Former Ohio State linebacker Andrew Sweat admits he had a hard time deciding between law school and a potential NFL career. But renewed concerns about the effects of concussions made law school a no-brainer.

"Concussion symptoms didn't want to risk it," Sweat, 23, tweeted after he skipped the Cleveland Browns' rookie mini-camp last week. "Health trumps football any day."

That's a complete reversal from Sweat's comments about a potential legal career last month: "I don't want to sit behind a desk," he told the Columbus Dispatch after he got accepted to five law schools. "I want to continue playing [football] as long as I can."

A "scary" incident last Friday, however, changed Sweat's mind for good.

Introducing our Ex-Lawyer of the Week: Susan Hanover.

A former corporate and labor-law attorney in her native South Africa, Hanover no longer crafts legal arguments for clients. Instead, she crafts a dazzling array of designer jewelry for customers and high-fashion retailers worldwide.

Hanover launched her first collection in 2005 after years of designing jewelry as a hobby -- and after moving with her husband to the United States, where she is not licensed to practice law. "So really I fell into this by default, you could say," Hanover said.

As prospective students consider their law-school options, some may be wondering about law schools that aren't accredited by the ABA. What's the difference -- and what's the big deal, anyway?

In general, earning a Juris Doctor from one of the 200 ABA-accredited law schools allows you to sit for the bar exam in any U.S. state. ABA-accredited schools are generally considered more "credible" in the legal world -- and usually come with higher tuition and fees.

By contrast, law degrees from schools not accredited by the ABA -- but instead accredited by a state bar or state legislature -- are usually only good in that state. But there are other differences as well.

As BigLaw firm Dewey & LeBoeuf goes belly-up, attorneys at other law firms may be looking for signs of trouble where they work.

One former Dewey employee claims the firm failed to provide proper notice before issuing mass layoffs, according to a class action lawsuit. But you may not need formal notice to realize your firm is about to collapse.

Another 10 or so BigLaw firms could fold like Dewey between now and the end of 2013, a columnist for ABA Journal recently opined. Here are five signs your firm may be next:

A Harvard Law grad is suing her alma mater over a reprimand for plagiarism -- a false finding that's left her unable to find a job, her suit claims.

Megon Walker, a 2009 Harvard Law grad, blames a computer virus for destroying a draft of her law journal article, Courthouse News Service reports. The journal's student-editors allegedly promised to let Walker revise the article because of the virus, according to her lawsuit.

But instead, the editors treated her draft as a final version and then accused her of plagiarism for failing to cite sources. The resulting reprimand has acted like a "scarlet letter" of sorts, costing Walker some lucrative job opportunities -- including a $160,000/year offer from a BigLaw firm, her lawsuit claims.

With Dewey & LeBoeuf's seemingly imminent demise creeping ever closer, associates nationwide are understandably worried about their own job security. But fear not, you can ease your anxiety by figuring out how to spot layoff warning signs.

You're all smart people. After all, you made it through law school and the bar. So you already know shrinking profits and industry decline are good indicators of an impending layoff.

But these signals can often come too late, leaving you little time to protect yourself against the dreaded "resume employment gap." Here are five early warning signs that usually accompany layoffs.

You don't need to be an economist to know that having one lawyer for every 257 Americans isn't good news -- for lawyers, that is. If you're looking to hire an attorney, it's definitely a buyer's market.

Over the past decade, numerous big-wig law firms have folded due to declining profits. Some of them include Brobeck, Proffitt & Wood LLP, Thelen Reid, Thacher, Howrey & Simon, Arter & Hadden LLP, Phleger & Harrison LLP, and Jenkens & Gilchrist.

So who or what is to blame for the current overcrowded and volatile legal market?

Introducing our Ex-Lawyer of the Week: David Baldacci.

Baldacci is a well-known lawyer-turned-bestselling author. His first novel, Absolute Power, became a major motion picture in 1997; its plot, about a Secret Service scandal, may seem like it was ripped from today's headlines.

But the ex-trial lawyer prefers to write fiction. "I like to sort of blend my own stories together," Baldacci said on "CBS This Morning" last week. "But some of these facts [in the current Secret Service scandal] might end up in a book later on down the road."

Texas State Representative Ronald Reynolds seems to have gotten himself into a bit of trouble. The managing partner and former municipal judge was arrested late last month and charged with barratry.

Yep, that's spelled correctly. Barratry, it turns out, is just a fancy word for ambulance chasing. And in Texas, it's not just prohibited by legal ethics rules -- it's also flat out illegal.

In fact, it's such a widespread problem at the Harris County Courthouse near Houston, officials recently erected signs warning attorneys that barratry is a crime.

Whether you're a young associate or a veteran attorney, knowing what you should and shouldn't do at a deposition can be tricky and nerve-racking. Not to mention expensive if you screw up.

After all, it's one of the most important first interactions you'll have with witnesses and opposing counsel. And it's arguably where cases can be won, lost, or settled, depending on the outcome.

That's why whenever you conduct a deposition, you should keep the following things in mind.