THE PATH TO WELL-BEING IN LAW

Lawyer well-being catapulted to a national discussion in legal circles with the publication of The Path to Lawyer Well-Being Practical Recommendations for Positive Change in 2006 by The National Task Force of Lawyer Well-Being. What started as a discussion has evolved into a national movement intent on creating a culture shift within the legal profession geared toward greater personal and professional satisfaction.

The Path to Well-Being in Law podcast was designed to introduce cool people doing awesome work in the well-being space. Designed specifically for the growing based of well-being advocates, National Task Force co-chairs Chris Newbold and Bree Buchanan lead an entertaining, conversational podcast with recognized well-being pioneers from all sectors of the legal space, including legal employers, judges, law schools, regulators, bar associations, State Well-Being Task Forces and Commissions, professional liability carriers, lawyer assistance programs and wellness thought-leaders.

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EPISODE 1: BEGINNINGS

Podcast co-hosts Bree Buchanan and Chris Newbold, who also serve as co-chairs of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being, introduce themselves, provide perspective on how the lawyer well-being movement began, how and why the issue has sparked a national conversation, why a culture shift in the profession is needed and share their individual stories of what brought them into the lawyer well-being movement.

EPISODE 2: ANNE BRAFFORD

Bree and Chris welcome lawyer well-being pioneer Anne Brafford to the podcast, best known for her roles as author of Positive Professionals, co-chair of the ABA Law Practice Division’s Attorney Well-Being Committee, editor-in-chief and co-author of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being’s report The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change, author of the ABA’s widely distributed Well-Being Toolkit for Lawyers and Legal Employers and founder and principal organizer of Lawyer Well-Being Week, an annual event occurring every May.

EPISODE 3: PATRICK KRILL

In episode three of the new podcast, Path to Well-Being in Law, co-hosts Chris Newbold and Bree Buchanan check in with lawyer well-being pioneer Patrick Krill. Recognized globally as a leading authority on addiction, mental health, and well-being in the legal profession, Patrick is an attorney and a licensed, board-certified alcohol and drug counselor. He serves as a trusted advisor to large law firms and corporate legal departments throughout North America and Europe, educating them about and helping them navigate addiction, mental health, and well-being issues on a daily basis.

Patrick’s groundbreaking work in the area of attorney behavioral health includes: initiating and serving as lead author of the first and only national study on the prevalence of attorney addiction and mental health problems, a joint undertaking of the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation; creating the framework for the ABA Well-Being Pledge, an innovative campaign to improve the health and well-being of lawyers that was launched in September, 2018; partnering with American Lawyer Media to conduct the first-ever survey of AmLaw 200 firm leaders regarding their beliefs and attitudes related to addiction and mental health problems in the legal industry.

EPISODE 4: DAVID JAFFE

In episode 4 of the new podcast, co-hosts Chris and Bree enjoy a lively conversation with lawyer well-being pioneer, David Jaffe. David discusses the research study he co-authored regarding law students and how that data has informed significant shifts in how law schools are addressing the well-being of their students.

David Jaffe is Associate Dean of Student Affairs at American University, Washington College of Law. He is co-author of the 2016 national law student study, Suffering in Silence, and a number of other publications on law student well-being. He serves on the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP) as co-chair of the Law School Assistance Committee, and in 2015, he received the CoLAP Meritorious Service Award in recognition of his commitment to improving the lives of law students.

EPISODE 5: JUDGE DAVID SHAHEED

In Episode 5, Bree and Chris look at the judge side of the equation with a recognized leader in our space and fellow member of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being. Judge David Shaheed is a judge in the Marion Superior Court, Civil 1. He came into that position in August of 2007. Prior to that, Judge Shaheed preceded over the Drug Treatment Diversion Court and Re-entry Court. He served on the Court Alcohol and Drug Programs Advisory Committee and was former chair of the Problem-Solving Courts Committee for the Judicial Conference of Indiana. In addition to serving on the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program in Indiana, he’s a former member of the ABA’s Commission on Lawyer’s Assistance Programs and former co-chair of the Judicial Assistance Initiative for CoLAP.

