Dear Listers,

I have decided to make some career adjustments in 2002 and would like to
impose upon the list members for some direction and advice.  I am a
corporate lawyer 5 ½  years out of law school, a docent at a museum in DC,
and spent a few years at Parsons School of Design (before law school)
working on a masters in curatorial studies (a degree they no longer offer
since becoming part of the New School).  I want to combine my legal
experience with my love of museums and interest in art education, but want
to pursue options other than practicing law for a museum.  I am not sure
how feasible this is, so I thought it best to first run my ideas by some
professionals.

As a corporate lawyer I have a lot of experience with corporate governance
and management issues that I think could be useful to many different types
of large organizations.  In my practice I spend a great deal of time
analyzing organizational issues and crafting solutions, assessing risks and
determining how best to protect a client from them, and obtaining funding
and allocating and managing these funds once raised.  I would think such
experience would be useful to a museum administrator.

In one recent ad I saw for an Associate Director, the job description
sounds like something for which I would be well suited.  And since the
Associate Director reports to both a Director and an Assistant Director I
thought maybe applying for a position like this with no actual museum
administration experience wouldn’t be hideously overreaching. But I really
don't know if this assumption is nothing more than lawyerly conceit. (I am
not certain why lawyers think they can do anything - I assure you it's not
a required course in law school - but I am aware that most of us do think
this about ourselves).

Do you think my legal experience and art background be well received or
would those assessing my application set it aside in favor of true museum
professionals with lots of actual museum experience?

If you were reviewing an application from someone like me do you think
you'd be intrigued enough to consider me a viable candidate?  If so, what
part of my legal (or other) experience would you deem most valuable?

Any and all comments, suggestions and advice are welcome and appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your time and your ideas!

Regards,

Annemarie Rice

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