‘Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously’: Advice On Side Hustles From A Lawyer Turned TV Star

Alan Barinholtz (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)

Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day.

Don’t take yourself too seriously, and if there is something you love, do it. [It’s important to make a living, but] there are other things beyond the law. Find that thing that makes you feel good and stay relevant.

— Alan Barinholtz, a personal injury lawyer who starred as Judge Alan Rosen in the Amazon Prime TV series “Jury Duty,” in comments given to the American Lawyer on how skills from side hustles can help in a career as an attorney. “Improv was a huge asset. What I learned more than anything: be prepared. Know your [stuff]. Know the facts. Know the law,” he told Am Law. “And then if you have the ability, improvise.”

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.