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Approved for 1.5 Other Credits for Washington Attorneys

Presented on Tuesday, November 29, 2016 • Seattle, WA

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Law and Soccer Practice: Strategies to Balance Work and Family Life

FacultyA Special Thank You to Our Program Faculty!Those who have planned and will present at this WSBA CLE seminar are volunteers. Their generous contributions of time, talent, and energy have made this program possible. We appreciate their work and their service to the legal profession.

Program FacultyDan Crystal — Washington State Bar Association, Seattle, WAElijah Forde — Atlas Law PS, Olympia, WAFelicia Gittleman — Cowan Miller & Lederman, Seattle, WAMegan Stanley — Integrative Family Law, PLLC, Seattle, WA

LL171129WEB • LAW & SOCCER PRACTICE: STRATEGIES TO BALANCE WORK & FAMILY LIFE • i

Copyright © 2016 • Washington State Bar Association • All Rights ReservedThe materials and forms in this manual are published by the Washington State Bar Association for the use of its program registrants. Neither the Washington State Bar Association nor the contributors make either express or implied warranties in regard to the use of the materials and/or forms. Each attorney must depend upon his or her own knowledge of the law and expertise in the use or modification of these materials. The views and conclusions expressed herein are those of the authors and editors and are not necessarily those of the Washington State Bar Association or any division or committee thereof. Any websites represented by screenshots, logos or ads reproduced in the materials and forms are the copyrighted material of the website owners and are included for illustrative and educational purposes only. The Washington State Bar Association does not recommend or endorse any products or services discussed or demonstrated during the course of this seminar. Course materials accompanying the recorded product may have been reformatted or otherwise modified from those delivered in connection with the live presentation. Any such changes do not affect the substantive content of the course materials.

Summary of ContentsProgram Schedule ........................................................................................................... iii

1 How Attorneys can Recognize, Prevent, and Manage Crossover Stress Between Their Work and Family Lives .............................................................................. 1-1 Dan Crystal

2 An Attorney Panel Discussion on the Benefits of Adopting Family Friendly Law Firm Policies and Strategies Attorneys Can Use While Balancing Work and Family Life Responsibilities ........................................................................................... 2-1 Elijah Forde Felicia Gittleman Megan Stanley

LL171129WEB • LAW & SOCCER PRACTICE: STRATEGIES TO BALANCE WORK & FAMILY LIFE • ii

LL171129WEB • LAW & SOCCER PRACTICE: STRATEGIES TO BALANCE WORK & FAMILY LIFE • iii

Legal Lunchbox - Law and Soccer Practice:

Strategies to Balance Work and Family Life

Tuesday, November 29, 2017

Program Schedule

12:00 p.m. Welcome and Introductions

12:00 p.m. How Attorneys can Recognize, Prevent, and Manage Crossover Stress Between Their Work and Family Lives Dan Crystal, Washington State Bar Association, Seattle

12:30 p.m. An Attorney Panel Discussion on the Benefits of Adopting Family Friendly Law Firm Policies and Strategies Attorneys Can Use While Balancing Work and Family Life Responsibilities Elijah Forde, Atlas Law PS, Olympia Felicia Gittleman, Cowan Miller & Lederman, Seattle Megan Stanley, Integrative Family Law, PLLC, Seattle

1:30 p.m. Adjourn • Complete Evaluation Forms

LL171129WEB • LAW & SOCCER PRACTICE: STRATEGIES TO BALANCE WORK & FAMILY LIFE • iv

Under MCLE Rules, we report hours of course attendance. Our report is based on you confirming your attendance with our CLE representative as you arrive, and the receipt of the form below from anyone who chooses to attend only part of the seminar. We ask that you complete this form and turn-in to our representative if you leave before the end of the program.

Thank you, WSBA-CLE

The purpose of this form is to notify the sponsor listed below if you have earned less than the available credits while attending this CLE course. You can fax your completed form to WSBA-CLE: (206) 727-8324.

Under Washington State MCLE Rules (APR 11.6(a)(1)), sponsors must report attendance at each CLE course. The sponsor’s report is based on confirming your attendance as you arrive and the receipt of this form as you leave if you choose to attend only part of the CLE course.

• If this form is not returned, the sponsor will presume that you have attended the entire CLE course and earnedfull credit.

• If you did not attend the full CLE course, this form must be returned to the sponsor.

How to calculate L&LP/Ethics/Other credits:One credit is equivalent to one hour (60 minutes) of instruction time at an approved CLE course. Credits can be obtained in quarter-hour increments: 15 minutes of instruction equal .25 credits. No credit is given for breaks. Contact the sponsor if you have questions about which sections of the program, if any, have been approved for ethics credit.

For information, see the following website or contact the WSBA Service Center. http://www.wsba.org/Licensing-and-Lawyer-Conduct/MCLE/Members/Member-Online-MCLE-FAQs - [email protected]

TIME OF ARRIVAL TIME OF DEPARTURE

Seminar Sponsor: WSBA-CLE

Seminar Name: Law and Soccer Practice: Strategies to Balance Work and Family Life (LL171129WEB)

Seminar Date: November 29, 2016

Approved Credits: 1.50 CLE Credits for Washington Attorneys (0.0 Law & Legal Procedure, 0.0 Ethicsand 1.5 Other)

Hours of Attendance:

Credits Earned: L&LP Ethics Other

Printed Name: Bar #:

I hereby certify that I have earned the number of L&LP/Ethics/Other credits inserted above on the Credits Earned line.

Signature: Date:

CHAPTER ONE

HOW ATTORNEYS CAN RECOGNIZE, PREVENT, AND MANAGE CROSSOVER STRESS BETWEEN THEIR WORK AND FAMILY LIVES

November 2016

Dan Crystal Washington State Bar Association

Phone: (206) 123-4567 [email protected]

DAN CRYSTAL has enjoyed working at WSBA since November 2008. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver in 2007 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Seattle VA Hospital in 2008. His areas of expertise include addictions, post-traumatic stress disorder, and forensic psychology. At the Lawyers Assistance Program, Dan provides individual therapy, leads job-seekers groups, handles substance abuse referrals, and conducts outreach to bar groups statewide on mental health issues. He also works with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel as the Diversion Administrator.

