You Are A Lawyer: Take Risks and Change Careers in Law

Suing the Government for Student Loan Relief feat. Francesca Chang

Francesca Chang is a lawyer, former travel blogger, and entrepreneur who sued the U.S. Department of Education to discharge nearly $260,000 in student loan debt. In this episode, Francesca shares what it was like to declare bankruptcy, represent herself pro se, and fight for relief in a system with a historic 0.1 percent success rate. Lawyer Side Hustles Before pursuing bankruptcy relief, Francesca built multiple careers outside traditional practice. From legal marketing to entrepreneurship to travel blogging in Taiwan, she consistently followed alignment over expectation. “Don’t let the debt keep you strapped to something you don’t want to do,” Francesca Chang expresses in Episode 233 of You Are a Lawyer. Her journey reflects the broader YAAL theme that a law degree is a tool, not a cage. Whether building businesses abroad or litigating pro se against the Department of Education, Francesca’s path demonstrates that lawyers can redefine success on their own terms. This episode is produced by Skip the Boring Stuff [https://www.skiptheboringstuff.com/], a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.

Finding Your Niche in Legal Operations with SeNita McRae (October 2022)

SeNita McRae is a legal operations professional with a background in broadcast journalism, public administration, and law. In this episode, SeNita shares how she built a thriving career in eDiscovery and legal operations, why passing the bar was not required for her success, and how every degree she earned eventually fit together. What Can You Do with a Law Degree After law school, SeNita’s career took an unexpected turn into eDiscovery and legal operations. Starting as a project attorney in document review, she gradually moved into litigation support, preservation coordination, and eventually legal operations roles embedded within large corporate environments. “This is an industry that I would stay in," explains SeNita McRae, on this episode of You Are a Lawyer. Her legal training allowed her to translate complex technical concepts for attorneys while also working directly with vendors and internal teams. SeNita’s experience shows how a JD can be a powerful credential even without bar licensure, particularly in operational, technology driven legal roles. This episode is produced by Skip the Boring Stuff [https://www.skiptheboringstuff.com/], a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.

Building a Values Aligned Legal Career with John Lopez

John Lopez is the Legal Director of the Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project [http://ysrp.org/], where he supports children charged as adults across Pennsylvania. In this episode, John shares how combining law and social work allowed him to practice in alignment with his values, and why treating people as people is central to meaningful legal advocacy. Lawyer Side Hustles Outside of his legal role, John co-founded a nonprofit called Toolshed Boxing with his sister, providing trauma-informed boxing and yoga programs for kids in the Lehigh Valley. While the programs involve physical movement, the real focus is connection, mindfulness, and helping young people feel safe in their bodies. “The real transformative thing is the relationship,” John Lopez expresses in Episode 231 of You Are a Lawyer. Through both his legal and community work, John demonstrates that advocacy can take many forms. Whether in courtrooms, classrooms, or parks, his work centers on presence, care, and helping people reconnect with themselves. This episode is produced by Skip the Boring Stuff [https://www.skiptheboringstuff.com/], a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.

When Being a Lawyer No Longer Fits with Casey Berman

Casey Berman is the founder of Leave Law Behind [https://go.leavelawbehind.com/home] and a former in-house lawyer who helps attorneys transition into careers that better align with their skills, values, and lives. In this episode, Casey shares how he left traditional legal practice, built a remote business from Hawaii, and helps lawyers rethink identity, risk, and what fulfillment can look like after law. Lawyer Side Hustles Casey began Leave Law Behind in 2008 by writing online about his own experience leaving law. What started as a personal, cathartic project eventually gained traction as lawyers around the world resonated with his story and reached out for support. “People started reaching out and saying, can you help me and I will pay you for your time,” Casey Berman expresses in Episode 230 of You Are a Lawyer. Today, Leave Law Behind is a robust platform offering resources, coaching, and guidance to lawyers exploring new paths. Casey’s work reflects how side projects, creativity, and experimentation can grow into meaningful careers, especially when lawyers allow themselves to try something new without attaching to a specific outcome. This episode is produced by Skip the Boring Stuff [https://www.skiptheboringstuff.com/], a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.

What Justice Looks Like When You Start With People feat. Bianca Van Heydoorn

Bianca Van Heydoorn is the Executive Director of the Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project [https://www.ysrp.org/] in Philadelphia. In this episode, Bianca shares how criminal sociology, reentry work, and lived experience shaped her leadership, and why meaningful justice work starts with proximity, dignity, and seeing young people as children first. Lawyer Side Hustles and Parallel Work While Bianca is not a lawyer, her work runs parallel to legal advocacy. She leads an organization committed to holistic legal support, positive youth development, and adolescent brain science, while also building sustainable infrastructure so the work can continue long term. “We should not be living to work but work should be an adjunct to our life,” Bianca Van Heydoorn expresses in Episode 229 of You Are a Lawyer. Bianca is also deeply intentional about leadership succession. She is actively working to prepare YSRP for a future executive director with lived experience of incarceration, reflecting her commitment to stewardship, shared power, and building institutions that last beyond any one leader. This episode is produced by Skip the Boring Stuff [https://www.skiptheboringstuff.com/], a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.