Emerging Leaders Group Accelerator: Navigating Transitions

Legal careers rarely follow a straight line and especially early on, change can feel both exciting and uncertain. Whether you’re questioning your current role, considering a move in-house or to another firm, exploring the public sector, shifting practice areas, or simply wondering what comes next, Navigating Transitions meets attorneys where they are. This program is designed to help you make sense of career change and approach it with clarity, confidence, and intention.

Transitioning can feel isolating, particularly when these decisions aren’t discussed openly. At this ELG Accelerator Signature Event, you’ll hear real guidance for real career decisions from attorneys who’ve been there. Our panelists have navigated key transitions themselves and will share what they learned, what they would do differently, and how they stayed grounded through uncertainty. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Drawing on their diverse backgrounds, our panelists will address key questions such as:

• How do you know when it is the right time to pursue a change?
• When thinking about a transition, how can you ensure that your existing professional relationships remain strong and that your work continues to earn respect?
• What steps can you take to position yourself as a strong candidate for a role outside of a law firm, including in-house or in the public sector?
• How do you make a shift from associate to another role at your firm, including partner, of counsel, etc.?
• As an in-house attorney, how do you evaluate whether to return to private practice or make another change?
• What strategies help you make a strong first impression and integrate effectively into a new team?

The focus isn’t just on making a move—it’s on making a smart one. By preparing early, transitions become far less intimidating. You’ll gain practical strategies to recognize when it’s time for a change, position yourself as a strong candidate for new opportunities, protect your professional relationships and reputation, and make a strong first impression in a new role or team. Career growth doesn’t have to come at the expense of credibility or connection; you’ll learn how to maintain respect, trust, and momentum so each transition builds on the last.

Designed specifically for Emerging Leaders Group members, attorneys of color, and ally attorneys in their first 0–8 years of practice, this program reflects the complexity of navigating today’s legal profession. It provides a psychologically safe space to ask questions you may not feel comfortable raising elsewhere. You’ll walk away with clear frameworks for evaluating career moves, language for conversations about change, and a stronger sense of direction—leaving with clarity, not more questions.