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Transforming Compassion Fatigue into Compassion Satisfaction: Top 12 Self-Care Tips for Helpers

By Françoise Mathieu, M.Ed., CCC., Compassion Fatigue Specialist © WHP-Workshops for the Helping Professions, March 2007 Dr Charles Figley, world renowned trauma expert and pioneer researcher in the field of helper burnout has called compassion fatigue a “disorder that affects those who do their work well” (1995) It is characterized by deep emotional and physical exhaustion, symptoms resembling depression and PTSD and by a shift in the helper’s sense of hope and optimism about the future and the value of their work. The level of compassion fatigue a helper experiences can ebb and flow from one day to the next, and even very healthy helpers with optimal life/work balance and self care strategies can experience a higher than normal level of compassion fatigue when they are overloaded, are working with a lot of traumatic content, or find their case load suddenly heavy with clients who are all chronically in crisis. Compassion fatigue can strike the most caring and dedicated nurses, social workers, physicians and personal support workers alike. These changes can affect both their personal and professional lives with symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, intrusive imagery, loss of hope, exhaustion and irritability. It can also lead to profound shifts in the way helpers view the world and their loved ones. Additionally, helpers may become dispirited and increasingly cynical at work, they may make clinical errors, violate client boundaries, lose a respectful stance towards their clients and contribute to a toxic work environment. It has been shown that, when we are suffering from compassion fatigue, we work more rather than less. What suffers is our health, our relationship with others, our personal lives and eventually our clients. Assessing your own level of Compassion Fatigue If would you like to assess your current level of Compassion Fatigue, visit Beth Stamm’s website: www.isu.edu/~bhstamm/tests.htm. Dr Stamm and Charles Figley have developed a self-test called the Proquol (professional quality of life) that can be accessed via this site. They not only look at Compassion Fatigue, they also assess

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Transforming Compassion Fatigue into Compassion Satisfaction – 12 Top Self Care Tips

www.compassionfatigue.ca 2

helpers’ level of compassion satisfaction which is “about the pleasure you derive from being able to do your work well.” (Stamm, 1999) I have affectionately nicknamed this test “the thingy” as I find the name ProQuol rather unwieldy. If you are interested in obtaining a free self scoring excel version of this test, email our autoresponder: [email protected] and you will instantly receive the excel version, which is far easier to use than the original version. Developing an Early Warning System for Yourself I believe that compassion fatigue is a normal consequence of working in the helping field. The best strategy to address compassion fatigue is to develop excellent self care strategies, as well as an early warning system that lets you know that you are moving into the caution zone of Compassion Fatigue. For the past 7 years, I have been training and assisting helpers in developing a better understanding of this complex occupational hazard. Here is a sample of my favourite self care strategies to transform compassion fatigue into compassion satisfaction.

Top 12 Self-Care Tips for Helpers 1.Take Stock-What’s on your plate? You can’t aim to make changes and improvements without truly knowing where the problem areas are. Start by taking a nonjudgmental inventory of where things are at in your life. Make a list of all the demands on your time and energy (Work, Family, Home, Health, Volunteering, other). Try to make this list as detailed as you can. Eg: Under the Work category, list the main stressors you see (number of clients, or, amount of paperwork, or difficult boss, etc). Once you have the list, take a look at it. What stands out? What factors are contributing to making your plate too full? Life situations or things you have taken on? What would you like to change most? If you are comfortable sharing this with a trusted friend or colleague, have a brainstorming discussion with them on strategies and new ideas. A counsellor or coach can also help you with this exercise. If you would like to read more on this, we highly recommend reading Cheryl Richardson’s excellent book “Take time for your life” (1998). 2. Start a Self-Care Idea Collection This can be fun. You can do it with friends and at work. With friends: Over a glass of wine or a cappucino, interview three friends on their favourite self-care strategies. Start making a list even if they are not ideas that you would do/are able to afford at the moment. Something new might emerge that you had not yet thought of.

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At work: If you are doing this at work, you could even start a contest for the best self care idea of the week or have a “self care board” where people post their favourite ideas. You could have a “5 minutes of self care” at each staff meeting, where someone is in charge of bringing a new self care idea each week. Once you have a really nice long list, pick three ideas that jump out at you. Make a commitment to implementing these in your life within the next month. Ask a friend/colleague if they would commit to supporting you (and you them) in maintaining your self care goals. This could mean that they go to the gym with you every Thursday, or that they email you at lunch to remind you to get out of your office. This is a wonderful way to stay on track and to validate your own experiences by sharing them. 3. Find time for yourself every day – Rebalance your workload Do you work straight through lunch? Do you spend weekends running errands and catching up on your week without ever having 20 minutes to sit on the couch and do nothing? Can you think of simple ways to take mini breaks during a work day? This could simply be that you bring your favourite coffee cup to work, and have a ritual at lunch where you close your door (if you have a door) and listen to 10 minutes of your favourite music. A friend of mine has a nap on her yoga mat at work during her lunch break. What would work for you? Not everyone has control over their caseload, but many of us do, providing we see all the clients that need to be seen. Would there be a way for you to rejig your load so that you don’t see the most challenging clients all in a row? Make sure you do one nourishing activity each day. This could be having a 30 minute bath with no one bothering you, going out to a movie, or it could simply mean taking 10 minutes during a quiet time to sit and relax. Don’t wait until all the dishes are done and the counter is clean to take time off. Take it when you can, and make the most of it. Even small changes can make a difference in a busy helper’s life. 4. Delegate - learn to ask for help at home and at work Here is a home-based example: Have you ever taught a 4 year old how to make a sandwich? How long would it take you to make the same sandwich? Yes, you would likely make it in far less time and cause far less mess in the kitchen, but at the end of the day, that four year old will grow into a helpful 10 year old, and one day, you won’t have to supervise the sandwich making anymore. Are there things that you are willing to let go of and let others do their own way? Don’t expect others to read your mind: consider holding a regular family meeting to review the workload and discuss new options. Think of this: If you became ill and were in hospital for the next two weeks, who would look after things on the home front? 5. Have a transition from work to home

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Do you have a transition time between work and home? Do you have a 20 minute walk home through a beautiful park or are you stuck in traffic for two hours? Do you walk in the door to kids fighting and hanging from the curtains or do you walk into a peaceful house? Do you have a transition process when you get home? Do you change clothes? Helpers have told us that one of their best strategies involved a transition ritual of some kind: putting on cozy clothes when getting home and mindfully putting their work clothes “away” as in putting the day away as well, having a 10 minute quiet period to shift gears, going for a run. One workshop participant said that she had been really missing going bird watching, but that her current life with young children did not allow for this. She then told us that her new strategy would be the following: From now on, when she got home from work, instead of going into the house straight away, she would stay outside for an extra 10 minutes outside, watching her birdfeeders. Do you have a transition ritual? 6. Learn to say no (or yes) more often Helpers are often attracted to the field because they are naturally giving to others, they may also have been raised in a family where they were expected to be the strong supportive one, the parental child etc. Are you the person who ends up on all the committees at work? Are you on work-related boards? Do you volunteer in the helping field as well as work in it? Are you the crisis/support line to your friends and family? It can be draining to be the source of all help for all people. As helpers, we know that learning to say no is fraught with self esteem and other personal issues and triggers. Do you think you are good at setting limits? If not, this is something that needs exploring, perhaps with a counsellor. Can you think of one thing you could do to say no a bit more often? Conversely, maybe you have stopped saying yes to all requests, because you are feeling so depleted and burned down, feel resentful and taken for granted. Have you stopped saying yes to friends, to new opportunities? Take a moment to reflect on this question and see where you fit best: Do you need to learn to say no or yes more often? 7. Assess your Trauma Inputs Do you work with clients who have experienced trauma? Do you read about, see photos of, and are generally exposed to difficult stories and images at your work? Take a trauma input survey of a typical day in your life. Starting at home, what does your day begin with? Watching morning news on tv? Listening to the radio or reading the paper? Note how many disturbing images, difficult stories, actual images of dead or maimed people you come across.

