May 10, 2022

#065: Bridgette Carr and Vivek Sankaran - Designing a Fulfilling Life as a Lawyer (Mental Health Month Collaboration with Personal Jurisdiction Podcast)

59 minutes

**This month, May 2022, How I Lawyer is teaming up with the Personal Jurisdiction Podcast (https://www.personaljxpod.com/) to feature five interviews on the important topic of mental health in the legal profession. Learn more here.**

In today’s episode Personal Jurisdiction hosts Hallie Ritzu and Allison Freedman speak with University of Michigan Law Professors Bridgette Carr and Vivek Sankaran.

Bridgette Carr is a Clinical Professor of Law and the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives at the University of Michigan Law School. She is also the founding director of the Law School’s Human Trafficking Clinic, the first clinical law program solely devoted to addressing this issue comprehensively. Bridgette is also a first generation college graduate who wasn’t sure law school was for her. She didn’t so a journal or apply for a clerkship, and instead spent her spare time during law school working at a local legal aid office and an asylum shelter. Despite now being an expert on human trafficking, Bridgette hadn’t heard of human trafficking work until after she graduated from law school.

Vivek Sankaran is also a Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School. He directs both the Child Advocacy Law Clinic and the Child Welfare Appellate Clinic, through which law students represent children and parents in trials and appellate proceedings. He is also a father of three boys, he loves coaching youth sports, and he is learning to play the guitar.

Together they teach a course that they created called “Finding a Fulfilling Life in the Law” at the University of Michigan Law School. In it, they ask students to consider what they want out of life after law school and how they can create that life. The course applies innovative principles of problem solving to the concept of designing your life in and beyond law school. Bridgette and Vivek also recently launched an exciting new business—LawLifeProf Coaching—to help lawyers in practice build a toolbox for a fulfilling life.

In their conversation they discuss why being curious, trying new things, and staying connected to people you care about can help you to design a fulfilling life in the law. There is no yellow brick road, there is no checklist - but Bridgette and Vivek share many pieces of advice and personal reflections for anyone who is not quite fulfilled in their career.

If you enjoy this episode, please make sure to sign up for future episodes at www.howilawyer.com or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Stay tuned next week for my interview with author, activist, and motivational speaker, Brian Cuban.

The How I Lawyer Podcast is sponsored by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

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By Jonah Perlin