“I’m throwing away my law degree. It took me 4 years to become a lawyer and I’ll put that aside for a while,” the former lawyer said. Karl Golenin a rather controversial LinkedIn post.
Its publication drew many skeptical comments about this unusual choice.
“A law degree is a great achievement in itself. It shows that you have shown discipline and perseverance. Even if you want to go in a different direction, don’t throw this degree in the trash! »
“Why throw away such a beautiful diploma? All the knowledge you have acquired about the legal system is now a part of you, no need to deny it. A career change is always possible (I went from lawyer to painter-writer), but you don’t have to trample on your past for that”.
Charles Goelen holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in law from the University of Montreal. This 2020 Bar was a lawyer at Lex Start, then at Atlas Legal before looking for a career change. Droit-inc met him.
Mr. Goelen, did you really throw away your law degree or did you keep it?
No no. It’s still there, prominently displayed on my wall. I know I said I threw my diploma in the trash, but I didn’t. It was more of a metaphor to say that I put the legal profession aside.
All the knowledge I acquired during my studies will benefit me in my next projects. I also use them to help people around me. This post was just for attention and I think it worked. I also made another release to correct the situation.
And what made you decide to study law in the first place? I read in your post that you were hesitating between a career as an engineer or a lawyer?
I was 19 at the time and at that age it’s always difficult to make decisions that can affect your life. Then I asked myself, “What profession will have the greatest impact in my community? engineer or lawyer? As you can imagine, I chose to be a lawyer. In my opinion, this career had a much better chance of being meaningful and visible in society.
How did you experience your law studies? Ever felt like you didn’t belong?
I will be totally honest. At the beginning of my Matura I had great difficulties with my school performance. In the first year, my z-score was 2,001. As the years progressed, the better I got. I graduated from high school with a Z mark of 3.4.
But I have to admit that I didn’t necessarily feel out of place in my law school. I don’t know if it’s the competitive aspect or the general atmosphere in the classes but yeah I definitely felt out of place.
On the other hand, I knew that my law degree would come in handy later on. I can’t repeat it often enough, a law degree would benefit everyone…even if you don’t want to be a lawyer afterwards!
Was there a specific moment when you realized that you didn’t want to work as a lawyer?
At the moment I am still registered with the Bar Association, I have no intention of deregistering as I have worked very hard to get there.
I think I realized in my second or third year of law school that I didn’t want to be a lawyer. At that time, I was exploring several other entrepreneurial ventures that allowed me to discover other career opportunities that I found much more appealing than that of a lawyer.
I’m not a very literary person and I don’t like paperwork. I much prefer to work with the data that we get in certain scientific experiments, for example. That’s really why I want to make a career change.
What advice would you give to people like you who are reluctant to give up their legal career or even law school?
I don’t know if I have the experience to offer advice at this level, but I would advise against it for people thinking of dropping out of law school. These studies will really serve you in the future.
Retiring as a lawyer is another matter. It depends on your situation, but if you have a clear goal in mind and know your legal career won’t get you there, it might be worth it.
Me, for example, if I had chosen a career as a lawyer I could have had a lot of success, but not necessarily the kind I’m looking for. Again, I don’t know if you should listen to me because I’m just at the beginning of my career change!
Do you ever think about becoming a lawyer again or not?
I would tell you right away, no, I have no plans to resume my legal services. Of course I have no intention of leaving the bar anytime soon as it’s still something I’ve been fighting for… I worked hard to get that title there so I’ll honor it for as long as I can hold. However, I am not ruling out the possibility of continuing to work in an advisory capacity.
What are your plans for the future?
I’ve been working behind the scenes on a heart project since July. I will be promoting local businesses online with my new business called EVOLVD. I know I might make some mistakes but be patient I will do my best. All the lessons I received in the law will not be lost!