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Now look at your work. Not counting direct client work, how many difficult stories do you hear, whether it be in a case conference, around the water cooler debriefing a colleague or reading files? Now look at your return trip home. Do you listen to the news on the radio? Do you watch tv at night? What do you watch? If you have a spouse who is also in the helping field, do you talk shop and debrief each other? It is important to recognize the amount of trauma information that we unconsciously absorb during the course of a day. Many helpers whom we meet say that they are unable to watch much of anything on television anymore, other than perhaps the cooking channel. Others say the reverse, that they are so desensitized that they will watch very violent movies and shows and feel numb when others around them are clearly disturbed by it. In a nutshell, there is a lot of extra trauma input outside of client work that we do not necessarily need to absorb or to hear about. We can create a “trauma filter” to protect ourselves from this extraneous material. 8. Learn more about Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma Compassion Fatigue (CF) and Vicarious Trauma (VT) are serious, profound changes that happen when helpers do their best work. Learn more about CF and VT, including ways to recognise the signs and symptoms and strategies to address the problem. Consider attending a workshop or read more on the topic. Visit our website for more information: www.compassionfatigue.ca or email us: [email protected] 9. Consider Joining a Supervision/Peer Support Group Not all places of work offer the opportunity for peer support. You can organise such a group on your own (whether it be face to face meetings or via email or phone). This can be as small as a group of three colleagues who meet once a month or once a week to debrief and offer support to one another. 10. Attend Workshops/Professional Training Regularly Helpers with severe compassion fatigue often speak of feeling de-skilled and incompetent. Researchers in the field of CF and VT have identified that attending regular professional training is one of the best ways for helpers to stay renewed and healthy. There are of course several benefits to this: connecting with peers, taking time off work, and building on your clinical skills. Identify an area of expertise that you want to hone. If you are not able to travel to workshops, consider taking online courses. 11. Consider working part time (at this type of job)

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Managers often cringe when we say this in our workshops, but studies have shown that one of the best protective factors against Compassion Fatigue is to work part time or at least, to see clients on a part time basis and to have other duties the rest of the time. There are some excellent books on this topic, such as Your money or your life by Joe Dominguez and Marsha Sinetar’s Do what you love and the money will follow. 12. Exercise We tell our clients how important physical exercise is. Do you do it on a regular basis? Can you think of three small ways to increase your physical activity? One busy counselling service hired a yoga instructor to come once a week to their office and everyone chipped in their 10$ and did yoga together at lunch. Another agency said that they had created a walking club, and that a group of helpers walk outside for 30 minutes three times a week. The key to actually increasing physical exercise is to be realistic in the goals we set out for ourselves. If you don’t exercise at all, aiming to walk around the block twice a week is a realistic goal, running a 10km run in two weeks is not. Conclusion: “Dig where the ground is soft” Chinese proverb When I was training in couples counseling with Dr Les Greenberg, he always used to say “when you are working with couples, dig where the ground is soft. Work with the client who seems most ready to change, not with the client who seems most closed and defensive.” Instead of picking your trickiest area, pick the issue that you can most easily visualise improving on. (eg: “making a commitment to going for a walk every lunch time vs getting rid of my difficult supervisor”). You may not notice it right away, but making one small change to your daily routine can have tremendous results in the long term. Imagine if you started walking up two flights a stairs per day instead of using the elevator, what might happen after three months? For more information on Compassion Fatigue Workshops and resources: Contact Françoise Mathieu at: [email protected] www.compassionfatigue.ca Françoise Mathieu is a Certified Mental Health Counsellor and Compassion Fatigue Specialist. She works individually with clients in private practice and offers workshops and consultation to agencies on topics related to compassion fatigue, wellness and self care. She and a colleague created Cameron & Mathieu Consulting in 2001 (now called WHP-Workshops for the Helping Professions) to provide workshops to helpers with a focus on personal and professional renewal. WHP offers practical, skill-based workshops on various topics related to compassion fatigue, burnout and stress management. For more information and resources, contact Françoise Mathieu: (613) 547-3247; [email protected] or visit our website:

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www.compassionfatigue.ca. Recommended books on Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma: Figley, C.R. (Ed.). (1995) Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized. New York: Brunner/Mazel. McCann, I.L.; & Pearlman, L.A. (1990). Vicarious traumatization: A framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3: 131 - 149. Stamm, B.H. (Ed.). (1999). Secondary traumatic stress: Self-care issues for clinicians, researchers, and educators, 2nd Edition. Lutherville, MD: Sidran Press. Recommended Self-Care books for Helpers: Borysenko, J. (2003) Inner peace for busy people: 52 simple strategies for transforming your life. Fanning, P. & Mitchener, H. (2001) The 50 best ways to simplify your life Jeffers, S. (1987) Feel the fear and do it anyway. O’Hanlon, B. (1999) Do one thing different: 10 simple ways to change your life. Posen, D. (2003) Little book of stress relief. Richardson, C. (1998) Take time for your life. SARK, (2004) Making your creative dreams real: a plan for procrastinators, perfectionists, busy people, avoiders, and people who would rather sleep all day. Weiss , L. (2004) Therapist’s Guide to Self-care.

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Work-Life Balance for Attorneys: Real or Myth? By Hire An Esquire, https://hireanesquire.com/magazine/work-life-balance-attorneys-real-myth/, Posted January 13, 2016

Let’s face it, the practice of law is not exactly on par with the concept of work-life

balance. We have all been there; skipping a family celebration, canceling an evening

out, and even falling behind on that perfect workout schedule, all in the name of “putting

in our time” at the firm.

By its very nature, the private practice of law, for the most part, does not lend

itself well to a schedule that allows attorneys—particularly young attorneys—regular

opportunities to balance their work obligations with rewarding family and personal lives.

This is rooted in the fundamental notion—whether accurate or not—that practicing law

offers the greatest rewards to those attorneys who live, breathe, and embody the

concept of first-in and last-out of the office.

So, is it possible to have a successful and satisfying career practicing law, and at

the same time enjoy a rewarding personal life, or is this just a myth? By creating

“balancing checks,” reviewing and updating them periodically, and maintaining an

honest commitment to them, attorneys can achieve a work-life balance that will allow

them greater latitude to enjoy rewarding professional careers and personal lives.

