People assume that lawyers make a lot of money, and many do, but others are looking for gigs on the side to maximize their income. Whether you want to pay off your law school debt faster or don’t want to wait long to come up with a down payment for a new home, these are great ways for lawyers to make some side income.
Side hustles aren’t just for recent college grads or people working part-time. For example, many lawyers are jumping on the side hustle bandwagon. According to the Zapier survey, 36% of adults have a side job to increase their income, and 24% plan to adopt a side hustle shortly.
Fortunately for lawyers, a law degree is versatile and can be helpful in many types of jobs. That may be the reason you pursued a law degree in the first place. However, you may also find that your law degree is lucrative when applied to many other professions, such as research and writing, teaching, and providing general legal services.
Of course, you must check that you have not signed anything with your current employer that would preclude any of these side hustles. Review your contracts and check before taking on a new client.
The following is a list of side hustles designed primarily for lawyers.
- Legal writing and research
- Teaching Law Classes
- Writing a Law-Related Books
- Freelance Legal Services
- Coaching for Other Lawyers
Legal writing is a good choice for a side job if you have a knack for writing. Make sure, however, that none of your work conflicts with your current job commitments. For example, you can write journals in scholarly legal publications and research freelance. You might have taken some legal writing jobs at the beginning of your career. Therefore, you may find that writing legal briefs, memos, and articles is an easy side hustle.
You can teach law classes as part of a faculty or on an informal basis. If you did well in law school and like teaching, this could be a great job to pursue in your spare time. In addition, teaching law can give you a refreshed perspective on your profession. Finally, you can teach online or in person and even tutor law students who need extra assistance to pass the bar exam.
Since the educational requirements to become a lawyer are pretty rigorous, teaching and tutoring opportunities abound. You can become an LSAT tutor and help students taking pre-law courses, the LSAT, and those currently enrolled in law school. In addition, since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Zoom has opened new doors for teachers and tutors, so you can educate students wherever they are.
Writing law-related books is another way to put your legal knowledge to good use and make extra money. Almost everyone needs a lawyer at some point, and they are bound to have questions. Books can be an informative guide for choosing a lawyer or getting legal counsel.
If you want a bit of fun and creativity, you can write novels and thrillers with a legal theme or true crime from a legal perspective. You could even become the next Scott Turow, a lawyer famous for his legal thrillers, such as Presumed Innocent. You may even consider writing a pilot of a Netflix series about a law firm or a treatment for a law-related movie.
You can offer freelance legal services related to your education, experience, and availability. You can find prospective clients on UpCounsel, a kind of Upwork for lawyers, and you can even use Upwork itself. Look for other platforms connecting you with prospective clients looking for legal advice, clarification of documents, or other legal services.
Life and career coaching are in vogue, and there seems to be a coach for everything. You can coach other lawyers on anything from handling clients, setting up a firm, and organizing your schedule. Working at a firm can be highly competitive, and new lawyers may not find the support they need to get started. Coaches can encourage new layers and give them strategies to succeed and achieve an optimal work/life balance.
