Just in: COVID hires are out

It’s Well-Being Week in Law, which at this point feels a little ironic. But Raise the Bar is here to cut through the noise and spotlight ways to do good work, even if you’re not feeling your best. 

This week: a round-up of various intake form software, a Seattle firm that publicly ranked its competitors (yes, really), fresh data on associate job-hopping and a smart take on why training your brain matters. Plus, a conversation with one attorney who found a better balance by taking on more work.

Rock on. This YouTuber says crystals are the secret weapon that will help you win your next case. JK… or are we? Please report back if you try this. 

Food for thought. Can you copyright your favorite comfort food?

She’s not just judging you, she's judging you. Judge Judy always has the sickest burns, and @nadia.khaledd is making sure we see the best ones on her Insta.  

Taking a vacation to relax and recharge? Make sure you have a REAL ID if you plan to get on a plane. You’ve only had 20 years since the law’s passage to get that little star on your license!

Is the secret to work-life balance more work?

A couple of years ago, attorney Nicole “Niki” Rust hit her breaking point. Serving as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Colorado’s Department of Law was her dream job, but the work was taking an unexpected emotional toll. Rust needed a way to relieve her stress, and she found it in a side hustle. -Emily Kelchen

As a government attorney who handles a lot of child welfare and elder abuse cases, you see a lot of heavy stuff. And from what I understand, the weight of that responsibility took a toll on you. Can you talk a little bit about that? 

I had a real wake-up call about two years ago when I was not handling my work-related stress well, and it overtook me in the form of severe anxiety.  Like, I am talking, I could not eat, could not sleep, was afraid of every little thing, and had panic attacks. I realized I needed medical help, so I got it. And what I learned is that I actually do need to put myself first.

What does that look like? 

For me, it means exercising and meditating, journaling every day and ensuring I am making time for connecting with my friends and family. Having a dark sense of humor doesn’t hurt! 

But what really makes a difference for me is tapping into my creative side. Growing up, I always took art, music and theater classes, but I hadn’t done anything like that for years. I started dabbling in drawing, painting and embroidery again. One thing led to another, and last year my best friend and I launched Ampersand Hat Company. 

Our mission is to provide a bespoke hat experience at a more attainable price point, but it’s about more than that. The name “Ampersand” honors all of the “ands” in a woman’s life and reminds us to reclaim parts of ourselves that we were either shamed into hiding, told were too much or not enough, or not lady-like or too aggressive. We wanted to make a space where women can creatively claim all that they are.

So your way to relax and recharge from work is... more work? 

Well, when you put it like that, yes, I guess so! I have learned that mental health is not all talk-therapy and meditation and feelings… which is good because I am not great at feelings! Mental health is also making sure you are using your energy to replenish your body and mind. For me, when I get to be creative, using my hands to work becomes meditative and a way to get anxious energy out. It also becomes a way to use the creative part of my brain to figure out problems the logical side can’t.

That sounds like a revelation you don’t want to keep under your hat!

It’s time for lawyers to be much more open about their mental health. Our well-being is not worth whatever salary, bonus or recognition is up for grabs. And sacrificing our time, energy, weekends and vacations for the job is not worth it.  

Edited for brevity and clarity.

COVID hires are not happy

There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence that the cohort of attorneys hired during the COVID-19 pandemic is having a hard time fitting into their firms. Now the NALP Foundation has the hard data to back up that hunch. According to its "Update on Associate Attrition," the latest group of associates are switching jobs at a significantly higher rate than during pre-pandemic times. Only 20% of associates stay at the same firm for five years, and nearly half leave within three.

Why this matters: It turns out concerns about the onboarding of attorneys who were hired remotely were not unfounded. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the associates who are leaving their jobs are switching firms, not leaving the profession entirely. (Bloomberg Law)

Another meeting that could have been an email intake form

You might not be able to get back the time you have lost to administrative tasks, but you can cut down on the hours you lose to them in the future by making sure your firm is using the latest virtual receptionist services and client intake tools. This article from attorney Nicole Black reviews the pros and cons of some of the most popular platforms out there. 

Why this matters: These tools don’t just save you time; they allow you to focus on higher-value legal work. As an added bonus, they are shown to boost client satisfaction, too. (ABA Journal)

Train your brain to be more focused, calm & resilient

The benefits of mindfulness and meditation have been scientifically proven, but it can still feel a bit woo-woo weird if you don’t know where to start. That’s where the Healthy Minds Program comes in. This free app takes you through a crash course on the neuroscience behind meditation, as well as showing you how to actually do it. 

Why this matters: The app's focus on both learning and practice is great for beginners. Knowing why it is important to strengthen a particular thought process or brain function makes practicing the skills introduced feel a lot less hokey. (Healthy Minds Innovations)

• Deep dive on threats against judges
• Live updates from the Diddy trial
• There be dragons, but not on court filings 
• A look at Mexico’s move toward judicial elections
• Judge uses Trump’s own words to strike down Perkins Coie EO

Hemmat Law’s “Burn Book”

Benchmarking your firm against your closest competitors is a no-brainer, but what would happen if you made your research public? Seattle-based Hemmat Law Group is finding out. The boutique family law firm “secret shopped” over 400 of its competitors, then released all the information it gathered in what it is calling the “Hemmet Trends Report.” The firm is comparing its practices to its competitors in its marketing materials. And surprise, surprise, it is better than everyone else on every measure!

Why this matters: Every firm that wants to gauge how they are doing benchmarks themselves against their competitors. But turning around and using that info as part of your firm’s marketing is a bold move. (Hemmet Law Group) 

Thank you for reading Raise The Bar.

Every Thursday, you'll hear from our team about the most pressing issues facing legal practices today. We'll also try to include some quick-hit reads that touch on interesting cases and precedents being set worldwide. 

Have anything you'd like us to cover? Send an email raisethebar@mynewsletter.co

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