Episode 183: From Practicing Law to Consulting with Law Firms on Strategy, Operations, and Growth

One of the questions I hear most frequently from lawyers who are unhappy practicing law is: What else can I do with a law degree?

Making that transition can be difficult, particularly when you've spent years building expertise and credibility as a lawyer and suddenly find yourself trying to convince employers that your skills translate to something very different.

My guest on this episode of Counsel to Counsel is Shireen Hilal, CEO of Maior, a consulting firm that helps law firms and other professional services firms improve their strategy, operations, growth, and profitability.

Shireen began her career as a BigLaw litigator and practiced for about a decade before moving to the business side of professional services. She went on to hold senior roles at BDO and KPMG, served as COO of a national law firm, led growth for a communications consulting firm, and ultimately launched her own consulting business.

What makes Shireen's story particularly useful for lawyers contemplating a career change is that she did not have an MBA or a traditional background in business, strategy, or operations. She had to figure out how to translate her legal experience into something employers could understand and value. She also had to deal with a lot of rejection along the way.

In our conversation, we discuss how she figured out what interested her, how she broke into her first nonlegal role, the value of persistence and preparation, and which skills from practicing law proved most transferable.

We also talk about the importance of curiosity, networking, taking initiative, and being willing to do more than simply submit a résumé. For lawyers who know they want something different but aren't sure what comes next, Shireen's career is a good reminder that leaving legal practice does not mean throwing away your legal training.

Key Takeaways

• Your first move out of legal practice may be the hardest one. Shireen sent out many résumés and experienced a lot of rejection before BDO was willing to take a chance on her. She also took a pay cut to make the transition.
• Applying for jobs may not be enough. Shireen tried to identify the decision-maker and contact that person directly, explaining why she was interested and what she thought she could contribute despite lacking the traditional experience.
• Networking and persistence can help bridge the experience gap. Shireen succeeded largely through cold outreach, but we also discuss why relationships can make a career transition easier and why being able to hear "no" and keep going matters.
• Taking initiative can change the trajectory of your career. As a first-year associate doing document review, Shireen identified important documents, organized them, and brought them directly to the senior partner. That initiative quickly led to greater responsibility.
• Legal skills can be highly transferab