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© 2025 The Grace Period: Shining A Light on Lawyer Wellbeing
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A podcast for lawyers that explores the realities of big law, provides tips for better practice management, and shines a light on lawyer wellbeing.
59 Episodes
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Send us a text Are you saying yes out of ambition or fear? After nine years in big law, I've come to a powerful realization: every "yes" is simultaneously a "no" to something else. Whether you're a new associate afraid to decline assignments or a seasoned attorney drowning in commitments, this episode unveils the hidden equation that governs our professional choices. The pressure to constantly say yes is baked into legal culture. We're taught that availability equals dedication, that boundar...
Send us a text Have you ever surprised yourself by falling in love with something you never thought was "for you"? That's exactly what happened when I discovered reading for pleasure as an adult and a busy attorney. Growing up, I was never a "reader" - books were homework, assignments, necessary evils of education. Law school only reinforced this with endless casebooks and legal texts that felt like work rather than enjoyment. For relaxation, I turned to TV shows and mindless scrolling, crea...
Send us a text Ever caught yourself daydreaming about a minor car accident just to get a legitimate break from work? That startling thought was my personal wake-up call that I wasn't just stressed – I was experiencing full-blown burnout. Burnout isn't simply feeling tired after a demanding week. It's a chronic state of physical and emotional exhaustion that the World Health Organization recognizes as a syndrome resulting from unmanaged workplace stress. What makes burnout particularly danger...
Send us a text Every attorney knows the feeling: Sunday evening anxiety creeping in as you mentally brace for another overwhelming week. The never-ending deadlines, the constant fires to put out, and that persistent feeling you're always one step behind. But what if a simple ritual could transform how you experience your work week? In this episode, I share the weekly review practice that's become my professional anchor. This "Sunday Reset" combines reflection, planning, and self-care in a fl...
Send us a text The legal profession's emotional rollercoaster doesn't come with warning signs. One moment you're celebrating a career milestone, and the next you're scrambling to manage a devastating setback. This episode dives into the phenomenon of "emotional whiplash" – when professional highs and lows collide with little time to process either. Drawing from personal experience, Emily shares the disorienting reality of making partner after years of dedication, only to receive a crushing c...
Send us a text Perfectionism casts a long shadow over the legal profession, creating a persistent undercurrent of self-doubt that affects everyone from first-year associates to seasoned partners. Drawing from personal experience, I pull back the curtain on what it truly feels like to constantly question whether you're good enough, smart enough, or simply belong in Big Law at all. The myth of perfection isn't just unrealistic—it's actively harmful to attorney well-being. Despite outward succe...
Send us a text Struggling to let go of control in your legal practice? You're not alone. This candid exploration of delegation dives into the counterintuitive truth that doing everything yourself is actually holding back your career. As attorneys, we're trained to be perfectionists, detail-oriented, and self-reliant. These qualities serve us well when drafting briefs or reviewing contracts, but they can become serious liabilities when we need to transition from doers to leaders. Through pers...
Send us a text Leadership isn't reserved for those with fancy titles—it's a skill that starts the moment you enter the professional world. In this episode, we dive into the often-overlooked art of "managing up and managing down," revealing how these complementary skills can transform your career trajectory regardless of where you currently stand on the organizational chart. What exactly does it mean to manage up? It's about making your supervisor's job easier while strengthening the entire t...
Send us a text Feeling like you're constantly sprinting from one deadline to the next with no time to catch your breath? You're not alone. In this episode, I share my journey from burnout to balance through a surprisingly simple practice: the deliberate creation of "white space" on my calendar. As lawyers, we're conditioned to believe that success requires non-stop work. I spent years powering through without breaks until exhaustion forced me to reconsider this approach. What began as an exp...
Send us a text Every litigator knows the anxiety of watching a court deadline approach on the calendar. But what seasoned attorneys understand—and what newer lawyers need to learn quickly—is that the visible deadline is merely the final step in a carefully orchestrated timeline. Drawing from nine years of experience in big law, I pull back the curtain on the true anatomy of legal deadlines and share the system I wish someone had taught me on day one. We explore the critical differences betwe...
