This podcast episode explores the pillar of emotional well-being. In this conversation, attorney Lee Robbins speaks with Dr. Tyra Moore about how to adopt the idea that emotional well-being is really a lifelong journey, not a destination. They discuss practical ways to apply emotional well-being in everyday life and explore the importance of addressing well-being at both the individual and systems levels, recognizing that many of the challenges attorneys face are deeply connected to the systems and environments we are part of.

They also talk about normalizing the reality that many attorneys are operating under chronic stress and the importance of speaking more openly about that within the legal community. Part of emotional well-being is helping people realize they do not have to experience these struggles in isolation, that they are not alone, and that it is not a personal shortcoming to acknowledge that they are struggling. Emotional well-being is not separate from our careers, effectiveness, or success, but deeply connected to how we sustain ourselves and our work over time.

Resources Mentioned:Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky with Connie Burk

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. The Happy Lawyer: Making a Good Life in the Law by Nancy Levit & Douglas O. Linder

To learn more about how the D.C. Bar Lawyer Assistance Program can help, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

This conversation with Professor Sandra Simkins and attorney Lee Robbins explores occupational well-being and burnout in the legal field, with a focus on public interest law. Professor Simkins discusses her research on how structural factors can shape attorney well-being in high-intensity, mission-driven legal environments.

The conversation critically examines the concept of “self-care,” noting that it is often overemphasized at the individual level while underplaying the systemic conditions that drive burnout. The discussion highlights how organizational culture and sustained exposure to emotionally demanding work are central contributors to stress and fatigue among mission-driven attorneys.

It also emphasizes that while systems-level change is essential, understanding personal risk factors can help individuals and organizations make more informed choices about careers, roles, and work environments. Overall, the conversation underscores that attorney well-being requires changes at multiple levels rather than relying solely on individual coping strategies.

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

Join the D.C. Bar's new Lawyer Well Being Community as we launch "The Six Pillars of Lawyer Well-Being," a podcast series exploring the six aspects of wellness that support a healthy and sustainable legal career. In this conversation, host Abi Baxendale shares the inspiration behind the new community and the well-being framework that will guide the series. We are also joined by staff from the D.C. Bar's Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP), who discuss the confidential resources available to attorneys, how to recognize when support may be needed, and ways individuals and organizations can foster well-being within the legal profession.

Join us every day this week for a more in depth look of each of the 6 Pillars of Lawyer Well-Being!

To learn more about the D.C. Bar Lawyer Well-Being Community and discover programs and resources designed to support your well-being and professional success, visit the D.C. Bar website.

Click Here to view the wide range of resources LAP can offer!

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

In this Season 3 episode, co-hosts A. Valerie Mirko, Partner at Armstrong Teasdale LLP and leader of the firm’s Securities Regulation and Litigation Practice, and William Nelson, Director of Public Policy and Associate General Counsel at the Investment Adviser Association, discuss recent policy shifts at the SEC. Valerie and William discuss the SEC’s rescission of its “No Admit, No Deny” policy and review a recent Division of Examinations risk alert focused on economic conflicts of interest. Valerie also discusses the SEC’s recent rulemaking proposals and previews what may be ahead in the “Atkins Avalanche” - a potential wave of up to 30 rule proposals in 2026 alone. William then covers the SEC’s recent capital formation proposals to streamline public company offerings, as well as the Commission’s new strategic plan, which focuses on innovation, stakeholder engagement, and internal efficiency. This episode is a must-listen for securities lawyers, compliance professionals, regulators, and anyone navigating today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

Recent Past Episodes of this Series:

Redefining Retirement: New Rules, New Opportunities (5/20/2026)

⁠A New Enforcement Era and the Potential Coming Wave of SEC Rulemaking⁠ (4/22/2026)

⁠⁠Congress Puts the SROs Under the Microscope: SEC Oversight, Transparency, and Reform⁠⁠ (3/18/2026)

⁠⁠⁠Congress Puts the SEC Under the Microscope: Accountability, Due Process, and Reform⁠⁠⁠ (2/11/2026)

⁠⁠⁠⁠A Study in Contrasts: Innovation and Crypto versus the Crypto Fraud Landscape⁠⁠⁠⁠ (1/21/2026)

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

Thank You to our Sponsor!

⁠Posh ⁠is the 24/7 call answering service designed for legal professionals of all kinds. Save time and win business with an AI receptionist and team of live agents always at the ready. Capabilities include customized client intake, appointment scheduling, call screening and transferring, English- and Spanish-fluent receptionists, legal integrations, and much more. Simply set your availability and instructions, and Posh handles the rest. Get a free trial at posh.com/law or call 833-GET-POSH.

Tune in to Robert T. Howard, Esq., Co-chair of the Health Law Community Steering Committee, as he moderates a dynamic conversation with panelists Remi Mehner, Esq. and Amaru Sanchez, Esq., counsels in Akin’s Health Care and Life Sciences practice, as they discuss the topic Food is Health/Medicine: Why Health Lawyers Should Start Paying Attention to Food Policy. This conversation introduces the concept of how nutritional interventions are being used to prevent and treat diet-related chronic diseases, and why this is relevant to those working in the health law and health policy space. The discussion opens with an overview of the concept of food is medicine, including key terms. Next the panelists inform the listeners about why health lawyers should start paying attention to food policy. The panel discusses actions and signals in the governmental landscape that indicate the importance and timeliness of this discussion. The panelists then discuss funding models, including federal, state, and private sector funding. Lastly, the panelists discuss food law and food policy developments that health lawyers should have on their radar.

