I've started something new - teaching financial literacy specifically to attorneys. It might sound strange at first. Why would highly educated professionals need basic financial education?
Here's what I discovered: law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer, not how to manage money like one. Many attorneys I've met are brilliant legal minds who struggle with personal finance basics. They're earning good money but don't know how to make it work for them.
The gap is real and it's significant. I've talked to partners who don't understand their own retirement plans. Associates drowning in student loans without a clear repayment strategy. Solo practitioners mixing personal and business finances in ways that would make any CFO cringe.
So I designed a curriculum specifically for the legal profession. We cover the basics - budgeting, investing, debt management - but through the lens of a legal career. How do you budget with irregular billing cycles? What investment strategies work when you might make partner in seven years? How do you plan for taxes when your income could double overnight?
The response has been overwhelming. Attorneys are signing up faster than I expected. They're hungry for this knowledge but want it delivered by someone who understands their unique challenges.
What surprises me most is how engaged they are. These are people who bill by the six-minute increment, yet they're dedicating hours to understanding compound interest and index funds. They ask sharp questions and challenge assumptions - exactly what you'd expect from trained lawyers.
This feels like the beginning of something bigger. The legal profession needs better financial education, and I'm excited to be part of the solution. If this pilot program goes well, I'm already planning expansions to other cities and practice areas.
Sometimes the best opportunities come from unexpected places. Who knew that combining financial expertise with legal industry knowledge could create such value?