The Free Lawyer

We lawyers are so often involved in situations of conflict. Disputes arise from many directions. Sometimes we do not respond correctly, and it all goes downhill. But instead, we can navigate through differences with others in ways that produce positive, healthy, and peaceful outcomes. Dr. Debra Dupree joins The Free Lawyer today. She is a high-conflict expert, dispute-resolution specialist,  ...

Have you ever heard all the lawyer jokes made? Mocking the legal profession for a lack of honesty? We are often perceived as lacking in integrity. Why is that? Is that justifiable? And what can be done about it? In this episode, I will discuss what integrity is; its hallmarks, the perception of the legal profession for integrity, what are the gifts of integrity, and how to be more successful in pr...

Wow, what a blockbuster episode! Aliza Shatzman, President and Co-Founder of the Legal Accountability Project, shares her harrowing story of harassment and retaliation in her clerkship at the hands of a former judge. Fueled by lack of effective means of redress, and the cloak of secrecy around judicial misconduct, Aliza is now seeking to remedy that situation. She is attempting through her non-pro...

Do you ever find you spend too much energy wondering what others are thinking about you? Do you worry that others might be judging you or thinking less of you because of something you are doing or some project you are undertaking? Are you concerned that if you fail at some task they will think less of you? Are you ever afraid to take on a new challenge because you wonder what others will think of...

Owen McGrann reinvented his legal career after overcoming a life-threatening health scare. Today he has built the law practice of his dreams, practicing law the way he chooses, creating synergy with his clients, and finding the balance he has always craved. In this dynamite episode, he explains how we can build the law practice we are excited to work in. Key takeaways: -Hourly billing creates enor...

Are you ever in a mindset where you think negative thoughts, expect poor results, and that’s what happens? Or, alternatively, have you ever envisioned success, the good result, victory, and that has occurred? In this week's Episode, we will examine the Law of Attraction, discuss what it is, its pitfalls, how it can affect your life, and give you tangible steps to make it work for you. Are any of y...

Kimberly Rice has a passion for helping women professionals be as successful and fulfilled as they can. Speaker, author, marketing expert, and professional coach, Kimberly explains some of the most important issues facing the female lawyer today and how to overcome them. Some key takeaways: -Competency as a lawyer is just the price of admission; given the surplus of attorneys today, the attorney m...

A recent Washington Post article was entitled “Want to be happy? Then don’t be a lawyer.” Is it possible to be truly happy as an attorney? Are you fulfilled, and do you find enjoyment in your work? If not, how can we change that? In this newsletter, I will briefly discuss the Washington Post Article; review some of the major stresses we face as attorneys, and share thoughts about how we can find j...

Daya Naef, lawyer and executive coach, joins us today to share her expertise about how to enjoy the practice of law despite the pressures we all face. Key takeaways: -Stress and burnout are becoming very common in the legal profession -Consistently good sleep and keeping well hydrated help to fuel our performance -The virtual world has additional pressures, making it harder to set boundaries betwe...

Have you, or anyone you know or care about, ever felt hopeless or that you had lost control? That there was some power running your life that was stronger than you? Or that you were controlled by some force that was holding you back? Many of us have struggled with losing power to some negative force, such as addiction or depression. For example, I have suffered from alcoholism. Unfortunately, we a...

Are you ever afraid to assert yourself, particularly when you feel the other party has more power than you? Ever wonder how to effectively ask for what you truly want? Lucia Kanter St. Amour answers these questions and more today! Effective negotiation can be your everyday superpower in your profession, office, and home. Lucia is an incredible attorney, mediator, law professor, and best-selling au...

"If you don’t design your life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much." – Jim Rohn Are you happy with where you are? Are you making the kind of income that you want? Are you finding fulfillment and doing the area of practice you enjoy? Are you working with people you like and respect? Do you find joy in your life? Do you find enou...

Do you ever feel that there is so much competition and it is hard to stand out from the crowd as an attorney? Scott Aaron, LinkedIn Coach and business expert for personal branding and business growth, joins The Free Lawyer today. He explains how we can best use LinkedIn to brand ourselves as professionals and grow our practices. Scott shares his expertise on these critical topics- -Why LinkedIn is...

