As a mother and a professional, Lori Mihalich-Levin experienced the many challenges of working parents firsthand and discovered that there is all too often very little support for parents transitioning back to the workplace after the birth of a child. So, Lori created Mindful Return to empower parents with knowledge and a supportive community. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Lori about valuable strategies for both parents and employers that encourage a mindful approach to working parenthood—helping parents to be present for their children while remaining engaged in their careers.

Lori K. Mihalich-Levin is an attorney and the CEO and founder of Mindful Return, a program that guides new parents through the transition back to work after maternity and paternity leave.

Addressing fear and anxiety with societal mantras like “fake it ‘til you make it” or “face your fears” isn’t all that helpful, and might even be harmful to many of us. Tune in as Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Heidi K. Brown about her book, “Untangling Fear in Lawyering: A Four-Step Journey Toward Powerful Advocacy.” Rather than stigmatizing fear, Heidi discusses ways to equip attorneys with the skills to work through fear responses and then physically and mentally recalibrate to meet the challenges of legal practice.

Episode Links:

Understanding the impact of trauma helps lawyers to better connect with and care for clients. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Aylysh Gallagher and Alexander Rusek about their recent article, An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Lawyering, to educate lawyers on being mindful of trauma and its effects when interacting with clients. They outline signs and symptoms, offer insights on appropriate responses that help avoid retraumatization, and share tools and resources for further education.

Aylysh B. Gallagher is an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office in Lansing, MI, where she specializes in felony cases involving intimate partner violence.

Alexander S. Rusek is an attorney in the greater-Lansing, MI area whose practice focuses on complex mass action and class action civil litigation, business law & litigation, criminal law, and appellate law.

To help attorneys understand the particulars on IOLTA accounts, Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway welcome Robinjit Eagleson to answer IOLTA inquiries commonly received by the State Bar of Michigan Ethics Helpline. Robinjit outlines the financial scenarios which require an IOLTA trust account and gives an overview of all the essential things attorneys need to know about proper handling and ethical requirements.

The State Bar of Michigan Ethics Helpline can be reached at (877) 558-4760 or [email protected].

Find information on upcoming Trust Account Seminars at: https://www.michbar.org/trustaccounts

Robinjit K. Eagleson is ethics counsel at the State Bar of Michigan. 

Healthier indoor spaces are good for both you and the environment! On Balance hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Molly Ranns get a unique perspective on sustainable, inclusive, and more climate-friendly workspaces from Nicole DeNamur. Indoor spaces impact our health and wellness in more ways than we may realize, so Nicole tells us what we don’t know and offers insights into how to foster environments where everyone can do their best work.

Nicole DeNamur is an attorney, educator and sustainability consultant based in Seattle, Washington.

Unique stressors that frequently accompany the life of a legal professional can still be major triggers for depression and other mental health issues. What work still needs to be done to address legal industry health and wellness? On Balance hosts Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway welcome Daniel Lukasik to discuss the current landscape of well-being in the profession and his insights on how to reduce stigma and support the health and wellness of legal colleagues.

Daniel Lukasik is the Judicial Wellness Coordinator for the New York State Office of Court Administration and the founder of lawyerswithdepression.com.

The pandemic made many things change at a rapid pace, but even with this evolution, the same competency areas are still needed to thrive in the practice of law. On Balance hosts Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway welcome Cat Moon to discuss the practice, process, and people skills that make up the Delta Model, which helps lawyers bring self-awareness and growth to their work and personal lives. Cat shares examples of the Delta Model in action in the lives of legal professionals and students and recommends all lawyers rethink how they work to discover a more joyful career experience. 

Caitlin “Cat” Moon is the Director of Innovation Design for the Program in Law and Innovation at Vanderbilt Law School. 

Special thanks to our sponsor Embroker.

Succession planning is critical for ensuring the protection of lawyers, clients, and the public; but does every lawyer need a plan? Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Alecia Chandler about how to figure out what type of plan you need and the resources available on the State Bar of Michigan’s website. Check out the Planning Ahead Handbook, as well as many other checklists and forms designed to help you create a comprehensive plan for your law firm. 

Alecia Chandler is Professional Responsibility Programs Director for the State Bar of Michigan.

Negative perspectives on the legal profession can sometimes affect lawyers more than they realize, as unrealistic expectations, pressure for perfection, and even tacky lawyer jokes work against their mental health. In this On Balance podcast, Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Dawn Kulongowski about how meditation and mindfulness can help lawyers cope with stressors and develop a positive mindset. 

Dawn Kulongowski is owner of The Peaceful Practice and Creative Smiles Dental Group. 

Legal professionals tend to focus on rules, policies, oaths, etc., but this isn’t enough when it comes to ethical decision-making. JoAnn Hathaway and Molly Ranns welcome Victoria Vuletich to explain the components of ethical wellness and a variety of dynamics that influence problem solving. Victoria offers insights on how ethical wellness and moral resilience affect the outcomes of ethical dilemmas often faced by legal professionals. 

Victoria Vuletich is the CEO and founder of Ethics Squared LLC.