EPISODE 6: TIM CARROLL & MARGARET ODGEN

In Episode 6, Bree and Chris begin an important trek around states taking notable leading roles in the wellness movement based on their work, innovation and programming. Catapulted by the leadership of original National Task Force on Lawyer-Well Being member Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons and his colleague Justice William C. Mims, the Commonwealth of Virginia has quickly found itself in the category as “trailblazers” after its creation the Virginia Lawyers’ Wellness Initiative. Virginia’s commitment to well-being was ignited by the release of the ground-breaking report “A Professional at Risk” in September 2018.

To discuss advancements in Virginia, Bree and Chris welcomed two dynamic leaders to the podcast working on the front lines of the well-being movement in the Commonwealth. Margaret Odgen serves as the Wellness Coodinator in the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, where she’s tasked with improving the mental health and wellbeing of Virginians in the legal profession through education, regulation and outreach. Joining Margaret was Tim Carroll, executive director of Virginia Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program, which has reimagined its mission, vision and program work in light of addition funding made possible through work and recommendations of the Virginia well-being community.

EPISODE 7: HEIDI ALEXANDER

In Episode 7, Bree and Chris are joined by Heidi Alexander, Massachusetts’ first Director of the Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being. Heidi was formerly the Deputy Director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers and led the Massachusetts Law Office Management Assistance Program. She is the author of Evernote as a Law Practice Tool, past co-chair of ABA TECHSHOW and founder of the ABA’s Women of Legal Technology initiative. She is a native Minnesotan, former collegiate ice hockey goaltender for the Amherst College Women’s Ice Hockey Team, CrossFit coach and powerlifter, and mother of three young girls.

[If you want] She can be reached via email at heidi@lawyerwellbeingma.org, Twitter @heidialexander, or LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/heidisarahalexander.

EPISODE 8: MARTHA KNUDSON

In Episode 8, Bree and Chris are joined by Martha Knudson, the Executive Director of the Utah State Bar’s Well-Being Committee for the Legal Profession working with Utah’s judges, lawyers, and law students to enhance engagement, performance, resilience, and overall well-being. As part of her role, she also advises researchers at the University of Utah conducting empirical research of lawyers and law students in the western United States.

Prior to working in the well-being field, Martha practiced law for almost 18 years. She earned her law degree in 1999, graduating magna cum laude. After passing the bar Martha became a litigator in private law-firm practice where she rose to the rank of shareholder. She later became General Counsel of a leading real estate management company where she was provided legal over-site on all aspects of the company’s national operations, advised leadership, and worked with the messy reality of keeping a business and its people thriving.

In 2015, Martha earned a master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology from The University of Pennsylvania where she has since served as an Assistant Instructor to the graduate program. Martha also works with private clients and regularly speaks and publishes articles on well-being in the law. She recently contributed a chapter in the book The Best Lawyer You Can Be: A Guide to Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Wellness.

Martha can be reached at martha.knudson@utahbar.

EPISODE 9: PAUL REIBER

Paul L. Reiber was appointed to the Vermont Supreme Court as an Associate Justice in October 2003 and Chief Justice December 2004. In 2010 he served as Chair of the Vermont Commission on Judicial Operations resulting in historic legislation that unified the state court system.

He now Chairs the Vermont Justice Reinvestment II Working Group, and Co-Chairs the Chief Justice Task Force for Children and the Vermont Commission on Well-Being of the Legal Profession. He is the immediate past president of the Conference of Chief Justices, 2018-2019 Chairman of the Board of the National Center for State Courts, and involved in several other efforts devoted to access to justice and the rule of law. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, the American Law Institute and active in his local chapter of the American Inns of Court.

EPISODE 10: TERRY HARRELL

Terry Harrell completed her law degree at Maurer School of Law and her Master of Social Work Degree (MSW) at Indiana University. Terry is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), a Licensed Clinical Addictions Counselor (LCAC) in Indiana, and has a nationally recognized Master Addictions Counselor certification from NAADAC. She has worked in a variety of areas including inpatient treatment, crisis services, adult outpatient treatment, wrap around services for severely emotionally disturbed adolescents, and management. Terry has been with the Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (JLAP) since 2000 and became the Executive Director in 2002. Terry is active with the Indiana State Bar Association and in August 2014 she became the first LAP Director to be appointed Chair of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs.