What is Work–Life Balance?

The term Work-Life Balance simply refers to the synergy between your

employment and all of the other commitments in your life, such as family, friends,

community involvements, health and fitness, and social activities, with an effort to attain

as much balance between these elements as possible.

Inherent in the definition is the appreciation that a 50/50 balance is impossible, if

for no reason other than the fact that as attorneys, we spend an overwhelming amount

of our time working.

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https://hireanesquire.com/magazine/work-life-balance-attorneys-real-myth/

Also there are the presumptions that (1) there is enough time in the day to

effectively accomplish work-related tasks; (2) you can get through your daily work and

family responsibilities without feeling drained or dissatisfied; and (3) you have the ability

to participate in activities you enjoy on a regular basis, including having the time for

loved ones, fun, rest, exercise and other activities.

Why do Attorneys believe work-life balance is a myth?

Perhaps a majority of attorneys believe work-life balance is a myth. The most

commonly cited obstacle to a balanced life is the sheer number of hours attorneys are

required to work. Understandably, promoting work and life balance, while achieving

firm’s expectations that attorneys work long hours and days, and meet increasing

billable hours, seems inconsistent.

In the 1960s, a full-time attorney typically billed 1300 hours per year. When

salaries spiraled up in recent decades, hours spiraled up, too. Now commonplace are

billable hour requirements in the range of 2000–2300 hours per year. Billing 2000 hours

roughly translates to working 60 hours a week.

In addition to ever increasing billable hours, attorneys in private practice are

expected to become “rainmakers”— those who bring new clients into the firm or, in the

very least, promote continued business from existing clients. Rainmaking lends itself to

a host of duties and responsibilities, such as marketing and networking, in addition to

those inherent in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of private law practice.

This translates into more hours at the office, or on some work-related activity to

promote firm business, which further undermines the belief that a work-life balance is

achievable. Despite the increased status and money associated with rainmaking, there

is a vital problem where many lawyers hate rainmaking and aren’t good at it.

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Attorneys who believe work-life balance is a myth also cite to the climate of

economic uncertainty in support of their theory. Associates are not only concerned with

the diminished chances of making partner, but are also concerned that they may be out

of a job unless they are putting in some serious hours at the office.

Despite strong beliefs that work-life balance is a myth, there is hope.

Developing “Balancing Checks”

Although the definition of work-life balance may seem essentially uniform,

developing a plan to achieve a work-life balance is unique to each attorney. All

attorneys are not the same, as we each have differing goals, values, and definitions of

success. What may work for one attorney, may not have the same positive results for

another.

Similarly, what worked for you to achieve work-life balance five years ago or

even one year ago, may not work as well today as our lives are periodically changing,

evolving, and becoming more challenging and demanding. Accordingly, it is important

to take the time and effort now to develop what I call “balancing checks.”

“Balancing checks” are barometers against which you can gauge whether or not

your plan to achieve a work-life balance is working. “Balancing checks” are also

beacons to help you find your way back should you run off course from your work-life

balance plan.

Developing a good plan to achieve work-life balance should, include the following “balancing checks”:

(1) Define your values and priorities. Not everything we do has value or is a priority,

although it sometimes feels that way. The sooner you come to that realization, the

sooner you can begin to devote your time and energy on doing things you really care

about.

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The way to know what holds the most meaning for you is to define your values. Values

are the things that we are most naturally drawn to; those things that we do without

having to labor at it or struggle with. When you define your values, you have something

concrete to check-in with when making decisions and setting priorities.

Your values form the basis of how you approach your life, and when you set your

priorities in accordance with your values, there is less stress and pressure. When we

live and work according to our values, it doesn’t feel like hard work. Defining your

values and priorities is an ongoing process and you may find that over time they change

slightly or their importance alters.

(2) Identify your balance “distractions”. Balance distractions are those thoughts or

actions that stand in the way of achieving balance. They are negative perspectives we

develop and maintain to justify our inability to pursue balance-related goals.

Some examples of distractions (and suggestions as to how to rectify them) are:

(a) Living for the expectations of others at work and at home. You first have to be

happy with who you are and the work you do, before you can seek to please others.

(b) Consistently putting the needs of others before your own. As an attorney, we

advocate for our clients, but you first need to advocate for yourself in achieving a

promising balance in your life.

(c) Fear of change. There is no need to continue to embrace the “everyone else is

putting in long hours at the office, so I should too” motto.

(d) Multitasking. Multitaskers might feel like they’re getting more done, but it almost

always takes longer to multitask than to devote your attention to one thing at a time.

(e) Boredom. Dull tasks can sap your ability to focus and make you more vulnerable to

distraction.

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(f) Electronic interruptions. Checking emails every few minutes and immediately

working on responses (regardless of the time of the day or the day of the week) can

prove to be taxing on your time and energy, as well as detract you from timely and

properly completing your work.

Once you identify your balance distractions, pay attention to when you use them

as excuses to justify a lack of balance in your life, and explore ways to accomplish your

goals in spite of your particular balance distractions.

(3) Build “not available” time blocks in your weekly schedule. These time blocks

are periods of personal time that are set aside for yourself, that absolutely cannot be

rescheduled or canceled—they are simply not negotiable. Devote at least 30 minutes to

each time block, and include it on your calendar just like any other appointment or

commitment.

You can use the time for anything that is not work-related. This time is allocated

to focus on you. Go workout, get a massage, take yourself to the park, spend time with

family or friends, or just do nothing! Just pick something that you’ll enjoy. If a date night

with your spouse or a softball game with friends is on your calendar, you will have

something to look forward to and an extra incentive to manage your time well so you will

not have to cancel.

You can also use these time blocks to create routines to add stability and order

to your life, including:

(a) Morning and bedtime routines. For example, meditating in the morning and

winding down the day with a mind-clearing and calming exercise, like reading a book.

(b) Exercise routines. Even if you can’t get to the gym, short periods of just moving

your body are still proven stress-reducers.

(c) Quiet time/creative time routines. Creativity is cathartic – it allows you to channel

stress, anger, resentment, or whatever other negative emotions you may be holding

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onto in a productive, healthy way. So pop on some headphones, write posts for your

blog, or send your mom a thoughtful card in the mail.

Start slow and gradually build more blocks of time into your schedule that are important

to you. The key here is to be proactive and schedule these blocks of time in advance.

Set these blocks of time on Sunday evening, before the start of your work week.

(4) Develop boundaries on your work and communicate those boundaries to your employer. Being an attorney will take as much time as you give it. There is always

one more assignment to be completed, and one more deadline to meet. It is each

attorney’s responsibility to set their own boundaries, and a clear conviction to stick to

those boundaries.

Have a clear understanding of what your office hours are, or better yet what

hours do you absolutely need to be at the office, and strive not to do anything work-

related (such as checking voicemails and emails on your commute or walk to the office)

until you are actually in the office and during office hours.