Send us a text Season 5 of The Grace Period will explore the moments that shape attorneys' professional and personal lives, diving deep into practical strategies for maintaining humanity in big law. We'll tackle burnout recovery, sustainable wellness habits, and redefining success beyond billable hours, including: • Burnout recovery strategies and prevention techniques • Wellness habits that actually stick, even under high pressure • Delegation skills and empowering leadership approach...
Send us a text Legal practice is evolving rapidly with technological advancements, and generative AI stands at the forefront of this transformation. This eye-opening episode dives deep into practical applications of AI that can revolutionize how attorneys approach their daily work. What if you could cut your discovery drafting time in half or prepare more thoroughly for depositions? Commercial litigation partner Emily Logan Stedman shares her real-world experiences using AI as a partner at a...
Send us a text The technological revolution waits for no one—not even lawyers. Generative AI is reshaping how legal professionals work, and understanding its potential could be the difference between thriving and merely surviving in tomorrow's legal landscape. Commercial litigator and Husch Blackwell partner Emily Stedman cuts through the hype and fear surrounding generative AI to deliver practical insights for attorneys. Unlike search engines that retrieve existing information, generative A...
Send us a text Ever wondered how to break the cycle of toxic management in law firms? Discover a practical, powerful tool that transforms attorney relationships and sets clear expectations without the mind-reading. Commercial litigation partner Emily Logan Stedman reveals her secret weapon for effective team management: the Best Practices Memo. This comprehensive document eliminates guesswork by outlining everything from file management protocols to communication preferences, creating a foun...
Send us a text Have you ever wondered who's really keeping your law firm running? It's not the rainmakers or the trial lawyers—it's the people handling what I call "professional housework." This invisible infrastructure of scheduling, organizing, tracking deadlines, and administrative support quietly powers our legal organizations, yet rarely receives recognition. In this discussion, I pull back the curtain on the hidden labor that keeps our professional houses in order. The revelation isn't...
Send us a text Ever stood in a courtroom or boardroom and thought, "They're all going to realize I have no idea what I'm doing"? That familiar feeling of being an imposter isn't a sign of failure—it's a sign of growth. In this deeply personal episode, I share a perspective-shifting definition of imposter syndrome that changed everything for me: "Imposter syndrome is what happens when we meet the edge of our comfort zone." This simple reframing helps us understand that self-doubt isn't eviden...
Send us a text Ever wonder if it's possible to take a random afternoon off in Big Law without sacrificing your career? After nine years in the trenches, I've discovered something surprising: strategic breaks aren't just possible—they're essential for peak performance and ethical practice. The legal profession glorifies constant availability and marathon work sessions, but what if we've been approaching this all wrong? Drawing from nearly a decade of experience, I reveal my counterintuitive a...
Send us a text Making the leap into big law as a summer associate or first-year attorney? The learning curve is steep, but this episode provides the roadmap you've been searching for. We're breaking down the unspoken rules and critical strategies that determine whether you'll simply survive or genuinely thrive in the demanding world of high-stakes legal practice. Discover exactly what to do when you receive your first assignment – from the initial meeting with the assigning attorney to the f...
Send us a text Mistakes—the dreaded, anxiety-inducing, but absolutely inevitable part of being an attorney. Despite what your brain might tell you, every legal professional makes them because behind every suit and legal pad is a human being capable of error. In this candid exploration of attorney mistakes, I pull back the curtain on the perfectionist culture that plagues our profession and offer a practical four-step framework to handle errors with professionalism and self-compassion. From l...
Send us a text The legal profession has a math problem. Despite law schools graduating classes with 50% or more women for years, female attorneys continue to disappear from partnership tracks at alarming rates. Why do women leave, and what does it mean for those who stay? In this reflective and deeply personal episode, I share my ABA-published essay "Women in the Room: On Being a Female Partner in 2025." Drawing from my own journey through big law, I explore the jarring moment when, after ma...
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