How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Redesign Their Careers

Most lawyers know how to analyze cases, draft contracts, and argue persuasively. But when it comes to their own careers, many admit they never had a real strategy. They followed the “logical” path — law school, a first job, and then whatever came next. Years later, they realize the path no longer fits.

This is where design thinking becomes an invaluable tool. Originally developed for product and service innovation, it was brought into career development by Stanford professors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, authors of Designing Your Life. I have adapted their method specifically for lawyers, adding tools that reflect the structures, pressures, and culture of the legal profession. The result is a structured yet flexible way to rethink your career.

I’ve seen this approach transform the journeys of many coaching clients — from associates looking for more balance, to senior lawyers exploring entirely new directions.

Why Lawyers Struggle With Career Planning

Through my coaching work, I’ve noticed recurring patterns:

• • Boxed-in thinking. Many believe there are only a few “acceptable” roles in law.
  • Sunk cost fallacy. After so many years of study and practice, change feels wasteful or even disloyal.
  • Fear of uncertainty. Lawyers are trained to minimize risk, but career redesign requires experimenting with unknowns.

It’s no surprise that traditional career planning — a linear, step-by-step exercise — often fails lawyers.

Using Design Thinking for Legal Careers

Design thinking works differently. Its five phases — Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test — provide a roadmap for exploring possibilities without committing to risky leaps.

With clients, this process starts with Empathize: here, the “client” is you. What are your values, strengths, priorities, and non-negotiables? One lawyer realized that autonomy and meaningful relationships mattered more than prestige. That single insight reshaped her entire outlook.

The Define phase then reframes the challenge. Instead of “I hate my job,” the real question becomes: “What do I want that truly fits the picture I’ve just uncovered about myself?” That shift changes everything.

In Ideation, we brainstorm beyond the obvious. I love this stage, because once lawyers allow themselves to think freely, curiosity replaces fear. They begin to dream again. As one client put it: “For the first time in years, I felt excited instead of stuck.”

Crucially, no one jumps into a new job blindly. They Prototype — testing ideas through side projects, informational interviews, or short-term assignments. One lawyer tested her interest in mediation by volunteering in community dispute resolution before investing in formal training.

Finally, we Test and refine. By gathering feedback and reflecting, clients learn what truly works for them — lowering risks while building confidence step by step.

Examples of Career Redesign for Lawyers

Over the years, I’ve seen design thinking lead to very different outcomes:

1. Career change – A senior lawyer moved into a leadership role at a non-profit, applying her skills to human rights rather than corporate disputes.

2. Job change – An associate left a high-pressure international firm for an in-house position where she contributed to strategy while enjoying more balance.

3. Job redesign – A partner reframed his existing role by focusing more on mentoring and business development, rediscovering energy without leaving his firm.

Each path looked different, but the design process was the same: reflect, ideate, experiment, and adapt.

Beyond Career Planning

This article focuses on individual careers, but design thinking also has broader benefits. Law firms and legal departments increasingly use it to improve client service, streamline processes, and innovate in a rapidly changing environment. Understanding design thinking is therefore a double investment: in your career, and in your ability to deliver modern, client-centered legal work.

A Career You Design, Not Endure

Your career is not a one-time choice made at law school. It is a continuous design process. As life changes — and as the legal profession changes — you need tools to realign.

My coaching clients often tell me that the very first step, however small, gave them more clarity than years of overthinking. The lesson is simple but profound: clarity comes from action, not from waiting for the perfect plan.

Take the First Step Today

If you’re ready for deeper guidance and community, join the (Re)Design Your Legal Career program.

You don’t have to walk this path alone — and you deserve a career that excites you, whether in law or beyond.