When her career was getting started in the 1970s, a partner interviewing Roberta “Bobbi” Liebenberg for an associate position asked if she would cry when things went south in court. "Why, do you want me to?" quipped Liebenberg. In this episode of the Asked and Answered: Lived and Learned series, Liebenberg says that in her career as one of the few women appointed as lead counsel for plaintiffs in multidistrict litigation, she's learned that laughter has a place in the workplace. Humor plays a significant role in diffusing the tension that come with practicing law, says Liebenberg, now a senior partner at Fine Kaplan and Black in Philadelphia. But it’s something many law firms overlook, even though it can lead to a more collegial work environment and help with attorney retention.

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A veteran who graduated from law school following a 14-year career with the U.S. Air Force, Andrés Gallegos was married with a young family when an auto accident resulted in him having quadriplegia. In this episode of the Asked and Answered: Lived and Learned series, Gallegos says he learned never to let anyone else's perception of his capabilities limit him in achieving his dreams. Gallegos, now a shareholder with Chicago's Robbins, Salomon & Patt, is a healthcare attorney and a disability rights advocate.

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You may be confident of your ability to act with courtesy and professionalism in your home country. But with the array of cultural differences, social mores and business traditions you may encounter while traveling, how can you be sure you’re not offending clients and alienating foreign judges and arbiters? In this episode of Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Terri Morrison, etiquette expert and author of “Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: Courtrooms and Corporate Counsels,” which is scheduled to be released this summer.

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Lawyers' mental health has been a topic of increasing discussion and awareness, combined with efforts to help lawyers deal with anxiety, depression and addiction issues. But an aspect of mental health that is sometimes overlooked is body image, and the consequences of body dysmorphia and eating disorders. In this episode of Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with lawyer Brian Cuban about his decades long struggle with body dysmorphic disorder, and how he learned to address it. Cuban is the author of "Shattered Image: My Triumph Over Body Dysmorphic Disorder," a memoir about his recovery.

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You love technology, you love the law, and you want a career that combines the two. But what kinds of legal tech jobs will be the most in-demand, and how can you get them?

E-discovery and privacy law should be two areas that legal tech jobseekers look into, Shannon Capone Kirk tells the ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward in this episode of Asked and Answered.

Kirk, who is e-discovery counsel at Ropes & Gray, first got her start as an associate after being assigned a case with a warehouse full of digital tapes to be analyzed, she tells Ward. Within a few years, she'd started her own e-discovery practice.

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Do you dread going to work? If so, maybe it's time to look at the other ways you can flex your legal skills, says Nancy Levit, co-author of The Happy Lawyer: Making a Good Life in the Law.

There are many types of jobs for lawyers, and sometimes what you thought you wanted to do doesn’t work out, Levit tells the ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward in this episode of Asked and Answered. She shares tips on how to find the work you want to do, and how to find joy in the work you're already doing.law lawyer legal podcast attorney practice

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Confronting someone about a substance abuse problem--or owning that you have one--is not easy, but lawyers assistance programs can help.  Usually referred to as LAPs and offered by attorney regulation agencies, the programs guarantee confidentiality when attorneys reach out to them.  And if an attorney has committed an actionable offense, entering recovery before it comes to light and being able to show commitment to getting better can be a mitigating factor if he or she faces disciplinary charges. In this episode of Asked & Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks to Bree Buchanan about how LAPs work, and how a person can reach out for assistance.

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