Legal Talent Talk Network

For the fourth time, I have had the honor of speaking with Gina Passarella about ALM's Mental Health Survey of the Legal Profession. This year, I had the opportunity to include Dan Roe, one of the industry's best business of law journalists, and Paul Hodkinson, The Editor and Chief of ALM Publications in Europe. We engaged in a broad-ranging discussion about the survey, the challenges of an intergenerational workforce, and the power of storytelling to normalize mental health issues.

Join me for an in-depth conversation with Patrick Krill and Paula Davis about the state of mental wellness in the legal profession, the recent and unfortunate death of a big law partner, and a groundbreaking program they developed to help firms build effective wellness programs.

, Conversations About Mental Health in the Legal Community by

Erasing The Stigma, Conversations About Mental Health in the Legal Community by

Erasing The Stigma, Conversations About Mental Health in the Legal Community by

Deep conversations with Andy Hilger, the former president of Allegis Group, on the meaning of leadership in this turbulent new age.

A former attorney, Megan O'Neill turned a casual interest in health and wellness into a lifelong passion and mission. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Megan talks to Mark Yacano about living a healthy lifestyle from maintaining proper nutrition to the importance of self-care. They dive into the emotions tied to nutrition, exercise and sleep and discuss how small changes can make a big difference.

Despite the belief that lonely people are introverts, the reality is that even when surrounded by people all the time, someone can still be lonely. Dr. Gabriella Rosen Kellerman explores loneliness with Mark Yacano in this episode of Erasing the Stigma. They look at what creates a sense of loneliness, why the legal profession ranks high on the loneliness scale and how the billable hour weighs factors into the conversation. They also discuss strategies for both law firms and individuals to combat the loneliness crisis.

Each year, ALM releases a survey that looks at the mental health of lawyers around the globe. This year, the results revealed some unexpected—but not shocking—truths about the stress and burnout levels of today's law firm attorneys. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Gina Passarella, Michael Kasdan, Diane Costigan and Paula Davis sit down with Mark Yacano to review the findings and explore how law firms can help their people.

Optimal performance doesn't just apply to athletes on a sports field. Intellectual athletes need to operate at their own peak levels of performance, too. Dr. Brian Yu shares with Mark Yacano the ACT therapy approach for accepting, acknowledging and working through problematic behaviors. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, they discuss how these techniques can be applied to build resilience at work.

What role does sleep play in your performance at work? How about in your mental health? Dr. Jessica Payne, sleep and stress neuroscience expert, talks to Mark Yacano about the power of sleep, why we need it, how it impacts our mental health and the importance of the power nap.

Paula Davis, like so many, experienced burnout while practicing law, which led her to leave the practice and explore new avenues for helping people. She found her passion and turned it into a practice of helping law firms and organizations cope with stress and build resilient teams. Paula shares her ABC framework with Mark Yacano and digs into how to cultivate office relationships in a hybrid world.

When Libby Coreno was a young lawyer, she realized she was suffering mentally and emotionally in her career. She also noticed that her colleagues were, too. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Libby shares with Mark Yacano her personal journey and how she found her voice to speak up about mental health and well-being. She also discusses how she began the Humanized Lawyer Project.

When Dan Lukasik was introduced to St. Luke's Mission, he hoped this would be a special place where he could find deeper meaning in his life. A simple ask to become a mentor was the answer. The relationship that he has development with a boy named George has changed Dan's life. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Dan tells Mark Yacano the story of his relationship with George and explores how seemingly innocent acts can help combat mental health.

We're only at the start of our mental health awareness journey—which is evident if you look at the results of the ALM 2022 Mental Health Survey. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Michael Kasdan and Gina Passarella join Mark Yacano to review the survey's findings and discuss the current state of mental health in the legal industry and workplace.

By taking several small, simple steps, you can become happier in your legal career—just follow the lessons Nora Riva Bergman and Chelsy Castro share in their new book, 50 Lessons for Happy Lawyers. Mark Yacano explores some of the steps he found particularly impactful—including getting clear on your why—with Nora and Chelsy in this episode of Erasing the Stigma.

Burnout is a very real thing whether you are an associate or a partner. Career coach and former lawyer Annie Little knows firsthand and now helps lawyers navigate through the symptoms. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, she discusses the systematic causes of burnout and gets to the root of the problem with Mark Yacano.

Men's mental health is often a taboo topic in society. Michael Kasdan has experienced firsthand how nerve wrecking and embarrassing it can be to feel not right. Since taking his first steps in his mental health journey, Michael has learned he isn't alone and that the stigma around males owning their mental health is long from erased. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, he shares his story, experiences and advocacy with Mark Yacano.

Kristen Uhl Hulse, Senior Director of Attorney Development & Recruiting for Snell & Wilmer, believes there are new ways of developing young lawyers in this day and age of remote work. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma with Mark Yacano, she discusses reimagining mentoring, using strengths to build self-awareness and finding joy in your work by improving your mental health practices.

