Lori Mihalich-Levin’s career provides a great example of how attorneys can pursue other passions, even in a professional capacity, without leaving the practice of law. Currently a partner in Dentons’ health care practice, she is also the founder of Mindful Return, an organization which hosts groups for working parents in order to provide support and help them in navigating transitions back to the workplace after parental leave.
Having authored a book on the subject and been featured in publications including The New York Times, Forbes, and The Washington Post, Lori has built a personal brand as a working mother dedicated to helping other parents with their personal and professional paths. Meanwhile, she pitched herself to law firms on a 60% schedule and landed at Dentons, where she continues to practice, even incorporating her experience with the concerns of working parents to her role as Chair of the firm’s Flexibility and Parental Leave Task Force.
Lori was inspired by her own experience struggling to find resources specific to the professional issues that can arise as one becomes a parent. She saw a space that was lacking and started working just twenty minutes each night to develop a blog. Mindful Return continued to grow from there, and now she balances the company with her work as a lawyer.
Many attorneys fail to appreciate the extent to which the practice of law allows them to incorporate a range of professional and personal interests. How you increase your profile might not be directly tied to your practice area, but the name recognition you garner can assist you in building your book of business. For those who find themselves unhappy with their careers in the law but don’t want to leave it altogether, know that there are many more options than you may realize.
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