• A lot of studying. I went from chapter 11/bankruptcy litigation to real estate private equity (to a firm I co-founded). We can all read, so pick what area you want to do, and study. I’d say it took me six months of studying before I was comfortable doing purchase and sale agreements, commercial leases, and pricing properties. But being a bankruptcy lawyer, I was exposed to a lot of different businesses, etc., especially representing landlords.

Counsel Responses:

• Seek mentorship from an attorney in the practice area you want to move into. You may need to be willing to accept a more junior role in your new area to get your foot in the door and start gaining experience.