A. This is a good question. The answer turns on the lawyer’s goal. In my view, it’s often worth a lawyer’s time to write on the side of law, particularly if her goal is to generate business (e.g., drive traffic to a firm’s website or to get noticed by potential clients in the local community), gain recognition as an expert, beef up a resume, or to keep active in the law while on a career detour or between jobs. If making money is the goal, though there is money to be made as a freelance writer, a lawyer might find it helpful to keep the money rolling in from her day job, while she builds her writing business. In other words, don’t quit your day job yet, at least not until you’ve done some research and maybe built up your savings. At the very least, read this L.A. Time’s article, Freelance Writing’s Unfortunate New Model, to see where the money is–and isn’t–at in 2010. If the goal of freelance writing is to follow a writing dream, for restorative purposes, or to improve work/life balance, writing for free or low-pay may just turn out to be the winning lottery ticket to the life of your dreams.

If writing and getting published is your dream, I’m glad you’ve found this blog.  Whether you’d like to start your own blog or already have one, get your byline in a glossy magazine, or eventually see your own novel on Amazon, it’s my hope that you’ll bookmark The Published Lawyer and come back regularly for a dose of inspiration.

What’s unique about this blog is that I get your type.  I’m one, too–a lawyer, that is.  I spend a good chunk of my time writing, blogging, teaching, and talking about ways in which lawyers can create or carve out dream paths within or alongside the law. 

Whether you’re practicing full or part-time, a lawyer turned stay-at-home parent, unemployed, or looking for the legal onramp after a career detour or timeout, you can make your writing dream happen. If you’re motivated to write and get your work published, regardless of your motivation (e.g., attracting new clients, increasing your visibility in the legal profession, making money, becoming the next big name in publishing), now is the time to dig up that writing dream that may have been buried years ago beneath your files and work/life responsibilities.

I always appreciate feedback and ideas for improving my site or content, so please drop me an email at julie [*at*] publishedlawyer [*dot*] com or leave a comment if you have something to say.

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