This episode is an introduction to the Happy Lawyer Podcast which is aimed at illuminating issues that lawyers face such as extreme stress, burnout, depression, attrition rates and the advancement of women in law.
You will learn about some of the saddening statistics about mental health, attrition, and advancement of women in law.
You will hear a little bit about my story, how I went from seriously considering leaving law to loving my job.
You will also learn more about the direction of this podcast, which is to interview other lawyers, lawyers who left law,and successful business people on how they overcame the challenges they faced to find happiness in their career and life.
The Happy Lawyer Podcast is designed to provide you with tools to help you navigate the often rough waters of being a lawyer.
In this episode you will learn about my journey in law so far. You will learn how I went from being constantly stressed, anxious and seriously considering throwing in the towel with my legal career to loving my career as a lawyer and finding happiness with work and life.
This episode covers:
- my path to where I am now
- what my practice looks like and how I achieve balance
- my 7 major takeaways from my experience
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast, Meghan Smith, a former lawyer turned life coach, shares with us her journey to finding a career she is passionate about.
She shares with us how she discovered law just wasn’t for her, how she listened to her intuition and took the leap. She also shares with us practical tips on how to manage work life integration, parenting, and remembering to ask for help when you need it. She also shares some of the benefits of working with a life coach.
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast Mavis Butkus, managing partner of McKenzie Lake Lawyers shares with us:
- The importance of finding a practice area you enjoy;
- Managing children and pursuing a legal career;
- The importance of changing the traditional definition of success in a law practice;
- How the practice of law has changed for women over her career ; and
- How being a lawyer is often quite different from how you envisioned it
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I speak with Diane Squires, partner at SV Law. We chat about her nearly 35 year career in private practice, how she navigated 3 maternity leaves when she was in the thick of her career, her experience as a managing partner and about the importance of having a long term perspective when to comes to your legal career.
Diane provides her advice on how a private practice can be a very flexible and rewarding career that can accommodate a healthy work life balance.
Diane also provides amazing advice to young lawyers on networking, marketing, and navigating a maternity leave of your own.
Debbie Stanley is the founding partner of ETP Canada. She had the courage to go out on a limb and leave her secure big accounting firm job to start her own business. In this episode you will learn about:
- her journey
- how she came up with the business idea
- what to do when you pitch a business plan and the answer is no
- how to make the hard decision to go out on your own
- how she has dealt with the challenges she’s faced
- the importance of networking in building her career
- tips /advice if you are thinking about going out on your own
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I talk to Dr. Kelsey Duncan ND about fertility. We chat about:
- How lawyers and other high achieving professionals seem prone to infertility
- The significant impact of stress on fertility for both women and men
- Lifestyle factors that negatively impact fertility
- How being 35 or older can impact fertility
- Secondary infertility
- Simple steps to take to help increase fertility
- When to reach out for help during your conception journey
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I speak with Danielle Marks about :
- Career pivots – from big law to boutique firm on Bay Street to a small firm outside the GTA
- Dispelling the myth that law outside of Toronto or Big Law doesn’t exist
- Navigating maternity leaves as an associate and as a partner
- Practical impacts of taking any type of leave from work
- The importance of flexibility in the workplace and the value women add to the workplace
- Why making deep connections will have positive impacts for both employer and employee
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast we discus:
- The importance of encouraging parental leaves not just maternity leaves
- Challenges in Parenting and lawyering and pushing back against traditional gender roles
- Parenting During Covid-19
- Work life balance for all, not just women, not just parents
- Defining work life balance realistically
- Discrimination women face in the legal profession
- Reflections on the discrimination and harassment we have faced in our legal careers
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I host our first of many, male guests! Ryan Osbourne joins me to discuss:
- His trying law school admissions process
- Life at Osgoode Hall Law School
- The good and the bad in big law
- How he found himself over-stressed and out of sync
- What he did to over come that
- Embarking on a solo career as a mediator and collaborative law practitioner
- The importance of self care and
- The importance aligning your practice with your values
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with Katie about:
• How she went from partner to starting and growing her own firm despite serious doubts
• The importance of finding your practice area
• How to be afraid and make changes anyways
• How she addressed her own issues with depression and anxiety
• The importance marketing and networking in growing your practice
• How supporting each other in the pursuit of goals helps everyone
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with Kim Gale about:
- Going to law school outside of Canada
- The difficult & lonely accreditation process upon returning
- How she started her own law firm after being called to the bar
- How she started the NCA network, an incredible resource for foreign trained lawyers
- The why and how behind Law Blog for Millennials
- How she deals with the stress and chaos of running a law firm, a law blog and the network for foreign trained lawyers
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with former lawyer turned law school counselor and career coach Andrea Yang. We discuss:
- Career pivots as a lawyer
- Transition from law
- Life after leaving law
- The importance of knowing your values in selecting your career
- How to know if you should leave law or leave an environment
- How we each get to decide our own definition of happiness
This episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast is for all of you working parents out there with tiny humans who just aren’t getting the sleep they need. I chat with Ashley Fricker of Mountains of Sleep about all things sleep training. She shares with us her personal story about how her newborn refused to sleep and how that led to her becoming a certified sleep consultant. In this episode you will learn:
- Why I hired a sleep consultant with my son and what it was like
- When you can start sleep training
- Tips on sleep training a toddler
- What sleep regressions are and how to deal with them
- Transitioning to daycare
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I speak with Loretta Merritt who has been a lawyer at Torkin Manes for 33 years and counting. She shares with us her words of wisdom when it comes to:
- How she established her career and practice area
- How she has maintains work life balance