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

Thank You to our Sponsor!

Posh is the 24/7 call answering service designed for legal professionals of all kinds. Save time and win business with an AI receptionist and team of live agents always at the ready. Capabilities include customized client intake, appointment scheduling, call screening and transferring, English- and Spanish-fluent receptionists, legal integrations, and much more. Simply set your availability and instructions, and Posh handles the rest. Get a free trial at posh.com/law or call 833-GET-POSH.

In this Season 3 episode, co-hosts A. Valerie Mirko, Partner at Armstrong Teasdale LLP and leader of the firm’s Securities Regulation and Litigation Practice, and William Nelson, Director of Public Policy and Associate General Counsel at the Investment Adviser Association, are joined by Kendra Isaacson, Partner at Mindset, for an in-depth discussion of major policy developments reshaping retirement savings.

Kendra is a leading voice on retirement policy, bringing deep experience from her time as Pensions Policy Director for the Senate HELP Committee, at the Department of Labor, and in the private sector. During this episode, she breaks down the DOL’s proposal to expand use of alternative investments in certain retirement accounts, exploring the regulatory rationale, potential benefits, and compliance considerations.

The conversation also covers broader efforts to expand access to retirement savings, including recently introduced federal legislation and the Administration’s newly announced IRA marketplace. Together, Valerie, William and Kendra examine how these initiatives could alter the retirement landscape for investors, advisers, and plan sponsors.

This episode is a must-listen for securities lawyers, compliance professionals, regulators, and anyone navigating today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

Recent Past Episodes of this Series:

A New Enforcement Era and the Potential Coming Wave of SEC Rulemaking (4/22/2026)

⁠Congress Puts the SROs Under the Microscope: SEC Oversight, Transparency, and Reform⁠ (3/18/2026)

⁠⁠Congress Puts the SEC Under the Microscope: Accountability, Due Process, and Reform⁠⁠ (2/11/2026)

⁠⁠⁠A Study in Contrasts: Innovation and Crypto versus the Crypto Fraud Landscape⁠⁠⁠ (1/21/2026)

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

Breathwork expert Lauren Watkins from Breath is Medicine joins the D.C. Bar's Lawyer Well-Being Community to bridge the gap between high-stakes legal advocacy and physiological regulation. She shares simple, science-backed breathing techniques designed to help attorneys handle intensity, regulate their state, and reclaim mental clarity without leaving their desks.

Want more well-being content? Join us for our remote program, the Annual Well-Being Summit TOMORROW, May 7! It's Free!

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

To mark this D.C. Law Day on May 1, Brief Encounters, the podcast of the D.C. Bar Communities Office, features a conversation between Tamara Kraljic, Counsel at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP and incoming Treasurer of the Women’s Bar Association of D.C., and Dr. Annette Weerth, Consul General and Legal Adviser at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Washington, D.C.

In this episode, they explore what diplomacy looks like beyond treaties and formal channels—from fostering transatlantic legal dialogue and engaging with lawyers, courts, and civil society, to convening candid, small circle discussions on accountability, judicial independence, and the rule of law. Dr. Weerth also reflects on the importance of sub national and informal diplomacy in times when traditional diplomatic pathways might be tested, and on the essential role lawyers and law play in supporting democratic institutions, peace and stability both domestically and across borders.

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

In this Season 3 episode, co-hosts Valerie Mirko, Partner at Armstrong Teasdale LLP and leader of the firm’s Securities Regulation and Litigation Practice, and William Nelson, Director of Public Policy and Associate General Counsel at the Investment Adviser Association, break down a timely set of regulatory and legislative developments shaping today’s securities landscape.

Valerie and William discuss the recent appointment of David Woodcock as the SEC’s Director of Enforcement and how he is expected to continue Chairman Atkins’s focus on investor harm. Valerie also notes that, despite a recent lull in rulemaking and few open meetings, there could be an “Atkins avalanche” of regulatory activity, with as many as two dozen rules proposed during his tenure.

They further explore Chairman Atkins’s recent speeches, in which he has suggested the SEC may codify certain existing no-action guidance through formal rulemaking.

William also previews next month’s episode, which will cover the Department of Labor’s recent rule that could allow retirement plans to invest more heavily in alternative assets such as private equity and digital assets.

This episode is a must-listen for securities lawyers, compliance professionals, regulators, and anyone navigating today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

Recent Past Episodes of this Series:

Congress Puts the SROs Under the Microscope: SEC Oversight, Transparency, and Reform (3/18/2026)

⁠Congress Puts the SEC Under the Microscope: Accountability, Due Process, and Reform⁠ (2/11/2026)

⁠⁠A Study in Contrasts: Innovation and Crypto versus the Crypto Fraud Landscape⁠⁠ (1/21/2026)

⁠⁠⁠A Year of Change, Challenges, and What Comes Next⁠⁠⁠ (12/17/2025)

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

In this episode of Brief Encounters, host Joyce Williams is joined by former Appellate Immigration Judge Andrea Sáenz and former Immigration Judge Anam Rahman Petit for a timely conversation on U.S. immigration law at the intersection of policy and the rule of law. Together, they unpack judicial independence, detention and adjudication, and the shifting boundaries of asylum—offering an insider’s view of how these legal frameworks shape due process, access to protection, and the future of the immigration system.

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.