Anastasia Pryanikova
Anastasia Pryanikova has made the journey from Russia to the United States and from law to life coaching. Below, after the jump, is an interview with Pryanikova which details her experiences as a student of law and her journey into using her law degree to accomplish her career goals.
Anastasia Pryanikova is a certified life coach, transformation catalyst, and the principal and founder of E-Studio, LLC, a company dedicated to empowering service professionals to embrace their potential, reinvent themselves, and experience life as a learning journey that they can approach with clarity, peace, and joy.
To coaching, Anastasia brings her experience in linguistics, ESL instruction, and law. She worked as a corporate attorney at the Institute of Corporate Governance in Moscow, Russia and later as an attorney-advisor at the U.S. Small Business Administration. Anastasia earned her M.A. in Linguistics and J.D. at the University of Iowa. She is licensed to practice law in the states of Illinois and New York.
Anastasia publishes Lawsagna blog, which offers “alternating layers of thoughts, tips, tricks, and other ingredients to live and learn well in law and beyond.”
Anastasia currently resides in Stamford, CT.
Q: What motivated you to leave law the law profession and how easy was it for you to make that transition?
A: The preparation to leave the practice of law was gradual for me – over a span of several years. It was like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. That puzzle was about figuring out my personal interests, strengths, and aspirations. I came to the U.S. first as an exchange student from Russia, studying linguistics, and later decided to go to law school. After I got my JD and passed the Illinois bar, I went back to Russia to work as an attorney on a project that dealt with the restructuring of the Russian energy sector. It was exciting, I met some great lawyers, the project was in the papers and on the news, but I was less thrilled with the actual legal work of document review and drafting.
After returning to the US, I took a job as an attorney-advisor for the U.S. Small Business Administration in the disaster assistance program. I liked working directly with my clients, being able to help people was very gratifying. I was always interested in self-improvement and after my own life transitions and later seeing people rebuilding their lives after disasters, I began seriously studying the subject of change, learning, and human potential. This ultimately led me to get a life coach certification and found my training and coaching company. The timing was good after my daughter was born and we relocated to Connecticut. I wanted to have more freedom over my time and lifestyle. The skills I learned in law school and law practice, such as critical thinking, risk assessment, questioning are all very valuable in coaching.
I wasn’t miserable in law, rather I was pulled by other passions and interests that I felt I couldn’t pursue fully in the traditional law practice. And I really wanted to be an entrepreneur. As any transition, it required planning and preparation both mentally and financially. I was lucky to have the support of my family.
Q: What are some unique opportunities that await students who obtain law degrees that they may not be aware of?
A: If you look at the law degree as a set of skills rather than a career track, the opportunities are limited only by your imagination. You can find lawyers who become authors, entrepreneurs, professors, financial planners, lobbyists, politicians, legal reporters, international development officers. Lawyers run businesses and non-profits. At one point, I was considering to become a knowledge management or learning and development specialist at a law firm.
Q: What advice do you give to high school and college students who do not know if law school or the legal field is right for them?
A: Learn as much as you can about the actual practice of law. For example, I enjoyed the intellectual rigor of law school, but I knew little of the actual legal paper work, which is very different form a law school class. So, I’d say, talk to lawyers who do what you think you may like, and talk to those who left the law practice. Try to get a variety of perspectives. There are many misconceptions out there about the practice and business of law. There are also different routes to pursue: private practice, government, non-profit. Learn about the benefits and downsides of each.
It is also crucial to reflect on your own interests, goals, passions, and strengths. Think broadly about what kind of person you want to be and what skills you want to develop in life. I like to think of life as a learning journey: we test things out and make adjustments as needed. There is a lot of pressure to decide on a career for life, but it’s just not always possible because we change and our life circumstances change. We can only do the best with what we have right now.
Finally, be receptive to other people’s opinions, but realize that they won’t live your life for you. It’s your choice in the end.
Q: Are there certain characteristics or abilities that are essential to pursue a legal education and profession?
A: Self-discipline is a must because legal education and law practice require long hours of intensive work. Responsibility is another important characteristic because lawyers deal with deadlines and are trusted with other people’s assets. Empathy, or the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes, is important to understand all parties, interests and issues. Also, law practice is a business, it requires business and communication skills. As a coach and wellness advocate, I would add that mindful awareness helps a lot both in practice and in managing stress that is often part of the legal profession.
Q: How can students approach the law school admissions process and law school while maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle?
A: They have to figure out what they need to function mentally and emotionally at their best. Unfortunately, in my coaching practice, I see that students and young lawyers are rarely taught how to learn best, how to manage stress and negative thoughts, how to maintain optimum performance long-term. Those who master these skills are ahead of the game. It’s important to get enough sleep because that’s when our brains consolidate memories. I advise students to schedule times for physical exercise, relaxation, and social interactions outside law school and treat them as all other important items on their calendar. Both exercise and nutrition are important for the mental performance. Our brains use over 20% of the oxygen and nutrients we consume. Law school is stressful a lot of times, and so is the actual law practice, so students need to learn how to manage stress. Prolonged stress damages our health and our brains. As I mentioned above, mindful awareness practices, such as breathing, meditation, walks in nature can be very beneficial. Finally, law school can be a very intense place with conversations that often lead to worries and anxieties, so it helps to have a strong support system outside law school. Surround yourself with people who can remind you that your self-worth has nothing to do with what you learn or do at the moment and who can help you stay centered, confident and determined to work towards your goals.
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March 9, 2009 at 3:16 am
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