For Jay Williams, a mindful sales leader, thriving means figuring out what you value most and making sure the company you work for is giving you everything you need to get there. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, he explains what thriving in the workplace looks like as he chats with Mark Yacano.

Lawyers often approach the practice of law as a solitary task, internalizing their challenges, stressing over their workload and giving in to self-inflicted beliefs. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Angela Han shares with Mark Yacano why burnout is so prevalent in the legal profession and how perception skews reality—and increases our stress levels.

We work hard to appear strong by putting on armor, but in reality, we are much stronger once we drop the armor and own our narrative. That's what Niti Nadarajah has learned since her “aha” moment of realization that she was holding on to a lot and needed to let go. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, she shares with Mark Yacano details of her personal journey and why she started writing about her life on LinkedIn.

“Thoughts are not facts.” Chelsy Castro's interest in neuroscience and psychology led her for the legal profession to helping legal professionals develop healthy coping mechanisms to overcome the thinking errors we all project. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano chats with Chelsy who provides examples of our flawed logic and explores how to overcome these hurdles.

When her son suffered a traumatic brain injury, Francine Tone began studying brain science and discovered (through her research) how stress truly impacts lawyers. Francine shares with Mark Yacano her findings and tools for understanding what stress does to the brain and how to manage it.

There are myriad diets and nutrition program as well as fitness programs in the market today—but which ones to try? In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano sits down with Roxie Jones, founder of BodyROX, to discuss nutrition and strength training. Roxie explores the elements of a balanced diet, supplements you should consider taking and equipment you should have to work out from home.

After a year of remote work and isolation, law firm lawyers are feeling the effects of COVID. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano sits down with Dr. Rachel Fry to discuss the impact of COVID on lawyers looking at how junior associates have struggled to transition into practice and older associates have experienced extreme burn out. She shares her observations and encourages lawyers to get passed the stigma and seek help.

In order for your lawyers and professionals to thrive, they need to be in an environment where they are comfortable and receptive to constructive feedback. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Sheila Murphy, CEO of Focus Forward Consulting, explains to Mark Yacano the importance of cultivating your culture and then identifying the skills within each of your employees that will allow them to contribute the best to your firm or team.

Brad Baum, venture capitalist with Lightbank, knows a good idea when he hears it, which is why he believes in the development and distribution of technology that supports mental health and access to its services. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Brad and Mark Yacano talk about various technological tools available to clinicians and their clients and how the digitization of therapy has lowered the barrier to access—and hopefully the stigma.

Mark Goldstein accepted his depression and set out to feel like himself again, taking a leave of absence from the law. When he returned, he shared his story in The American Lawyer and now he shares his story with Mark Yacano in this episode of Erasing the Stigma. Listen in as Mark G. discusses the reactions he received and why he advocates for mental health awareness and normalization in the law and society.

Hosts Andrea Bricca and Eliza Stoker wrap up 2020 with a look back at the amazing conversations they’ve had with women who are leading the way in the legal profession. They chat about authenticity, the effects of the social justice movement on 2020 and how to support each other in this 30-minute conversation.

Laurie Lebrun, a partner with Major, Lindsey & Africa, has had an exciting career that took her from New York to Tokyo. In this episode of Millennial Murmurs, she shares with Nathan Peart how mentors (both formal and informal) guided her in her career, especially during her career transitions. They also chat about Nathan’s experience having Laurie as his mentor and about what Laurie has learned as a mentor.

Everyone comes to a place in their life and career where they may feel stuck and unsure of how to get out of their rut. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma with Mark Yacano, Madelaine Weiss, clinical social worker and executive, career and life coach, shares real-life examples of how people, particularly lawyers, have made positive transformations in their lives and found sustainable happiness using her G.R.E.A.T. strategy.

Paula Boggs took a leap into the unknown in 2012, leaving an unparalleled career in the law and starting her music career. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Paula retired GC of Starbucks and current frontwoman for the Paula Boggs Band, shares stories of her upbringing, her love of music and why being a Black woman has been her superpower.

With 30 years of experience as a law firm gaming attorney, Ellen Whittemore was up for the challenge when she stepped into the top legal role at Wynn Resorts. In this episode of Between the Legal Lines, Ellen talks to Andrea Bricca about what it was like to go from being a law firm partner to a general counsel. She also shares advice on what she would have done differently along the way and how leading during COVID has been an incredible learning experience.

If the idea of traveling the world sounds appealing to you or is on your bucket list, a career break may be the way to go. Claire Logan, counsel at Robert Weinberger Law PC, always knew she wanted to travel, so when she reached a crossroads, she decided it was time to go on a grand adventure and take a break from the law. In this episode of Millennial Murmurs, Claire and Nathan Peart chat about why she decided to take a break from her legal career, the steps she took to prepare for her break and how her decision was received within BigLaw.