True personal freedom can only be created by mindfully living in the present. Last week, we reviewed the problems with living in the past (regret, resentment, shame) or the future (worry, stress, fear). Today in part 2, we present the ten unique gifts of being present: peace, joy, freedom, gratitude, acceptance, success, productivity, better relationships, and happiness. Who would not want all tha...

Helen Pamely, a lawyer, psychotherapist, speaker, and career coach for lawyers from the UK, explains in this episode of The Free Lawyer how we can enhance our confidence, resilience, performance, and well-being. These are some key takeaways: -How to overcome exhaustion and burnout and achieve a healthy work-life balance -The importance of rewriting your narrative to realize you are enough just as...

Do you ever find you are distracted, worrying about the future and how things will turn out? Do you worry about what other people might be thinking of you? Do you ever resent what people have done to you in the past? How often do you find yourself thinking about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow? How does that make you feel? So often, we waste our precious energy thinking about...

Suzanne Shams joins us today to share her wisdom about how we as attorneys can find true happiness as attorneys. We chat about these important topics: -How to overcome physical and  mental health challenges -The importance of accepting ourselves and managing the temptation to always doubt ourselves -Stopping the energy leaks so we can be more productive -Finding fulfillment through service -R...

Have you ever had someone really hurt you in your life? Someone who treated you very badly, unjustifiably, for no good reason? And you feel, quite justifiably, resentful of how that person treated you? Who hasn’t been hurt by the actions or words of another? Those wounds can create a reservoir of anger and bitterness, sometimes even vengeance. The key to freeing you from that prison of bitterness...

Elaine Godley joins The Free Lawyer today to share her expertise on how to build a life of health and well-being as a lawyer in today's challenging and stressful legal profession. Elaine is a Health and Wellbeing Mentor in the UK who supports lawyers in their journey to have a healthy and fulfilling life.  She shares her tools on these topics: -How to determine your profile so you can be in a...

Lawyers often have a reputation of being smart, confident, in control, and intensely logical. But sometimes, we have the unfavorable reputation of being arrogant, insensitive, and poor listeners. One of the traits not focused on very much in the legal practice arena is compassion. Why is it so critical to be a compassionate lawyer? While it is so important to convey a professional image, we also s...

Christi Disparte, a dynamic in-house counsel, joins The Free Lawyer today to share her journey from a litigator in a law firm to an in-house counsel where she has found true fulfillment. Christi offers some powerful thoughts about how to find fulfillment and a healthy balance in the practice of law. She shares her insights on some of these topics: -How to effectively manage the stress of being a p...

We all know the importance of tolerance, don’t we? We all believe it’s a great value. Is your workplace genuinely tolerant? Can we make it better? And if so, how? Today I will chat about what tolerance is and isn’t, the benefits of having a genuinely tolerant workplace, and how we can improve our office setting to make it more inclusive and accepting. Here are some essential steps: 1. Lead by exam...

Being a litigator can be so challenging, can't it? This is particularly true in family law. Managing the emotions of our client, and dealing with an often contentious opposing counsel, can create not only stress for us individually but also an obstacle in resolving our case effectively.  Ryan Kniznik, an incredible family law attorney in Ontario, joins The Free Lawyer today to share his power...

Have you ever felt overwhelmed at work? That you simply cannot handle anymore? Although you loved your profession, now you are tired of it and getting frustrated? Have you ever felt burned out? This is, unfortunately, not at all unusual. So many lawyers are overwhelmed, overworked, stressed out, and unhappy. We need to set boundaries between our professional and personal lives. How can we change t...

Emily Logan Stedman joins us for this blockbuster episode! Practicing for six years in two large firms, Emily shares her powerful tips with young lawyers, including: -Her hot tips for the lawyer who is feeling overwhelmed- remember you are not alone, seek the fulfillment you crave, connect with your tribe, and know you always have choices!! -The importance of mentorship for young attorneys -How to...