In her spare time Terry enjoys helping others with the aid of her certified therapy dog, Augustus of Mackinac, more commonly known as “Gus,” a six-year-old Golden Retriever. Gus and Terry are frequently seen at state bar events and law schools across the state.

EPISODE 11: David Jacobs & Jeff Bunn

David Jacobs: David is the Chief Executive of The Wellbeing Work Alliance. He is a former practising barrister and in-house lawyer. He is also perhaps the most experienced developer of training programmes currently working in the legal industry. His expertise in creating training programmes dates back to 1987 when he devised, developed and marketed the first in a series of food and nutrition law conferences. Since that time he has produced in excess of 1750 events (attended by over 50,000 people) and training products, including conferences, seminars, webinars, e-learning modules and videos, with lawyers from 74 of the top 100 law firms, 9 out of the top 10 accountancy firms and almost all of the leading sets of chambers. He has also been involved in the production of training videos for LNTV, Management Today, the Financial Times and the Observer Newspaper and has extensive experience in publishing, primarily on the editorial side.

Jeffrey H. Bunn: Jeff runs The Wellbeing Work Alliance’s US operation. He is a former litigation attorney who practised in both State and Federal courts for nearly 40 years, and was previously a member of a Management Committee and ethics partner for a Chicago law firm. Jeff was prior chair of the Chicago Bar Association (“CBA”) Commercial Litigation committee, and more recently, the founder and chair of the CBA committee on Mindfulness and the Law. He is a regular meditator, and is schooled in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (“MBSR”)”.Jeff was the initial vice-chair of the Lawyers’ Assistance Program (“LAP”) Illinois Task Force for Lawyer Well-Being. He is the founding Member of The Mindful Law Coaching & Consulting Group, LLC

EPISODE 12: Steven Wall

Steven R. Wall is a Managing Partner for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, and a senior partner in its Labor & Employment Practice. As Managing Partner, Mr. Wall is responsible for the global firm’s practices, industry initiatives, lateral partner recruitment, and strategic business planning.

Mr. Wall’s client service centers on executive and C-suite strategic advice, with a particular focus on executive employment issues, workplace change, collective bargaining, union corporate campaigns, and high-profile employment litigation risk. He has handled dozens of employment litigation matters in federal and state courts and before several administrative agencies. He has tried to verdict more than a dozen employment cases in federal and state court.

For 18 years running, Mr. Wall has been listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2003–2021), and recognized as one of the leading global lawyers for employment law by Chambers. He is also a fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and a multi-year BTI Client Service “All-Star” and Acritas Star.

Mr. Wall is married to Julie Uebler, has five children and three granddaughters, and lives in Berwyn, PA.

EPISODE 13: Paula Davis

Paula Davis JD, MAPP, is the Founder and CEO of the Stress & Resilience Institute, a training and consulting firm that partners with organizations to help them reduce burnout and build resilience at the team, leader, and organizational level. Paula left her law practice after seven years and earned a master’s degree in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. As part of her post-graduate training, Paula was selected to be part of the University of Pennsylvania faculty teaching and training resilience skills to soldiers as part of the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program. The Penn team trained resilience skills to more than 40,000 soldiers and their family members. In addition to her work with the military, she has worked with thousands of professionals, leaders, and teams in many industries, including many of the world’s largest law firms. Her expertise has been featured in and on The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, and in many other publications. Paula is also a contributor to Forbes, Fast Company and Psychology Today. Paula is a two-time recipient of the distinguished teaching award from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

You can learn more about her work and get additional burnout prevention and resilience resources by visiting her website here.

EPISODE 14: Kyle McEntee

Kyle McEntee is the executive director of Law School Transparency, a nonprofit organization he co-founded in 2009 during law school. Since that time, Kyle has emerged as a thought leader in legal education.

