Law Student Mentorship Series [Mosaic Scholars/ Network] 

Big Law doesn't break folks down because the substantive work is "too hard". If you made it all the way to the AMLAW 100, odds are you can handle the intellectual rigor. Big Law can break attorneys down by, often times, being "psychologically unsafe", and most high-achievers have no framework for guarding against that when they walk in.

I (Bryson Malcolm) talk with Sarah Cottrell, founder of Former Lawyer and host of The Former Lawyer Podcast. Sarah graduated from The University of Chicago Law School and spent 3 years in big law before transitioning to a judiciary role, and she's spent the last several years interviewing and working with many lawyers who left Big Law as well.

We get into why firms are good at marketing mental health, yet are often bad at supporting it, how toxic partners run teams in ways that train associates to assume they're the problem, and what's going on economically that lets some problematic rainmakers keep their power no matter what they do.

The conversation also moves into what happens when someone reports misconduct, why calling a labor and employment attorney before HR is often the better move, how bias shifts the math for women and lawyers of color, and why burnout is baked into the pyramid model rather than a reflection of personal weakness.

The back half of the episode is about preparation. We talk through what a real support system looks like before you start: a therapist who understands trauma, a short list of non-negotiables you've written down somewhere you'll actually look at, a network of former big law attorneys who can reality-check you, and friendships outside the lawyer bubble that keep you grounded when the firm starts feeling like your whole world.

Worth a listen if you're starting at a firm soon or trying to figure out whether what you've been feeling is you or the Big Law environment itself. 

In our first official episode, we share our candid experiences navigating both Big Law and boutique law firms as Associates!

Was the grass actually greener at elite boutiques?

Were we able to pull off the increasingly rare practice group pivot?

Which firms should be a little more honest about their culture from the outset?

Listen to find out!
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Hosts:

*Bryson Malcolm is a JD graduate of Columbia Law School who practiced at Skadden and Fried Frank (Real Estate). Founder & CEO.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brysonmalcolm/

Tatyana Monnay is a Reporter at Bloomberg Law
Tatyana's LinkedIn Page

Bryson Malcolm is a JD graduate of Columbia Law School who previously practiced law at Skadden and Fried Frank (Real Estate). Founder & CEO of Mosaic Search Partners.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brysonmalcolm/

Is all of Big Law the same? Can we believe law firm marketing of inclusion, attorney development, and firm cohesion? During our time in the field, a handful of firms have legitimately proven themselves as ideal destinations for Associates, especially those from historically underrepresented backgrounds! Gibson Dunn is certainly one of those firms and in this episode, Bryson Malcolm sits down with Connie Lee, a midlevel Associate in Gibson Dunn's Antitrust & Competition Group in Washington, D.C., to have a down-to-earth chat about her life and career at the firm.

No, GDC did not pay us to say this lol

*Connie’s statements are given in her personal capacity as an individual and do not inherently reflect the policies or ideals of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

Bryson Malcolm is a JD graduate of Columbia Law School who previously practiced law at Skadden and Fried Frank (Real Estate). Founder & CEO of Mosaic Search Partners.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brysonmalcolm/

Welcome to the Debut Episode of Non-Billable Hours! Kind of!

In this “pre-episode”/trailer, you'll get to know your hosts (aka us) Becca, Bryson, and Erica as we pull back the curtain on our paths through Big Law.

We chat about how and why we entered the legal profession, the lessons we learned in the high-pressure environment of top firms, and what inspired us to pivot toward our current mission: empowering historically underrepresented attorneys in Big Law through our work as recruiters at Mosaic Search Partners.

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Hosts:

Bryson Malcolm is a JD graduate of Columbia Law School who practiced at Skadden and Fried Frank (Real Estate). Founder & CEO.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brysonmalcolm/