Make it clear to your office staff and superiors, and even clients, that you will not

be available after a certain time, such as 6:00 P.M. or on weekends. Even when

responding to emails, explain that those are the hours you are reserving time for

yourself, family and friends.

Some sturdy guideposts upon which to advocate for these boundaries are

“Happy,” “Healthy,” and “Hopeful”. Employees who are happy and engaged have time to

pursue things which recharge them physically and spiritually. They are hopeful that they

can maintain a work-life balance and are statistically more productive, more loyal, more

efficient, and less likely to experience burnout and commit errors or oversights.

Colleagues and clients respect individuals who have strong concepts of

developing separations from work and personal life; particularly individuals who

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effectively advocate those boundaries by having candid communications with them

about the importance of having that personal time.

This is not an invitation or even a suggestion to slack off at work. Rather, make it

clear to colleagues and clients that you intend to achieve your firm’s goals, hourly

commitments, and deadlines in an efficient manner that does not compromise work-

product quality or timeliness. Key elements here are being consistent with those times

you will not be available and resisting the urge to revert back to your old schedule.

(5) We all need a little help sometimes. Whether at home or at work, if you are

drowning under a sea of chores or assignments and deadlines, simply asking people to

help to ease the burden could restore some balance to your life. Remember, coworkers

and partners are not mind readers and won’t know that you have too much on your

plate, unless you tell them and invite them to help.

By reducing the amount you have to do, you will be able to focus more effectively

on each assignment or task, and may even find you gain a little free time as a result.

Moreover, chatting with friends and family can be important to your success at home—

or at work—and can even improve your health. Studies have shown that people with

stronger support systems have more aggressive immune responses to illnesses than

those who lack such support.

Also, utilize the technology available to you—smartphones, laptops, and remote

network access—to work efficiently and effectively to complete assignments on your

schedule without having to be at the office. Lastly, utilize the “human resources”

available to you, such as your office staff, by delegating work to them that they can

complete, retaining for yourself those essential tasks and assignments that only you can

complete.

This may seem like an unattainable goal or plainly a myth, but having work-life

balance as an attorney in private practice is achievable. By developing “balancing

checks,” you have the opportunity to enjoy a successful and satisfying career practicing

law, and at the same time, enjoy a rewarding personal life.

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Creating the right work-life balance that will work for you takes time, energy and

patience. It is a process, so take it one step at a time and do not lose faith. Although

you may feel too overwhelmed to start tackling your work-life balance, a little effort in

this area can go a long way and leave you feeling much more content about all aspects

of your life.

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WSBA Lawyers Assistance Program

For counseling, refer to our WSBA Connects service (see other side of card). All consultations are confidential as protected by APR 19(a)(b).

206-727-8268 800-945-9722, ext. [email protected] • www.wsba.org/lap

Addressing the self-care and mental health needs of

Washington attorneys

The WSBA Lawyers Assistance Program (LAP) promotes the well-being of attorneys statewide:

• Consulting with attorneys whoare concerned about anotherattorney’s wellbeing.

• Providing job search groups andconsultations for attorneys whounemployed, in transition, orconsidering retirement.

• Supporting the Peer Advisornetwork of attorneys trained tohelp other attorneys.

• Creating continuing legaleducation trainings about self-care in your practice and your life.

• Supporting attorney addictiongroups statewide.

• Supporting the JudgesAssistance Program.

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WSBA Connects

WSBA Connects offers free, confidential statewide access to counseling in lawyers’ local communities.

Through our partnership with wellness provider APS, support is available across the state with 24/7 phone access whenever you are experiencing emotional or behavioral concerns that may be affecting your practice or the quality of your life. A referral to an APS provider in your community follows this initial consultation. Reasons for referral can include anxiety, depression, addiction, career transition, work stress, retirement, among other life challenges.

All WSBA members are eligible for three free counseling sessions. The rules protecting confidentiality are the same as if you were meeting with an outside provider not connected to WSBA.

WSBA ConnectsOffering free counseling to Washington attorneys in your community.

800-765-0770 | www.wsba.org/connects

1325 4th Avenue, Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98101-2539206-443-WSBA (9722) • 206-945-WSBA (9722)www.wsba.org/lap

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The Problem Tree: Managing Crossover Stress Between Work and Family Life

Dan Crystal, Psy.D. WSBA Lawyers Assistance [email protected], 206-727-8267

The Problem Tree

Leaf One: Your Child• Your second full time job.

• Coordinating responsibilities with your partner.

• May put pressure on your career to be stable and financially supportive.

• Learning completely new skills as a parent.

Leaf Two: Work Stress

•Multiple streams of information.

• Learned helplessness.

•Anxiety.

• Impaired concentration.

Leaf Three: Other People!

• Do you have a “take charge” or a “crisis worker” mentality?

• Do you get confused between meeting your clients needs vs. meeting your own needs?

• Do your clients have realistic expectations about what you can do?

Compassion Fatigue

Are you taking on your client’s stress? Thinking about their problems at the end of the day?

Do you feel numb when you leave the office?

Are you distracted at the dinner table? Quiet? Crabby?

Do others get it? Don’t be a human question mark!

Leaf Four: Tech Addiction

• How much time are you spending on your phone? Track it.

• Television?

What are your tools?

Tool One: Your Mind

• Two Muscles in the brain—getting things done and being aware of what is happening.

• Is your family a math problem or a sunset?

Tool Two: Making Time• Are you “quarterbacking” your life?

• Or just collapsing at the end of the day?

• Decision Fatigue

• Are you planning meals, experiences, weekends, seasonal plans.

• Are you making time for your partner?

• Visioning your future will bring you energy in your daily life.

Tool Three: Other People!

• Do You Have a Best Friend at Work?

• It takes a community….

• Are you available to others? This can help too.

Tool Four: The Holy Trinity

• Exercise

• Nutrition

• Rest

• As long as you have your health….do you?

It’s All Important

• Career • Relationship• Family• Friendships/Community• Spirituality/Individuality• Curiosity/Interests

CHAPTER TWO

AN ATTORNEY PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE BENEFITS OF ADOPTING FAMILY FRIENDLY LAW FIRM POLICIES AND STRATEGIES ATTORNEYS CAN USE

WHILE BALANCING WORK AND FAMILY LIFE RESPONSIBILITIES

November 2016

Elijah Forde Atlas Law PS


Felicia Gittleman Cowan Miller & Lederman


Megan Stanley Integrative Family Law, PLLC


ELIJAH FORDE is the managing partner at Atlas Law, PS. where he represents injured workers in worker’s compensation and social security matters. Prior to owning his own firm, Elijah worked for the Washington State’s Attorney General’s Office and Lane Powell, primarily doing workers compensation litigation. He is also a former WSBA governor for the 9th district and the immediate past co-chair of WSBA’s Diversity Committee. He has been admitted to practice in Washington since 2006.

