The Power of Travel For Lawyers feat. Elaine Lee

May 6
3 min read

Elaine Lee is a lawyer, travel journalist, and author of Go Girl: The Black Woman’s Book of Travel and Adventure. In this episode, Elaine shares how she built a legal career rooted in civil rights work, how a trip to Paris changed the trajectory of her life, and how she designed a lifestyle that allows her to travel the world while still using her law degree.

About This Episode

Background

Elaine Lee began her legal career as a civil rights and women’s attorney, founding the first law center for battered women in California and helping create a coordinated response to domestic violence in her community. Her work was intense, purpose-driven, and deeply impactful, but it also demanded everything from her. At the time, travel and rest were not part of her identity. She was focused on advocacy, leadership, and building systems that did not previously exist.

“I suppose you would call me a workaholic being a civil rights woman’s attorney," shares Elaine Lee on You Are A Lawyer.

That pace defined her early career until an unexpected invitation to Paris shifted everything. What began as a reluctant vacation became a moment of clarity. For the first time, she saw a different way of living, one that included joy, exploration, and freedom alongside meaningful work.

Why Law School

Law school gave Elaine a foundation rooted in service, advocacy, and responsibility. Her early work reflects that commitment, from supporting survivors of domestic violence to building systems that changed how communities responded to harm. The law gave her tools to lead, organize, and protect others.

“I started the first law center for battered women in the country here in California," explains Elaine Lee on Episode 243 of You Are a Lawyer.

Over time, however, she began to see that the law could support more than one version of her life. It was not just a career path. It was a skillset she could use to create flexibility. That realization allowed her to expand beyond traditional expectations and begin designing a life that included both purpose and joy.

https://youtu.be/vO_e7kHIfqc

What Can You Do with a Law Degree

For Elaine, a law degree is not limiting. It is liberating. It provides the security to take risks, the credibility to move between spaces, and the confidence to trust that you will land on your feet. Whether working in philanthropy, managing investments, or running a law practice part-time, she has consistently used her legal training as a foundation for building a life on her own terms.

“I love being a lawyer that I live at choice," shares Elaine Lee on Episode 243 of You Are a Lawyer.

That sense of choice is what defines her career. Instead of allowing the profession to dictate her lifestyle, she used it to support the life she wanted. Her JD enabled her to travel, write, care for her family, and continue contributing meaningfully to others without being confined to a single path.

Lawyer Side Hustles

Elaine’s “side hustle” became her calling. After traveling the world, she pursued travel writing at a time when there were few, if any, examples of Black women doing that work. When traditional publishing avenues did not open, she created her own opportunity by developing an anthology featuring well-known Black women writers.

“I have figured out a way to combine my life as an attorney and my soul’s work as a travel journalist,” Elaine Lee expresses in Episode 243 of You Are a Lawyer.

Her work now centers on storytelling, global citizenship, and empowering women to see the world. Through her books, including Go Girl, she encourages others to travel, explore, and expand their sense of what is possible. Law remains part of her life, but it supports a broader purpose rooted in joy and connection.