The Grace Period: Shining A Light on Lawyer Wellbeing
A podcast for lawyers that explores the realities of big law, provides tips for better practice management, and shines a light on lawyer wellbeing.
Episodes
77 episodes
Episode 62: Meditation For Lawyers
A frantic layover, an itchy pair of contacts, and a rising tide of work stress became the unlikely doorway to a nine-year meditation practice that changed how we handle pressure in Big Law. Emily shares the honest story of opening an app in the...
Bonus Episode: Less Hype More Workflows From CLOC CGI 2026
I’m sharing a quick preview of why I’m heading to CLOC Global Institute 2026 in Chicago and what I’ll be watching for through the theme Stronger by Design. I’m focused on practical takeaways that help us build legal systems that are scalable an...
Episode 61: Generations and Their Boundaries
Big Law trains us to say yes first and figure out the rest later. With four generations working side by side—Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z—our shared challenge is not whether we work hard, but how we do it without breaking and how we l...
Bonus: Join me at the Rest To Rise Summit
We invite you to join the free Rest To Rise Summit and rethink the belief that rest must be earned after the next milestone. I share why sustainable high performance depends on building recovery into your routines now, plus what I’ll teach abou...
Bonus: Responsible AI For Lawyers -- What I Know + What I Want to Learn
We react to a major law firm AI mistake and use it as a reality check for anyone adopting generative AI in legal work. We lay out what responsible, practical AI use looks like when you prioritize trust, process, and human judgment over hype. In...
Bonus: Vision Work For A Career You Want
Start with a page, not a spreadsheet. That’s the quiet move Emily Logan Stedman uses to shape a career she actually wants: vision work that turns vague goals into clear choices and long-term momentum. As a commercial litigator and partner at an...
Bonus Episode: Legal Operations, Explained
Legal operations is transforming how legal work gets done, and in this episode, I break down what it is and why it matters for private practice, not just in-house teams. I share why I’m leaning into legal ops principles like project...
Bonus Episode: Why.
In this bonus episode, I share one of my voice memos--a reminder to myself to stay curious and on the importance of why. I hope you enjoy.
Episode 60: Ambition Thrives Where Boundaries Begin
Burnout isn’t a badge of honor, and “always available” isn’t a strategy. In this season finale, we get honest about the pressure to say yes to everything in Big Law and why that habit quietly undermines the very excellence we’re chasing. I shar...
Episode 59: Micro Breaks That Save Your Day
What if the smallest pause could change the way you practice law? We go straight at the hustle myth and show why short, intentional breaks can sharpen focus, cut mistakes, and help you feel in control of your day again—without losing momentum o...
Episode 58: Take The Break
Ever feel like stepping away for even a day will make everything crash? We’ve been there. This conversation tackles the tension between high-stakes legal work and real rest, and lays out a repeatable plan to take a vacation you actually enjoy—w...
Episode 57: Quieting The Inner Critic
The sharpest cross-examination often happens in our own heads. We tackle the inner critic that thrives in high-pressure legal environments and unpack why training that rewards skepticism, speed, and flaw-spotting can turn into relentless self-j...
Episode 56: Owning Your Seat At The Table (Revisiting Imposter Syndrome)
Sharp suits, sharper minds, and that gnawing thought: “They’ll figure me out.” We’re pulling back the curtain on imposter syndrome in Big Law and talking honestly about why smart, accomplished lawyers still feel like they’re faking it. Emily sh...
Episode 55: Perfectionism Isn’t Excellence
Perfectionism loves to pretend it’s a virtue. In high-stakes environments like big law, it can feel like the price of entry: catch every error, anticipate every angle, never miss a beat. But that mindset often turns into a trap—one that feeds a...
Episode 54: Small Daily Habits Beat Burnout
Ambition shouldn’t require a meltdown tax. We’re pulling back the curtain on how high performers—especially in big law—can stop treating self-care like a fire extinguisher and start building small, repeatable habits that actually hold up under ...
Episode 53: Asking for Help Is A Professional Skill
What if the strongest move you make this week is the simplest: ask for help. Emily Logan Stedman, a commercial litigator and big law partner, unpacks the high-achiever myth that independence equals competence and shows how it silently drains ti...
Episode 52: Anxious Achiever To Sustainable Lawyer
What happens when the story you were born into collides with the life you can actually sustain? We open up about growing up on a law-bound track, stepping into Big Law with sky-high expectations, and hitting a wall that looked a lot like burnou...
Episode 51: Wellbeing is Your Edge
The pressure to “power through” is strong in big law, but it’s also expensive. We open the year by reframing well-being as the core of competent, ethical practice—not a perk, not an afterthought, and definitely more than a snack table in the br...
Episode 50: The Selective Yes
Are you saying yes out of ambition or fear? After nine years in big law, I've come to a powerful realization: every "yes" is simultaneously a "no" to something else. Whether you're a new associate afraid to decline assignments or a seasoned att...
Episode 49: Finding Joy Between Pages
Have you ever surprised yourself by falling in love with something you never thought was "for you"? That's exactly what happened when I discovered reading for pleasure as an adult and a busy attorney.Growing up, I was never a "reader" -...
Episode 48: Burnout
Ever caught yourself daydreaming about a minor car accident just to get a legitimate break from work? That startling thought was my personal wake-up call that I wasn't just stressed – I was experiencing full-blown burnout.Burnout isn't ...
Episode 47: Weekly Reset
Every attorney knows the feeling: Sunday evening anxiety creeping in as you mentally brace for another overwhelming week. The never-ending deadlines, the constant fires to put out, and that persistent feeling you're always one step behind. But ...
Episode 46: Emotional Whiplash: Navigating Simultaneous Highs and Lows in Law
The legal profession's emotional rollercoaster doesn't come with warning signs. One moment you're celebrating a career milestone, and the next you're scrambling to manage a devastating setback. This episode dives into the phenomenon of "emotion...
Episode 45: Perfectionism, Good Enough, and Breaking the Cycle
Perfectionism casts a long shadow over the legal profession, creating a persistent undercurrent of self-doubt that affects everyone from first-year associates to seasoned partners. Drawing from personal experience, I pull back the curtain on wh...
Episode 44: Effective Delegation
Struggling to let go of control in your legal practice? You're not alone. This candid exploration of delegation dives into the counterintuitive truth that doing everything yourself is actually holding back your career.As attorneys, we'r...