FELICIA LANI GITTLEMAN is a Partner in the law firm Cowan Miller & Lederman, P.S. Felicia's practice is focused on developing immigration solutions, including obtaining visas and green cards, for businesses that recruit from a global pool of talent. Felicia speaks frequently on business immigration issues at Continuing Legal Education seminars and to groups of Human Resource professionals. She was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1986.

MEGAN STANLEY is an Associate Attorney with Integrative Family Law, PLLC where she practices family law. Prior to joining Integrative Family Law, Megan had her own practice serving as a court appointed Guardian Ad Litem for children and minor parents, mediating as a Contract Mediator for the King County Prosecutor’s Office Family Support Division and representing youth in Juvenile Dependency matters. She was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1994.

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JUL/AUG 2016 | NWLawyer 35

Four years ago, while driving home from work to pick up my son, I had to pull over to the side of the road to cry. I was crying be-cause I had resigned as a partner from my law firm

earlier that day, saying goodbye to my dream job, the job that I had poured my heart and soul into for the last seven years where the partners felt like family. This was never part of my career plan, but here I was. I didn’t know it then, but I’d some-how steered my way off the “partnership track” and onto the “mommy track” — a winding path with many detours and no destination.

Like many lawyers, I finished law school in my late 20s and dove head-first into learning the ropes as an associ-ate attorney. I immersed myself deeply into the practice — working nights and weekends, and worrying about my cases in the middle of the night. I also fell in love with the father of my two kids, spending many “date nights” on the floor of my office eating sushi.

Within a year after becoming a part-ner, I was pregnant. I hadn’t given much thought to how my work life might change after having the baby; I assumed I’d take a few months off, find child care, and re-turn to work. My old life, plus a baby. But after Cooper was born, a return to full-time lawyering didn’t seem so appealing.

My firm was amazing and allowed me to come back to work part-time while retain-ing my partnership. I worked three days a week, but I felt I couldn’t let my emails and calls go unanswered, so I was tethered to my phone on my days off. After managing a project that required working crazy hours for several weeks straight, I was losing my stamina and feeling like a fail-ure on all fronts: I wasn’t a good enough mom, I wasn’t a good enough lawyer, and I wasn’t a good enough partner.

I kept telling myself that I had the perfect setup — a firm I loved, a wonderful son, and a part-time schedule to boot. But my heart was telling me otherwise. I had no concept of how to take care of my own needs and I was running myself ragged. After a couple weeks of insomnia, I figured there must be something seriously wrong with me and I went to see my doctor. He told me there was no medical issue, but that I needed to make a decision about where to put my energy. He left me with these words: “I’ve never had a patient tell me at the end of their life that they regretted not spending enough time at the office.” Later that night, I decided to leave my job and I slept like a baby. I had a bit of sav-ings that I figured could last me a year or two if I tightened up my budget.

I was delighted with my new life as a stay-at-home mom (SAHM). I spent my days going to the park, working out, cook-ing fancy meals, and hanging out with my newfound SAHM friends and their

by Elizabeth Poh

THE MOMMY TRACKNew Variations on the Balancing Act for Attorney Mothers

Elizabeth Poh and children.

kids. I learned what my body needed to feel good: eating right, getting enough exercise and sleep, and losing the con-stant feeling of being in a rush. I felt like I had found a “new normal” where I could truly enjoy my life. My daughter Norah was born a few weeks after Coo-per started kindergarten, and now that I was starting all over with a second kid, I began to think I might never go back to the law.

To my surprise, when Norah was al-©IS

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This article appeared in the July/August 2016 issue of the Washington State Bar Association’s official publication, NWLawyer, and is reprinted with permission from the Washington State Bar

Association.

NWLawyer | JUL/AUG 201636

most one, I got the itch to go back. Some of my SAHM friends who had been out of the workforce longer than me were find-ing it hard to get back in. Other friends were struggling in their marriages, which left me feeling vulnerable about not hav-ing my own source of income. Although my partner fully supported my decision to stay home, I began to notice some subtle but uncomfortable shifts in the dynamic of our relationship as we found ourselves in the very traditional gender roles of breadwinner and homemaker.

I was lucky enough to re-enter the workforce at a family-friendly boutique firm without billable hours that was will-ing to let me set my own part-time sched-ule. Taking on new cases and clients, I find myself falling in love with lawyering all over again.

When I encounter fellow mom/law-yers, our conversation always gravitates to the elusive concept of work-life bal-ance. I decided to reach out to a few lo-cal attorneys and was excited to see the variety of ways in which local lawyers are creatively navigating this challeng-ing terrain.

FREE-RANGE LAWYERING

MELISSA WEILAND started her career with a vision of becoming a trial attorney, but quickly realized that litigating at a large D.C. firm was not for her. She made a 180-degree change of course — mov-ing to Seattle to do corporate work for the small firm where she had worked as a summer associate. She eventually took an opportunity to go in-house, working as

general counsel of a local startup. It was a stressful but invigorating gig requir-ing lots of hours and travel. Five years in, when her father got sick, Melissa reduced her hours and found a lawyer who could step in and job-share with her so that she could spend weeks at a time with her dad in Chicago. Shortly after he passed away, Melissa and her husband found out they were expecting. She quickly realized that going back to the startup would not be conducive to the lifestyle she wanted as a new mom, so she resigned just before her son Luke was born without a solid plan as to how she would re-enter the workforce.

When Luke was a few months old, she got a call from her old firm ask-ing if she had any time to help out. She started taking on some contract gigs, working from home, and covered for a couple of in-house lawyers’ maternity leaves. The demand for her services grew organically, and she formed Legal Adjunct LLC, got an office space, and now works about 30–35 hours a week for both large and small companies who value her expertise in digital li-censing and advertising and market-ing law. With her flexible, self-directed work, Melissa is able to run carpool several times a week, volunteer at her son’s school, squeeze in a workout most days, have breakfast and dinner with her family, and take extended vaca-tions, including a month in Italy. A self-proclaimed “free-range lawyer,” she misses the camaraderie of working at a firm or in-house, but loves the balance she has found between work and family. And, with a low overhead, she is better compensated for her working hours.

FLYING SOLO

RACHEL HUNERYAGER always knew she wanted to be a mom, but didn’t know how motherhood would fit into her career plan when she started work-ing as an associate at a full-service Se-attle firm. She regularly worked 50-plus hours a week under the constant pres-sure of the firm’s billable-hour expecta-tion. After getting married and starting to envision parenthood, she felt that if she continued working the way she was, “there would be no point in having kids because I’d never see them.” She also worried about how having children might affect her chances of becoming a partner and eventually started to ques-tion whether partnership was even her goal, feeling that time with family and friends might be more valuable. She began to explore other options, eventu-ally meeting with another attorney who encouraged her to start her own firm. She had never considered flying solo, but the idea became more and more ap-pealing and she made the leap. Six years and two kids later, she is loving life as a solo practitioner. She works mostly from home and has a lot more time to spend with family and friends. Rachel cherish-es the flexibility that comes with having her own firm, not having to worry about meeting billable-hour requirements. While running her own firm has its challenges — like when she stopped to file a brief with the immigration court on the way to the hospital to deliver her daughter — Rachel has no regrets about getting off the partnership track and paving her own way.

