State Bar of Michigan: On Balance Podcast

In Biglaw, there is a natural inclination amongst attorneys to build a reputation for being the best, but too often this comes at the expense of mental health and overall wellness. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Anthony Sallah and Stacy Sampeck about their expertise and thought leadership in promoting well-being in large law firms and in-house legal teams. They discuss the traditional pressures of working in Biglaw and outline wellness strategies that can help attorneys thrive and do their best work.  Anthony Sallah is a partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP and serves as a member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Lawyers and Judges Assistance Committee.  Stacy Sampeck serves as Director, Assistant General Counsel at 3M and is a founding member of The Mind-Budget Connection, a volunteer group of attorneys and professionals focused on addressing burnout in the eDiscovery industry.

New rules effective in September 2023 will require Michigan attorneys to name a person with knowledge of their practice as well as an interim administrator in their succession plan. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway welcome April Alleman and Alecia Chandler to discuss how these new requirements came to be and what past problems they aim to solve. They outline the process of naming individuals for these roles and explain the option of enrolling in the State Bar of Michigan’s Interim Administrator Program. Learn more at the State Bar’s webpage explaining Mandatory Interim Administrator Planning or check out the Rule 21 FAQ. April Alleman is Succession Planning Program Counsel at the State Bar of Michigan. Alecia M. Chandler is Professional Responsibility Programs Director at the State Bar of Michigan.

Rapid new developments in AI and ChatGPT, especially, have given rise to many questions across the legal industry about how to use this technology both effectively and ethically. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway turn to Nicole Black for insights on the current landscape of AI and its uses in legal practice. Nicole addresses concerns about accuracy, bias, and confidentiality issues surrounding AI and ChatGPT and also shares how this technology could positively impact legal professionals as it continues to be developed and improved. Nicole Black is an attorney and leads SME and External Education at MyCase.

There are still significant issues surrounding law student mental health, and the pandemic added even more layers to these wellness concerns. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway welcome David Jaffe and Janet Stearns to discuss their research and advocacy for law student well-being. They talk listeners through the latest statistics, emphasize the importance of continuing to destigmatize mental health struggles, and offer many strategies for advocating for wellness throughout the entire legal profession. David B. Jaffe is the Associate Dean of Student Affair at American University Washington College of Law. Janet Stearns is Dean of Students and Lecturer in Law at the University of Miami Law School.

Some of the unique challenges women face in their careers may actually stem from differences in the ways men and women communicate in the workplace. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with bestselling author and executive coach Dr. Lois Frankel about strategies that help women communicate with impact, avoid common pitfalls, and advance in their career. Check out Dr. Frankel’s audiobook: Nice Girls Don't Speak Up or Stand Out: How to Make Your Voice Heard, Your Point Known, and Your Presence Felt Dr. Lois P. Frankel, President of Corporate Coaching International, is a bestselling author, executive coach, and an internationally-recognized expert in the field of leadership development for women.

Pursuing wellbeing through mindfulness helps legal professionals thrive in practice, and part of that focus should be kindness, not just to others, but to ourselves. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Katie Stanley about how caring for ourselves improves our emotional intelligence—a proven marker of greater success in legal practice. Katie shares tips and opens up on her own life experiences to show how mindfulness can help us better engage in the world around us and promote positive social change. Katie Stanley is a public service attorney and community engagement manager at Legal Services of Eastern Michigan.

Lawyers spend a lot of time gathering data and creating content in the course of legal practice, and losing that data could prove disastrous or even catastrophic to their firm and clients. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with John Simek to learn about the types of backups all attorneys need for preserving and recovering information. They discuss the many scenarios lawyers should be prepared for and John outlines best practices for the different types of data lawyers handle on a daily basis. John W. Simek is vice president of the digital forensics, managed information technology and cybersecurity firm Sensei Enterprises.

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: Untangling Fear in Lawyering: A Four-Step Journey Toward Powerful Advocacy, by Heidi K. Brown https://www.viacharacter.org/

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.