work from home as needed.
"I very much enjoyed practicing law, but I easily got over the 'thrill' of getting a call on Friday for a deal signing Monday. If I can distill my experience into something straightforward that lawyers can use, that's pretty rewarding."
Benefits and Compensation Aplenty
Legal publishing jobs, of course, don't pay salaries commensurate with those of large firms, but the money is nothing to sneeze at. Publishers such as PLC, Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Bloomberg recognize that to attract and retain top talent, they must approximate, in some way, law firm compensation. Salaries for editorial/analyst attorneys at LexisNexis and Westlaw reportedly start around $70,000 and up, depending on job function and seniority. Roles that require more significant practice experience can pay much more.
Despite the flexible schedule and competitive pay, online legal publishing is not right for every attorney. Those who live for the "thrill of the deal" will miss the adrenaline rush of day-to-day practice, and junior attorneys may not have enough practice experience to inform their work. Applicants for editorial/analyst positions also require an especially rare talent among attorneys — plain English writing skills.
"Legal drafting is a different skill than regular writing, and my job involves both," says Sharon. "For lawyers, it can be tough to break the 'why use three words when ten will do' habit, but it is a necessary skill if you're going to succeed at this job."
And if Sharon hadn't discovered online legal publishing, where would she be now? "Probably at Cablevision. I guess I would still be trying to find something that worked for me within the traditional legal model. I'm not sure it exists, though."
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