Left: Melissa Weiland and son. Right: Rachel Huneryager and daughers.

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JUL/AUG 2016 | NWLawyer 37

BREAKING THE MOLD

CHRISTINA SMITH worked within the traditional law firm structure for several years before becoming pregnant with her son, Wilson. While on maternity leave, she realized that she wanted to come back to work on a part-time basis. Since this wasn’t an option at her firm, she be-gan to explore, and was able to leverage her years of experience working in family law to land a unique gig with Integrative Family Law, a boutique firm founded by a mom who prioritized spending time with her own family and wanted to offer the same opportunity to other lawyers. Christina was shocked when the firm offered to let her set whatever schedule she wanted. She now happily works three days a week. Her compensation is based on a percentage of the money she brings into the firm, so she can set her own bill-ing goals without the pressure of meeting a billable-hour requirement. Giving up the stress of managing her own caseload, she provides support on other attorneys’ cases, writing motions and focusing on the day-to-day work so that the lead at-torneys can focus on hearings and trials. She loves the culture of her firm, with several part-time attorneys who all step in to support each other in balancing the demands of work and home. Christina loves the fact that “work doesn’t feel like my entire life anymore. It’s a really im-portant part of my life and I take a lot of pride in doing a great job for my clients, but I also really value my time with my family,” she says. She doesn’t feel like she’s sacrificed her career at all and is happier than ever with her job.

MOM: PAT CHARPartner at K&L GatesSecret Powers: Having strong support from partners and a wonderful secretary/assistant

MOM: KRISTY HARLANPartner at K&L GatesSecret Powers: Using online ordering/delivery for everything from groceries to Halloween costumes, having a nanny who also does grocery shopping and cooks dinner

MOM: RACHEL HUNERYAGEROwner, Law Office of Rachel Han Huneryager, PLLC Secret Powers: “Unplugging” at lunch, network of other solo practitioners who support each other, scheduling exercise into my day, yoga for de-stressing

MOM: CORY JOHNSONPartner at Colvin & HallettSecret Powers: Supportive spouse with a flexible work schedule, parents and in-laws to help with the kids

MOM: ELIZABETH POHImmigration Attorney at Cowan Miller & LedermanSecret Powers: Yoga, office meditation group

MOM: CHRISTINA SMITHAttorney at Integrative Family LawSecret Powers: Being in tune with my body, help from my mom and mother-in-law

MOM: MELISSA WEILANDOwner at Legal Adjunct LLCSecret Powers: Exercise, setting boundaries, and not feeling the need to say “yes” to everything

STAYING THE COURSE — THE CHANGING LAW FIRM LANDSCAPE

While getting off the partnership track works great for some, others are find-ing satisfaction within firms as they are finding new ways to support working moms. CORY JOHNSON never veered off the partnership track: starting her career as an associate for Colvin & Hal-lett, a boutique tax firm, having twin daughters as a third-year associate, re-turning to work three weeks later, and becoming a partner a few years after that. She feels she was able to accom-plish this because of two key factors: no billable-hour requirement, which allowed her time for business develop-ment, and a supportive husband who was able to stay at home with the twins while she worked full-time. Looking back, she feels that having kids did not impact her path to partnership at all. She feels lucky that she was able to have children without having to sacrifice her career, in large part because her firm valued work-life balance. She has found support in her involvement with Moth-er Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle, which sponsors kid-friendly networking and informational events for attorney moms in Seattle. Although she doesn’t find much spare time to fo-cus on herself these days, she is happy to prioritize spending her downtime with her daughters for now.

When PAT CHAR became the third-ever woman partner at Bogle & Gates in 1984, about a year before her first son was born, “children and the partnership

track were not discussed in the same conversation.” At that time, the fact that her law firm offered a partially-paid maternity leave was considered extremely progressive. Although she loved her work as a litigator, she found it extremely taxing with two young kids, especially since her attorney hus-band had a work and travel schedule that was equally demanding. She was pleasantly surprised when her firm was supportive of her desire to transition to a more family-friendly trust and estate

Left: Christina Smith and son. Right: Cory Johnson.

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NWLawyer | JUL/AUG 201638

practice, allow-ing her to work part-time while taking courses in tax law. Re-calling staying up all night with a vomiting kid while preparing for trial the next morning, or tell-ing clients she

would be at an “out-of-office meeting” in order to attend preschool events, she reflects, “There were times I felt I was making compromises with my career and my kids, but it all has worked out just fine and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

It is interesting to compare Char’s story with that of KRISTY HARLAN, who became a partner at a global law firm over two decades later. While Char reflected that at the time she became partner in the 1980s, she “wouldn’t have imagined it was possible for a pregnant woman to become a partner,” that’s exactly what Harlan did. She made partner at her current firm K&L Gates LLP when she had a young son and was pregnant with her daughter. Six weeks after her daughter was born, Harlan’s path took an unexpected turn as her daughter was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer. Facing “the biggest challenge I could imag-

ine,” Harlan was overwhelmed by the support that her partners offered. She recalls receiving an email from the of-fice managing partner shortly after her daughter’s diagnosis, telling Harlan that he had discussed her situation with firm management and that the firm would allow her to keep her partner-ship and support her in whatever way it could. Reading the email, she says she “felt a huge rush of emotion and relief because I knew they had my back.” She got through the next few years, spend-ing much of her time at the hospital, working fewer hours, and finding cre-ative ways to work where and when she could. The firm has continued to make itself friendly to working parents, of-fering a “balanced hours” program to lawyers seeking a reduced schedule in order to spend more time with their families, as well as a dedicated nursing room for new moms. Having weathered

the storm of her first few years as a partner, Harlan has found that things have slowly gotten easier. She is able to work from home when needed, balancing conference calls while attend-ing most of her children’s doctor appointments, baseball games, and school plays.

Both Char and Harlan empha-size that technology has been a great thing for working parents,

allowing flexibility while remaining ac-cessible and responsive to their clients. We can safely say it is no longer taboo to discuss law firm partnership and motherhood in the same conversation.

