Big Sis Briefing: How to Get the Most Out of a Career Clarity Session as a Lawyer

I have sat across from hundreds of lawyers who thought they were the only ones feeling stuck.

Senior Associates who years billing their lives away, wondering if partnership is even worth it. Mid career in house counsel who realised the promised work life balance was a lie. Graduates who picked corporate law because it seemed safe and prestigious and now feel trapped. GCs who built entire legal functions but have no idea what they want next.

They all showed up to a career clarity session hoping I had an answer. The truth is simpler. They already had the answer and they just needed permission to act on it.

Hi, I’m Mel. 👋 I spent more than 15 years working as a corporate lawyer, senior legal counsel and eventually Head of Legal for Asia Pacific at a global tech company. I have worked across commercial, tech, SaaS, data, procurement and high growth environments. I led major digital transformation projects including a contract lifecycle management rollout during peak COVID. I rebuilt legal teams from scratch. I managed external counsel across multiple regions. I handled the politics, the restructures, the burnout and the pressure of being the only lawyer (and often the only woman) in the room.

I have also made every classic legal career mistake. Stayed too long in toxic firms. Chased titles that did not matter. Ignored my instincts because I thought I should want what everyone around me wanted.

In June 2025, I walked away from all of it to build something different. I now work as a content creator, legal media mogul, business strategist and professional career mentor. I coach lawyers through the exact decisions I used to wrestle with alone. Not because I have all the answers but because I know how the industry works behind the scenes and I know what actually matters for long term career satisfaction.

If you are searching for career clarity, here is how to get the most from a session.

What most lawyers are actually asking

The surface question is clean. Should I move in house. Should I leave this firm. Am I ready to be a GC?

The real question underneath is not clean. Am I allowed to want something different. What if I make the wrong choice. Will this decision ruin the past five years of work. What if I never find something better?

These are the questions you will never raise in a performance review. They only come out when you feel safe enough to be honest.

Most sessions hit one of these pressure points. You feel undervalued and want confirmation that you are not imagining it. You want to transition from private practice to in house but do not know how to position yourself. You are burned out and unsure whether all legal jobs feel this draining or if you just picked the wrong one. You are mid career and stuck between a promotion you do not want and a change that terrifies you.

If any of that sounds familiar, nothing is wrong with you. You are at a decision point that law school never prepared you for.

What to bring

You do not need anything polished. I am not here to grade you. I need to see where you are and where you think you want to go.

Bring your CV or a rough draft. Bring your LinkedIn profile or at least know what it says. Bring a list of roles you have been looking at even if they feel unrealistic. Bring your fears. The real ones. The ones you would never say out loud in your firm’s kitchen.

Write down one or two specific questions. Should I change practice areas. Am I ready for an in house role. Will leaving this firm damage my reputation. These questions anchor the conversation and keep us focused on your next move instead of broad theory.

The patterns I see over and over

You already know the answer.

Most lawyers know exactly what they want before they walk into the session.

They know the job is wrong. They know which opportunity excites them. They know they want more. They are not looking for information. They are looking for permission. I am not here to give you permission but I will say this: if you keep waiting for a perfect plan, you will wait forever.

You underestimate what you bring.

Lawyers are notorious for minimising their own value. You think your skills only count if they fit a job ad. When we map your experience, we find project management, advisory skills, leadership moments and commercial thinking that transfer across a dozen legal roles. You are not starting from zero. You are just not seeing the full picture.

You fear the unknown more than the wrong job. I have watched lawyers stay in environments that are slowly hollowing them out because the opposite feels vague. Once we break down what moving in house involves or what a senior associate pathway requires or what a portfolio career could look like, the fear shrinks. It does not vanish, but it stops controlling the decision.

What we actually do in the session

We map your goals without corporate jargon. Where do you want to be in two years. What work feels energising. What work drains you. What role would make you feel like you are using your mind properly?

We look at your values.

These drive your career more than you think. Your values explain why certain environments feel right and others feel suffocating. This tells us whether you need autonomy, mentorship, challenge or stability.

We review your options.

Real options. Not theoretical ones. We look at roles outside Big Law. Lateral shifts. Moving in house without taking a pay cut. Navigating mid career pivots. Fractional work. Portfolio careers. Building toward GC roles. We talk about what is possible today, not in an idealised future.

If you want help with personal branding or LinkedIn strategy, we work through practical steps that build visibility without taking hours out of your week.

You leave with a plan you can follow immediately.

Clear actions.

Clear direction.

No fluff.

How to prepare before you book

Be honest about your current role. Is this firm developing you or draining you. Are you respected or tolerated. Is the work aligned with your strengths or are you surviving it. If most answers point in the wrong direction, listen to that.

Define the feeling you want more of in your next role. Support. Autonomy. Challenge. Calm. Stability. Energy. Name it before you search for roles.

Expect clarity, not magic. You will leave with direction and confidence. You still have to take the step.

Stop overthinking.

There is no perfect time to make a move. There is only the next smart step with the information you have.

What you actually get

If you show up ready, you leave with your next steps, a clear direction, a sharper sense of your strengths, a realistic plan and support from someone who has done the jobs you are aiming for. I have been a senior counsel, a Head of Legal, a fractional GC, a mentor and a strategist. I know how the industry moves and how real careers grow inside it today, now.

Most lawyers say the same thing when the session ends: “I wish I had done this sooner”.

If you are ready

If you have been searching for career coaching for lawyers, legal career advice, support with an in house transition, clarity on a mid career pivot or help planning a move as a senior associate, this is what a clarity session gives you. You walk away knowing your options, your next step, and how to take control of your legal career.

You can book here.

I am ready when you are.

💖

Mel