The Grace Period: Shining A Light on Lawyer Wellbeing
The Grace Period: Shining A Light on Lawyer Wellbeing
Episode 20: Listener Questions
Ever wondered how senior attorneys can truly support their juniors without adding to the chaos of big law?
This season finale of The Grace Period promises to unravel the art of building authentic connections and maintaining sanity in the legal whirlwind. You'll gain actionable strategies to recognize when a colleague is struggling and understand why extending grace and fostering trust are vital in nurturing a supportive workplace environment.
Dive into practical advice on setting and upholding boundaries that demand respect, and learn the subtle art of training others on how to treat you.
Despite the high-pressure stakes of big law, genuine relationships with colleagues are not only possible but essential. I'll open up about my early years in the field, highlighting the mistakes and victories that shaped my path towards meaningful connections. By the end of this episode, you'll be equipped with the tools to prioritize humanity over hustle, ready to embark on a more balanced and enriching career as we look ahead to Season 3.
Find out more at https://thegraceperiod.substack.com/.
Welcome to the Grace Period where we get real about attorney mental health and well-being and pull back the veil on the high-stakes world of big law. I'm your host, emily Logan Stedman. In this demanding profession, it is crucial that we don't lose ourselves in the hustle for billable hours. On the Grace Period, we have honest conversations about finding consistency, minimizing chaos, developing coping strategies and destigmatizing mental health. It is time to prioritize our shared humanity, to find our grace period. Here we are the last episode of season two of the grace period, episode 20. This season, we defined well-being, talked about why it is important in the law and I shared my story. I defined mindfulness, encouraged you all to give meditation a try. We talked about gratitude and journaling and how to build autonomy by doing at least one thing each day that is just for you. We addressed asking for and getting help, all kinds of help, as well as time management as a form of self-care. Last week, we talked about the hindrances or barriers to self-care in the law and how to overcome or address some of them. Today, in the final episode of Season 2, I'll answer listener questions and share what's to come on Season 3. I'll answer listener questions and share what's to come on season three. First question how can managers and more senior attorneys help struggling attorneys or more junior attorneys? First, pay attention, build relationships with your colleagues, relationships that lay a foundation so you can tell, so you know, when something is off. This creates space to do something that is so important. When someone makes a mistake, I encourage your first question to be why Is this out of character? Is this unusual for this person? What else could be going on? So often us humans jump to judgment, to assumptions, and yet we hate it when others do that to us. So try to extend grace to your teammates. It will rarely, if ever, backfire. Instead, it'll grow trust and strengthen the relationship. Second lead by example. Think about the toxic or bad example bosses you've had. Try to be different. Mirror the behaviors you wish someone had given you space and permission to do as a more junior attorney. Take breaks, take vacations, log off at certain parts of the day, be flexible and stick to your boundaries. Be human.
Speaker 1:Second question how do you set and maintain boundaries? Short answer I'm not sure. I know. I'm not a great example of this. I tend to let boundaries slide. It is something I have to constantly work on.
Speaker 1:I recently heard the quote, you train others how to treat you. This means if you set a boundary and then you break it for someone, now they know they know that your boundaries don't mean anything. They can try to break them again in the future, and over and over again. So I encourage you and myself to think about how do I want others to treat me? Do I want them to think I'm at their beck and call, even if I'm trying to step away? Do I want them to think that every time I'll drop everything and come running? We can and should make strategic and intentional decisions around this. If you have tips, I'd love to hear them and I'll think more about this and maybe do a deeper dive in season three.
Speaker 1:Third question can you build real relationships in big law with your colleagues? Yes, you absolutely can and yes, there are absolutely people you will encounter in big law that aren't going to be your friends, confidants, mentors or guides. But you can seek out and find genuine connection with colleagues and I encourage you to do it. My first year in big law, I kept my head down. I focused on the work and didn't engage much with my co-associates outside of firm-sanctioned events. I 100% regret doing that. I eventually turned it around and made deep and real friendships, relationships that continue today, even though I've switched firms. I was able to turn that around during year two and grow those relationships from there. These people are in the trenches with you.
Speaker 1:Have you ever been on a team with someone you didn't like or get along with? It's no fun for anyone. Part of being on a team, even in big law, is relying on the real human connections you have. Part of surviving in big law, of building a sustainable career in big law, is relying on the real human connections you have. It may take time to figure out who you can trust. You may get burned along the way once or twice. That's life. It's unavoidable in big law or anywhere else, but having these people to talk shop with, to share work with, when you're in a sprint or need to step away for fun or a life emergency, that is critical to surviving and thriving in a big firm. We are humans and people first, not robots, not attorneys over everything else. So find your people and go until you do so.
Speaker 1:That's all for season two, but what's to come on season three? A potpourri of sorts. Y'all have sent me great questions and ideas and I've kept a list. I hope to tackle topics like mentoring, internal and external networking, building a brand, billing habits and how to decide to pursue making partner. If there are topics you want me to discuss, don't hesitate to send them my way, thank you. Thank you so much for joining me on season two of the Grace Period.
Speaker 1:I hope this season has left you encouraged and empowered to try new things, to support your well-being and self-care, to experiment so that you can create a toolbox of strategies that work for you and that you can turn to when you have time and space, but also when you need to regroup and break the stress cycle. With that, I look forward to season three, which will premiere on January 7th 2025. Remember you don't have to sacrifice your well-being for career success. By prioritizing self-care, setting boundaries and seeking support, you can survive and even thrive in the law and in big law. Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other. That is the path to our grace period. Disclaimer this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by listening to this podcast.
