Stress Advice for Women Lawyers You Won’t Read Anywhere Else
By Paula Davis-Laack • April 19, 2011 •Writers in Residence
I have had a love-hate relationship with stress my entire life. For the most part, I like me some stress. It keeps me focused, helps me generate ideas, and gives me a boost of energy. Unfortunately, I have also experienced the downside of stress, having been a high-achieving, competitive, go-getter for as long as I can remember. As busy women lawyers and law students, I’m sure you can relate. Your drive and ability to get things done helps you advocate for clients, close deals, tackle complex challenges, multitask with ease, and keep your families running, but it also makes you…
The Resilient Lawyer: 6 Easy Strategies to Bounce Back & Perform Better
By Paula Davis-Laack • March 24, 2011 •Writers in Residence
My column last month focused on defining resilience and identifying its components. This month, the focus is on the “how;” that is, how can law students and lawyers, people with busy, complicated lives, build their capacity to steer through adversity, handle stress, and perform better. Here are six pathways:Find satisfaction with your work. People spend over a third of their waking life at work (more than that for lawyers), but levels of work satisfaction vary widely from person to person. Amy Wrzesniewski’s research shows that those who consider their work to be a job are generally interested only in the…
The Thriving Lawyer: Becoming a More Resilient Lawyer (Part 1)
By Paula Davis-Laack • February 20, 2011 •Writers in Residence
After I had been practicing law for a couple of years, having successfully closed a string of complicated real estate deals, it happened. A mega-important partner, the kind who could change your career for the better in one fell swoop, assigned a project to me! I was both thrilled and nervous. My task was to review a series of leases for various issues and report back. Not too hard. My mentor, a close friend of Mr. Partner’s, offered to help me organize my thoughts and review my work, but I declined the help thinking it was a basic lease review…
I Fought the Law and the Law Won: Barriers to Thriving in the Legal Profession
By Paula Davis-Laack • January 17, 2011 •Writers in Residence
The Thriving Lawyer: Lawyers face challenges unlike those found in many other professions. The combination of long hours, time away from family, pressure to find (and keep) clients, stress, and the ever-present focus on the bottom line doesn’t leave much room for balance or a general sense of well-being. This column will explore why the journey into the legal profession can be a difficult one, and it will offer stories, tips, and tools readers can use to initiate a new conversation within the legal profession – one that promotes thriving.“Who practices law to be happy? Who goes to law school…
Take Back Time
By Paula Davis-Laack • September 01, 2010 •Balancing Private and Professional Life
I had the opportunity to talk to some second and third year law students this past weekend. Even though they had only completed one week back at school, I could tell they were gearing up for another year full of too much work and too little sleep. You don’t have to be a busy law student to feel drained and disconnected. The following 5 questions will help you assess what changes you can make to get back more time in your day.Do I Need a System? Systems are specific and consistent processes you follow to give structure to certain tasks. …
Just Ask!
By Paula Davis-Laack • August 10, 2010 •Mentoring and Networking
When I was in Philadelphia in May, I had dinner at a restaurant called 10 Arts. The Chef de Cuisine at this restaurant is Jen Carroll, a finalist on a past season of Top Chef, which is one of my favorite TV shows. As we were eating dinner, I wondered out loud to my guests about whether I could meet Jen in person. Immediately, though, I had some doubts, like “she’s too famous;” “she’s probably too busy;” and “I bet she doesn’t do that kind of thing.” But, I thought, what the heck. So, I asked our waiter, and sure…
Confidence Crisis
By Paula Davis-Laack • June 17, 2010 •Other Issues
Successfully navigating the legal profession takes a great deal of confidence. There are partners and clients to impress, clients to find (and keep), trials to prepare for, and deals to close. During my years as a big firm and in-house commercial real estate attorney, I had more than one crisis of confidence. I also noticed my equally talented female peers having the same such crises. You know what it sounds like: “I’m sorry to bug you Mr. Partner, but I’d like to talk to you about…;” or “I know this might sound crazy, but here is what I think;” or…
5 Things You Must Know Before You Start Your Legal Career
By Paula Davis-Laack • May 27, 2010 •Other Career Issues
I practiced law for seven years, and I wish that someone had given me this information before I started practicing. As a result, here are five tips (and there are many more) to help you start a successful law career:1. You are a business owner. You’ve just spent the last three years talking about torts, contracts, and constitutional law, but if you’re joining a law firm, you are a business owner. If you were starting your own company, you would need to market yourself and your skills, find (and keep) clients and new business, manage your time, and keep track…
Thinking Traps Zap Your Resilience- Part 1
By Paula Davis-Laack • May 13, 2010 •Balancing Private and Professional Life
Take a moment to think about how much information your brain processes in one day. It’s A LOT – too much, actually. In order to help us process all of the information that comes at us, we often take mental short cuts. Sometimes these short cuts work, but many times, they do not. For example, how many times have you interpreted a partner's affectation as certain confirmation that he or she didn't like the most recent assignment you prepared for him or her? Or, maybe you are sure you know what your spouse or partner is thinking, and you proceed accordingly, without all of…