From burnout to breakthrough

Trying to succinctly describe what attorney Jennifer Marino Thibodaux does for a living is not easy. A former partner at Gibbons P.C., in Newark, NJ, she now develops content and AI products for Thomson Reuters Practical Law and runs JMT Speaks. She is also a best-selling author, just wrapped up a term as the co-executive editor of the Women Lawyers Journal for the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), and advocates for herself and others who have been diagnosed with lymphedema. It’s a lot. But thanks to her experience overcoming burnout, Thibodaux knows how to handle it. 

You are very open about the fact that you left your position as a law firm partner to embrace an alternative legal career because you were burning out. How did you know it was time to make such a drastic change?
I left private practice in 2017, shortly after the birth of my only child. I couldn’t knock this lingering feeling of disconnect between my happiness and achieving my dream of becoming partner. 

I was increasingly exhausted due to overwork and stress, began to doubt my professional efficacy and became the most negative version of myself. Becoming a mom gave me the push I needed to make a change. 

At the time, I would have vehemently denied being burnt out. I equated burnout with “not hacking it” and didn’t understand what it meant. It wasn’t until years later that I learned my feelings were spot-on for burnout, as defined by the World Health Organization. It was a eureka moment.

What reactions do you get from other lawyers when you speak about burnout?
When I started sharing my story about my journey to and from private practice, it spread like wildfire. People called me courageous, which blew my mind. I knew that if I could help normalize the struggles lawyers face, I had to keep putting myself out there.

Is that why you’ve also opened up about your health issues?
On June 6, 2023, I was diagnosed with lymphedema in my left foot and leg. It has been a difficult journey, but I’m finally at a place of peace, acceptance and gratitude.

I now realize that there is no substitute for self-care. At various points in my life, I regularly worked around the clock without regard to my physical or mental health. I allowed work to become my hobby and, worse yet, synonymous with my self-worth.

It took me a year to speak publicly about all of this. When I finally did, the outpouring was overwhelming: support, love, trust and grace. So, I keep doing it. 

What would you say to a lawyer who’s quietly questioning their career but feels stuck?
When I was in that position, I completed a core values exercise. It gave me clarity on what was important to me—and how I had unfortunately overvalued success above all else in my quest to make partner. Being honest with myself about this required a long, ugly look in the mirror, but it resulted in a beautiful change. And I’ve discovered that when you do what lights you up, you will never burn out.

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 Raise the Bar is written and curated by Emily Kelchen and edited by Bianca Prieto.