Most students come to law school with the intention of becoming a lawyer. But not all.

Some pursue a law degree for the intellectual rigor it entails. Others do it knowing they can use the degree in a different way, in a so-called “J.D.-preferred” or “J.D.-advantage” career.

The options for J.D. graduates who never intend to practice law are endless. The traditional choices include banking, regulation, government, health care, insurance and academia. Yet there are other nontraditional career opportunities, such as those in the nonprofit world, public relations and executive coaching.

Creighton Lawyer magazine spoke with four Creighton University School of Law graduates who decided to pursue a different career path with their law degrees.

Tech Startup Administrator

Lisa Andrus, a 2003 graduate and chief operating officer of tech startup Hye Tech Network & Security Solutions LLC, in Phoenix had aspirations to work in public service when she began law school in the fall of 2000.

A trip to the Dominican Republic with other law students in her third year of law school solidified that interest and “serving disadvantaged children would remain a constant in my life, regardless of where I go,” she said.

Andrus did work for a time as an attorney. She landed her first job out of law school with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Arizona as a deputy county attorney. Before long, though, she was transferred to a sex crimes division and her work focused on the production and distribution of child pornography.

“Those cases were challenging, gut-wrenching and meticulous, all woven into one,” Andrus said. “(The job) was a realized dream and a privilege to serve the community, helping families through a tumultuous time and being the voice for those unable to speak up for themselves.”

Andrus worked in this role for a number of years, but trial schedules were often rigorous and could last for six to eight weeks at a time. Once she was a mother, it was difficult to maintain this schedule and finding work that was challenging, unique and semiflexible became her goal.

“Hye Tech has always been a part of my life as it was founded by my husband, Saro, in 2005,” she said. “While he focuses on clients and engineering, my focus has been on the opposite side of the house: hiring, employee benefits, contracts, finance, state/local government and education procurement and more.”

Andrus said a J.D. isn’t needed for all the areas she oversees.

“However, it is extremely beneficial and encouraged,” she said. “Every aspect of what I work on daily contains legal analysis, contracts, negotiations and risk evaluation. I have always been grateful to Creighton for my education. It gave me a professional edge that I would not otherwise have. It also instilled an instinct and perspective that many nonlawyers may not possess.”

While Andrus’ everyday career has changed tremendously from her original vision of how to use her law degree, she still has held close her desire to help children.

“I had to find something within the legal community to advocate for children, and I am the judge pro tem for Maricopa County,” she said. “Throughout the year, I cover a criminal or family calendar when the commissioner is out ill or on vacation. I also serve as a surrogate parent for the Arizona Department of Education. My legal background is a significant asset in navigating that environment for children who are wards of the state.’’

Legal Documentary Filmmaker

“From a young age, I always thought I would become a lawyer or a doctor,” said Krissy Hamm, a owner and producer at Unpaved Road Productions and Pretrial Productions in Omaha.

After graduating with honors from Creighton School of Law in 2005, she began her career in legal defense at the Douglas County Public Defender’s Office.

“I loved that job, but after having my second child, I went part time with a private firm,” Hamm said. “I later broke both my arms in a biking accident and had to have a series of surgeries. At this point, I decided to take a step back and stay home with my kids for a while.

Hamm said she was debating whether she should change directions before the accident, but that solidified her decision.

“I had always intended to go back to practicing law as the kids got older, but after being home for a year or so, I took up photography and filmmaking as a hobby,” Hamm said.

Filmmaking has since turned into a career for Hamm. She is commissioned by individuals, nonprofits and businesses to produce short documentaries.

“A plaintiff’s attorney, who had seen my work, asked if I could produce a longer, more in-depth documentary for one of his cases to aid in settlement negotiations,” Hamm said. “It has been successful and led to more work in adding legal settlement documentaries to my repertoire.”

Hamm utilizes her J.D. “all the time” when producing films.

“It helps with communication on the front end, spelling out what the agreement is as far as what I am being hired to do,” she said. “I deal with intellectual property and copyright issues. I draft different releases for different projects and my training in contracts helps in that. I use my legal knowledge on the business and incorporation side of things.”

Hamm said she could do the work she does without a law degree, but she wouldn’t be nearly as good at it.

“A law degree is never wasted, even if you don’t end up practicing law,” Hamm said. “Attorneys trust me to put the case together in a legally relevant and emotionally compelling way. I think understanding how to construct a story specifically for a legal purpose is not something someone could be very effective at unless they had gone through that legal training.”

Public Health Advocate

Debra Gerardi, a 1992 law graduate, is a conflict engagement specialist and a professional certified coach with her own business in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Gerardi went to law school never intending to be an attorney.

“I did not have an interest in practicing law in a traditional sense,” Gerardi said. “I was already working as a critical care nurse, and I was looking to supplement my health care background with a law degree, given the highly regulated nature of working in and leading health care organizations.”

During her last semester of law school, she worked for a senator and lived in Washington, D.C.

“I was responsible for health policy issues and had the opportunity to complete the fellowship and then return to Creighton to graduate with my class,” she said.

Gerardi moved to Los Angeles after graduation and worked at the UCLA Medical Center, where she completed her master’s degree in public health with an emphasis on health policy and administration.

“Because of my law degree, I was able to work on several policy projects and I was able to use my legal education to manage union-related issues and participate in statewide union negotiations,” she said.

Mediation is a skill Gerardi picked up while working in Los Angeles, and she completed mediation training at the Los Angeles County Bar Association. In 1999, Gerardi started a private mediation practice, working with national and international health care organizations to resolve disputes and improve work relations.

As part of her mediation practice, Gerardi began to receive requests for executive coaching from leaders seeking enhanced skills in addressing conflict and managing complex organizations.

In 2011, Gerardi completed a certification as a professional coach and shifted her work toward executive and team coaching and consulting services with health care, government, high-tech and academic organizations.

“My law degree helps me appreciate the complexities of the legal and regulatory constraints my clients are working within and it is useful to me as a business owner in managing contracts, business operations and legal issues associated with my private practice,” Gerardi said.

Commercial Real Estate Broker

John Heine, a 2005 law graduate and a commercial real estate broker at Investors Realty Inc. in Omaha, knew that working for a law firm was never in his future.

“But I thought it was important to obtain more education after I finished my undergraduate studies with a degree in finance,” he said.

Heine pursued Creighton’s dual J.D./MBA program.

“I knew that a law degree would be valuable, but never foresaw myself working for a big law firm,” Heine said. “To be fair, I don’t think the big law firm would have wanted me either.”

Heine’s day-to-day has him working in transaction-oriented tasks regarding sales and leases of property.

“I am constantly reading leases, purchase agreements and other contracts. I’m also communicating with real estate attorneys on a daily basis,” Heine said. “Knowing how the world works from a legal perspective is very valuable.”

Heine advises students who are interested in law but aren’t sure about being an attorney to pursue the education anyway.

“A law degree shows you were able to work hard and complete a rigorous program,” Heine said. “I wouldn’t feel disappointed if you aren’t working at a large firm. Frankly, I wouldn’t have enjoyed the culture. I enjoy not being glued to my desk, touring buildings, meeting clients and customers at their locations, earning a commission when the work is done and making investments happen. I help clients build or create something which provides a lot of gratification.”

Editor’s Note: A version of this article appeared in the Fall 2019 Creighton Lawyer magazine.