DIFFERENT PATHS

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over my years of law practice, it’s that no two cases are alike — each one has its own unique twists and turns. Similarly, there is no one right career path for lawyer moms. Rather than viewing my career as a journey with a set path and desired destination, I’ve come to view it as a constant process of creation — ac-cepting and responding to the inevita-ble joys and challenges that come with lawyer and mothering, without being afraid to change course as many times as needed. One step at a time. NWL

ElizabEth Poh has worked in immigration law since 2002 and currently practices at Cowan Miller & Lederman in Seattle. As the

daughter of a Chinese immigrant, she has a passion for working with people from around the world pursuing their dreams. Poh’s work focuses on visas and green cards for highly skilled individuals in tech, research, business, and the arts. When she sneaks away from her work and her family, you can usually find her in the yoga studio or out on a walk. She can be reached at [email protected].

Pat Char. Kristy Harlan and children.

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List of Resources – Work / Life Balance

Childcare

• On Call Nanny (oncallnanny.com) offers last minute nanny childcare options, among other services.

• Spilt Milk Nannies (https://seattle.spiltmilknannies.com) offers babysitting and nanny childcare options, among other services.

• Wondersitter.com offers babysitting options. • Seattle Nanny Network (seattlenannynetwork.com) offers last minute and scheduled

nanny childcare services. • Annie’s Nannies (aniseattle.com) offers temporary and non-temporary nanny childcare

services, among other services. • YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs offer drop-off child care for school-aged children. • Bright Horizons (brighthorizons.com) offers employer-sponsored options for on-call

childcare and elder care.

Organizational Resources

• MAMA of Seattle (Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle) (mamaseattle.org) has programs, events, resources and mentoring for its members.

Mentorship Programs

• WSBA.org and KCBA.org offer mentorship programs.

Food Ordering and Delivery

• Munchery.com • Blue Apron.com • Terraskitchen.com • Sunbasket.com • Homechef.com • Hellofresh.com • Grubhub.com • Seamless.com

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https://seattle.spiltmilknannies.com/

Achieving Work/Life Balance

Elijah Forde, Atlas Law P.S.

Felicia L. Gittleman, Cowan Miller & Lederman

Megan Stanley, Integrative Family Law, PLLC

Employer v.

Employee Perspectives

Employer Perspective

What do Employers Want?

A diverse group of employees that are energized, productive, happy, healthy, engaged, have limited absences, and no retention issues

Employers: What can the firm afford?

• Know your per-lawyer overhead cost and the minimum acceptable level of profit per attorney

• Determine whether you can afford to offer flexibility options and what options will work for the firm

Employers: What Work Flexibility Options are Available?

• 9 to 5

• Work from home

• Flex-time

• Individual Office Sharing

• Group-Share Office Space

• Commuter-based arrival and departure time

Employers: What type of Alternative Pay Options will motivate employees to work more efficiently?

• Project-based pay instead of billable hours for practice areas with repetitive projects.

• Revenue-based pay options for flat fee work.

Employers: What other things can be done?

• Facilitate Mentorship Relationships

• Create a workplace culture that values your employees’ non-work time

• Encourage workplace communities and facilitate group activities

• Recruit employees with a team-attitude

• Nurture attorneys with overlapping expertise, so that if one person has an emergency, another attorney can step in

What other things can be done? (continued)

• “Happiness” projects: “tea time” with tea and cookies; treadmill or standing desks; fitness class vouchers; new-parent leave; affordable health benefits for family members; sports leagues; periodic in-office massage; charitable donation matching; group Mariner’s tickets; monthly birthday celebrations; pretzels and beer on Friday afternoon; broadcasting soccer games during the World Cup; group meditation breaks; movie ticket vouchers

• Nurture a culture of asserting boundaries, so that employees feel safe in not responding to non-emergency client emails in the middle of the night or on weekends

• Congratulate teams on their successes, and share case results that are meaningful so that all employees can be engaged in the firm’s work

What about Parental Leave Policies?

• Things to Consider:

• Create parental leave policies that are included in Employee Handbook

• Encourage employees to use the parental leave policy

• Facilitate reintegration of attorneys post-leave

• Additional non-paid leave options following paid leave

• Health insurance coverage throughout leave and non-paid leave

Employee Perspective: Where do I Start?

• Know what your “best case scenario” is.

• Do you want a 9 to 5 practice, reduced hours, flex hours, early start and early end of the day, or do you want to develop a certain type of practice?

• Track all of your time to see what can be reduced or eliminated.

How do I talk to my employer?

• Know your organization and whether it has any policies re what you want (flex-time, part-time, parental leave, etc.)

• Research information from law firms of a comparable size

• Prepare a written proposal of what you want, which anticipates issues and presents solutions, and argues how you will make it successful

How Can I Push the Re-set Button?

• Maintain an accurate list of things that need to be done at work and things that need to be done at home.

• Prioritize eating healthy food, getting regular exercise and getting adequate sleep.

• Keep perspective - - your career may be longer than the years your children will be in your household. Your family relationships are of utmost importance.

• Plan and take your vacation days.

Employee: Are there Alternative Compensation Options within a firm?

• Know your value to your firm so that you can make a strong argument for why you should be allowed to have your “best case scenario.”

• Explore alternative compensation options, if appropriate, so that you are motivated to work smarter and faster, not more slowly.

I’m thinking about starting my own firm. Will this help or hurt my work/life balance?

• Weigh cost of start-up, insurance, licensing, etc. vs. working as an employee

• Work Location: how can it help or hinder work/life balance

• Work from home, office share or rent space

Starting My Own Firm, con’t

• Will I have more time for my family and greater control over my schedule, or less?

• Can I run a practice as a solo practitioner or will I need another partner, an associate and/or other employees?

Should I work as a Contractor instead?

• You may earn more than an employee, but you could have less job security

• You likely will not receive employer-provided benefits

• If you work as a Contractor for a law firm, you may not be considered for partnership

• If you change from Associate to Contractor, you may not have the choice of changing back.

Are there non-traditional practice areas that might provide greater work/life balance?

• Nonprofit organizations

• Paralegal Work

• Other: politician, government worker, arbitrator, law professor, teacher, journalist, investigator, contract review/compliance officer, ethics officer, editor, administrator, to name a few.

How can I find a mentor?

• Determine how a mentor could help you

• Research mentors in an appropriate practice area

• Cultivate relationships with experienced lawyers who can provide advice

• WSBA.org has a MentorLink page with helpful information about finding mentors, including a listing of mentorship programs

• KCBA also has mentorship programs

• Some organizations and specialty bar associations have established mentorship programs (e.g. Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle)

What should I do if I am overwhelmed?

• Communicate with your firm so that action can be taken.

• Learn how to set boundaries and get the type of work you want:• “Unfortunately, I am not able to help right now,” OR

• “Yes, I would love to help”

• Embrace efficiencies:• Using templates; training staff to be more efficient; evaluating time drags and figuring out

solutions.

• Advance planning: cooking and freezing meals on the weekend; planning work wardrobe; on-call child care providers; ill child care.

QUESTIONS

ANSWERS

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