What would you do with a golden ticket?
After a nationwide talent search, Peter Ostrum got the chance of a lifetime role playing Charlie Bucket in the 1971 movie [...]
Celebrate “Love Litigating Lawyers Day”, August 31, 2021.
Seriously? Why should litigators get their own day of love? First of all, more love - that’s a good thing, right? While litigators get [...]
Get Yourself a Confidence Role Model (Even if She’s Fictional)
Are you struggling with self-confidence or imposter syndrome? Consider finding someone worth emulating and pay attention to how they move through the world and to the collection of [...]
Where Do I Start? Using Merge Lanes to Conquer Procrastination
Getting started is the hardest part of any endeavor, even those you love doing, which is paradoxical. [...]
How to Set Healthy Personal Boundaries That Protect Your Well-being (and Your Sanity)
We are way more willing to cancel plans with ourselves than with others. One way I’ve been able to set boundaries is to start guarding commitments to myself, and being okay with cancelling plans if [...]
The Benefits of Rewarding Yourself for a Job Well Done
If we recognize that external rewards signify something achieved, a benchmark attained, then why do so many people shrink from the idea of rewarding themselves? [...]
How to Say You’re Sorry: An Important Tool in the Workplace and Beyond
Apologizing is an important tool and if you dismiss it as a sign of weakness, you haven’t experienced its power and are missing opportunities to build and strengthen relationships at work and in your personal life. [...]
10 Nighttime Rituals That Have Helped Us Sleep Better Since the Onset of the Pandemic
I recently began to learn about essential oils. Each one has unique properties, but lavender in particular is said to reduce blood pressure, lower heart rate, and promote good sleep. Every night, I’ve started [...]
9 Ways to Tackle Stress and Calm a Racing Mind Right Now
A few weeks into quarantine, I created a vision board with the theme of ‘strength and resilience.’ When a moment of panic hits, I stand in front of it for a few minutes and absorb the beautiful and strong images — whether it’s a photo of Billie Jean King, Oprah Winfrey, or a [...]
Exposing and Easing Fear of Young Lawyers in the Profession
There’s a saying about law school—”the first year they scare you to death, the second year they work you to death and the third year they bore you to death.” This saying implies that students overcome that first-year fear, but for many lawyers, it never completely goes away. I know because I was one of them. [...]
Cycling toward Sanity During COVID-19 (Why Crying in Spin Class was Cathartic)
It’s not always easy to get on your bike, lace up your running shoes or step onto your yoga mat. Life sometimes conspires to prevent it but, more often, your mind leads you in a different direction. [...]
How to Set Boundaries and Avoid Burnout While Working From Home
My husband and I used to have a weekend ritual of making a cappuccino at home. During the week, we didn’t have time for it. Now, we start each day with a cappuccino and have another one — decaffeinated — to close it out. [...]
A Lesson from Mom
I had a dream last night about coronavirus. A group of friends were leaving a restaurant (remember those?) and I looked back [...]
Why it Helps to Admit You’re Scared
I had a dream last night about coronavirus. A group of friends were leaving a restaurant (remember those?) and I looked back at the table where we had just been sitting and said “oh my God, we forgot to social distance.” The restaurant table was not spacious and, in the dream, I mentally calculated how far away I was from the person across from me, the person next to me. Well within 6 feet. Way too close. It was an intimate space and I began to panic that I had just contracted COVID-19. I woke up bemoaning my forgetfulness. [...]
Reset, Reinvent and Recover: Practical Ways to Adapt to a Changing World
In July 2008, I left my job as general counsel to a school district without having another one lined up. It was impossible to look for another job because I worked very long days and couldn’t simply disappear for a few hours in the highly visible role I had. But, I wasn’t worried. [...]
One Attorney’s Struggle With Addiction Shines Light on Deeper Problem
Every January, a group of lawyers I used work with went on a “diet.” It’s in quotes because, as one partner explained, the diet was an excuse to prove to themselves they weren’t alcoholics following the excesses of the holiday season. Recently I learned about “Dry January,” [...]
Chasing the Elusive Work-Life Balance
What do we mean when we talk about work-life balance? Usually a feeling that things are off-kilter between career and the other domains in life, particularly family time. Many of us face what the research calls a “time bind” caused by the simultaneous time and energy demands of family life and the workplace.
Investing in Lawyer Well-Being—Why It Matters
Back when I was practicing law, I had the privilege of arguing before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The court was six hours away, and my boss directed me to leave two days prior rather than just one. Instead of driving six [...]