Creating a healthy work environment starts with the tone set by leadership. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Misti Burmeister, author and executive coach, discusses with Mark Yacano the importance of leaning in, listening and asking questions to connect commonalities. Using her personal experiences, Misti explains how we all need to get in touch with the emotional and accept that vulnerability in order to truly understand your people and create a safe space.

Growing up, David Kelly wanted to be a basketball player and a musician. While his path ultimately has led him to a career as an NBA lawyer, he is also a successful musician and underground rapper. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, David, Chief Legal Officer of The Golden State Warriors, shares with Merle Vaughn how he landed his dream role, the sponsors who helped him along the way—and his insights on the league and team culture. He also discusses his passion for hip hop and how it allows him to be his authentic self.

Traevena Byrd, vice president, general counsel and secretary for American University, has a unique legal career path growing up and excelling in higher education. Her experience in higher education has allowed her to talk about subjects that may be taboo in other industries, benefit from the mentorship of other women, and explore all sides of the higher education experience—from teaching to recruiting. In this episode of Between the Legal Lines, Traevena and Andrea Bricca discuss everything Traevena has seen and experienced as a woman of color leading the law.

At the start of your career, your long-term career plans may seem impossible to plan for. Rob Cacace, executive director of the Office of Career Strategy at Georgetown University Law Center, and Nathan Peart have helped hundreds of law students and associates build career roadmaps and start down their legal career path. In this episode of Millennial Murmurs, Rob and Nathan discuss long-term career planning, exploring tips for how to prepare for your first job out of law school and providing advice on how to set goals and expectations along your career path.

Managing—and maintaining—your physical and mental health is an ongoing challenge for many people. Kelsey Heenan, co-founder of HIIT Burn and The Daily Kelsey, explores the mind-body connection needed to find happiness and embrace your body image in this episode of Erasing the Stigma. As she chats with host Mark Yacano, she talks about finding confidence in the clothes you wear, not measuring success by a number on the scale, and taking the first step to a sustainable lifestyle.

Steven Hunter, partner at Quarles & Brady, doesn’t let anything hold him back from being his authentic self and living his best life. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Steven shares stories about what has inspired him to pursue his passions and chats with Merle Vaughn about his competitive drive and commitment to creating opportunities for other diverse lawyers.

As the first general counsel for goop, Virginia Llewellyn came into the organization ready to take on any legal challenges it faced. But this isn’t the first time Virginia has been the first GC for an organization; in fact, she’s playing that role several times before. In this episode of Between the Legal Lines, Virginia chats with Andrea Bricca about her career path, why she sought out an executive MBA and what leading during a pandemic has been like.

Growing up on the basketball court, O’Melveny’s David Lash was not your stereotypical player. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, David chats with Merle Vaughn about getting beyond stereotypes personally and the eye-opening moments from some of his most memorable pro bono cases, several of which are “ripped from the headlines” and one that was made into a movie.

Jill Twedt, vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Boise Cascade, talks to Andrea Bricca about her road to the GC role, working her way up and adjusting to new challenges along the way. She also shares her experiences as a women leader in a male-dominated industry and as a new leader navigating a global pandemic.

Issues of mental health in the legal profession have been a hot topic for ALM Media. Gina Passarella, editor-in-chief, speaks with Mark Yacano about the results of the yearlong Minds Over Matters project and the impact of COVID-19 on the lawyers with whom she’s recently spoken.

Sheila Foster, a Professor of Law and Public Policy at Georgetown University, loves disrupting expectations. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Sheila chats with Merle Vaughn about how her youthful appearance, race, and gender often present challenges within the classroom, and how she maintains her authenticity by always speaking her truth and staying grounded and connected to the community. She also explores the benefits of meditation and how her Zen-like focus helps her through tough situations.

In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano chats with Robin Belleau, director of well-being at Kirkland & Ellis, about Kirkland’s commitment to well-being, its unique program and Robin’s role in supporting the attorneys and staff within the firm.

In this episode of Between the Legal Lines, Andrea Bricca speaks with Beatryx Washington SVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of O.C. Tanner, about leading through a crisis, the challenges of being an African-American woman in leadership and her nontraditional career path into the law.

In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano chats with Michael Kahn, co-founder of ReelTime CLE and former lawyer, about the grieving process as it relates to the unprecedented times we’re living in.

A lawyer and entrepreneur, Sierra Elizabeth lets nothing hold her back in life. In this episode, Merle Vaughn chats with Sierra about how she decided to stay authentic - even in the courtroom, why she started her own business and why she chose to earn a law degree instead of following in her family’s entertainment industry footsteps.

In this episode of Between the Legal Lines, Andrea Bricca speaks with Michaune Tillman, experienced general counsel and human resources, compliance and ethics executive, about her journey to becoming more than just a legal leader. Michaune shares why it has been important to her to identify stretch opportunities along the way, build substantive relationships and maintain her authenticity.