- The most difficult part of being a lawyer for her
- The best part about being a lawyer for her
- How the industry has changed and needs to change for women
- The importance of autonomy as a lawyer
- Advice for young lawyers on stress and anxiety
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with Jessie Spressart, Lawyer Leadership Coach. We talk about:
- Imposter Syndrome – what it is and how to identify it
- Different ways Imposter Syndrome can show up in life
- Why its important to address it
- How to overcome Imposter Syndrome
- How to change negative thoughts
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with Jamie Spannhake about:
- Her journey from big law in Manhattan to being partner in a small firm
- The importance of personal values when choosing a career path
- How she juggles all of her many roles in life and work
- How to avoid overburdening ourselves
- Her personal story overcoming clinical anxiety
- An inside look at her book The Lawyer, The Lion & The Laundry
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast Dina Eisenberg and I talk about lawyer turnover and onboarding. Specifically we talk about:
- Why there seems to be high turnover for young lawyers
- How to recognize a turnover problem
- Why turnover is so problematic to the organization
- How law firms can attract the right candidate
- How candidates can find the right law firm for them
- What onboarding is and why its important
- Exploring lateral moves
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with the co-founders of Epilogue Wills about their journey leaving law to create a company aimed at increasing access to wills. We will learn about:
- The best and worst part of private practice
- Leaving the linear career mindset behind
- Managing stress and expectations
- Inspiration behind Epilogue Wills
- The billable hour as a bar to collaboration
- Why a law degree is a licence to think outside the box
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I talk to Elena Deutsch, founder and CEO of WILL – Women Interested in Leaving (big) Law about:
- Why women feel stuck and unhappy in law
- How common it is for women to be unhappy in law
- How to find a fulfilling and balanced career
- Ways to career pivot internally
- When to make an external career move
- When to consider leaving law and what to do first
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with style expert Melanie Lippman about:
- Why lawyers need help with fashion
- The non-verbal messages our clothes send
- How an outfit can impact performance
- How style is connected to mindset
- Showing up and feeling good today
- Video conference fashion tips
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with Louise Pitre and AnnaLise Trudell about power, privilege, equality and oppression in the context of law firms and the legal profession. Specifically we talk about:
- What unconscious bias is
- How unconscious bias shows up in law firms
- How this leads to unequal power dynamics
- What social and positional power is
- How this can and does lead to a lack of diversity at the top
- How to combat bias and unequal power dynamics
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with Alicia Gillett MSW, RSW about improving your emotional health. We dive into the following:
- What emotional health means
- What emotional well-being is
- How to build emotional resilience
- What your ‘wise-mind’ is and how to use it
- Using mindfulness to cope with emotions
- Way to adapt with change in this COVID world
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I speak with author, life coach and personal trainer, Amada Gazzola about her new book titled Finally A Diet That Works For Me. In this episode we chat about:
- How she found herself in the health and fitness world
- How she crashed and burned through every diet out there
- How she overcame her lack of self confidence and negative body image
- Why she wrote the book
- How her lifestyle changes drastically improved her life
- Why you can do it too
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I speak to Stephen Roth who is an author, former private practice lawyer, and who currently sits several Ontario Tribunals. We talk about:
- The release of his new fiction book
- How childhood trauma inspired the book
- The importance of sharing his abuse story
- When and why he became lawyer
- How he handled tragedies when running his own firm
- How he identified his values and pivoted out of private practice
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with Quinn Ross the Managing Partner at The Ross Firm about:
- Innovation in the legal profession
- The profitability of happy
- Creating an inclusive culture that fosters well-being
- Benefits of 4 day work week in the legal profession
- Wellness in the legal workplace
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with Elizabeth Mountford former lawyer turned Mindset Coach. We talk about:
- Her journey to leaving law
- Imposter syndrome and overcoming it
- Stress and its physical impacts
- Self care and its amazing benefits
- How to create a self care plan
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with Jennifer Germaine about finding passion, purpose and a fulling life. We dive into the following topics:
- Her journey from big law to her own firm
- Burnout and how to identify it & address it
- Finding purpose in life and in law
- The importance of a well rounded life
- Setting boundaries in your practice
- Blind spots and fears holding us back
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with Erin Cowling the creator of Flex Legal Network about:
- Her journey from big law to unemployment to creating Flex Legal
- Her struggles with mental health
- How stress impacted her pregnancy
- The importance finding your values
- Identifying what isn’t working in your career
- The importance of creating a network
- How to make networking less daunting & more fun
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I talk to Toronto based lawyer Jasmine Daya about:
- Her law school and unique articling experience
- How she fell into her practice area and loves it
- The difficulties of being a junior lawyer
- Navigating mothering and a law practice
- The why and how of opening her own firm
- How she manages multiple side hustles
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with University of Western Ontario Law Professor Thomas Telfer about:
- His personal struggles with burnout & depression
- His experience seeking help
- Where to seek help if needed
- Impact of COVID-19 on lawyers mental health
- How he began teaching mindfulness for credit at UWO law
- What is mediation and provides a guided meditation
On this episode of The Happy Lawyer Podcast I chat with Cherolyn Knapp about all things conflict and conflict resolution including:
- Why she left private practice for dispute resolution
- How conflicts exist with all relationships
- Why conflict seems negative
- The types of conflict personalities
- How to use conflict resolution skills
On this episode I chat with Leena Yousefi founder of Y Law. We do a deep dive into how the traditional legal practice model led to burnout, mental and physical health issues. We discussed how this gave her the courage to start her own firm and how that firm has now boomed. We cover the following:
- Why law firms are stuck in the past
- How burnout has become the norm in the profession and why that must end
- The impacts of stress and burnout on her physical and mental heath
- Why she started her own practice and how it took off
- Why being a mom makes you a better lawyer not a liability
- Transition to a 4 day work week and its success