EPISODE 15: Larry Krieger

Larry Krieger is a widely recognized expert on lawyer well-being. His most recent research on 6,200 lawyers identifies the specific factors that are required for attorney wellness and satisfaction. The New York Times report on this study was the most shared article in the Times for two days.

Larry was founding chair of the Section on Balance in Legal Education, Association of American Law Schools. He was a litigator for 11 years, including as Chief Trial Counsel for the Florida Comptroller, and now teaches litigation skills and professionalism at the Florida State University College of Law. He is one of 25 teachers recognized in the 2013 Harvard Press book, What the Best Law Teachers Do.

EPISODE 16: Linda Sugin

Linda Sugin was part of the Fordham Law faculty since 1994 and moved into the associate dean for academic affairs in 2017, implementing many innovative programs focused on law student well-being.

EPISODE 17: Jennifer Leonard

Jennifer Leonard L’04 is Penn Law’s Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of the Future of the Profession Initiative (“FPI”). Jen’s work at Penn Law focuses on developing a deep understanding of what legal professionals need to be successful in the face of constant transformation. Working with a collaborative group of colleagues across the law school and the profession, Jen designs ways to educate new law students about changes in the profession and the skills they need to thrive in the future. FPI also focuses on finding opportunities to engage Penn Law students and creative thinkers from across disciplines in designing solutions that make broader legal systems accessible to a diverse client base.

Before assuming her current role, Jen served as Associate Dean for Professional Engagement and Director of the Center on Professionalism at Penn Law. Before returning to Penn Law, Jen served as Chief of Staff to the City Solicitor of Philadelphia, as a litigation associate with a Center City law firm and as a judicial law clerk.

Jen graduated from Penn Law in 2004 and from Penn State University, with high honors, in 2000.

Jen is a frequent writer and speaker on issues that include lawyer and law student well-being, design thinking for lawyers and promotion and advancement of women attorneys. She serves as a member of the ABA Law Practice Attorney Well-Being Committee and received Penn’s Beverly Edwards Memorial Award for Excellence in Leadership. Jen lives with her husband, two kids, and very patient German Shepherd in Philadelphia. She serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors of The Caring Center, an early childhood education center in the Mantua neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Episode 18: Janet Stearns

Janet Stearns started at the UM School of Law in 1999, and became Dean of Students in 2007. Stearns is immediate past chair of the AALS Student Services Section and a member of the ABA Commission on Lawyers Assistance Programs. Dean Stearns and the Miami Student Affairs Team were recognized with NALSAP’s CORE Four Award in 2020. The ABA COLAP recognized Stearns with the Meritorious Service Award at the 2020 Virtual National Conference in November, 2020. She speaks nationally, writes and podcasts on Lawyer Wellness and its Impact on Law Schools.

Episode 19: Matthew Thiese

My research focuses on the overlap between a person’s job and their health. This includes everything from musculoskeletal disorders like Low Back Pain or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, to motor vehicle crashes, to COVID-19, to mental well-being. I am interested in identification of potential risk factors, interventions to prevent injury or illness, evidence-based practice for both treatment and prevention, and assessments of worker health and safety fitness-for-duty. My background is in epidemiology and injury prevention. I have has coauthored 103 articles (27 as first author), 34 practice guidelines and 5 book chapters. I am a tenured Associate Professor. I mentor 11 PhD and Masters Students, and teach 4 courses. Click here to see full bio.

Episode 20: Terry Maroney

Terry Maroney is Professor of Law, Professor of Medicine, Health and Society, and the Robert S. and Theresa L. Reder Chair in Law at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She has been a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. Professor Maroney researches the interaction of emotion and law, with a focus on the role of emotion in judicial experience and behavior, and is a leader in state and federal judicial education on these topics. She graduated from Oberlin College and New York University School of Law (summa cum laude); clerked for the Hon. Amalya L. Kearse of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; and was a litigator at the Urban Justice Center and WilmerHale.

Episode 21: Lindsey Draper

Following his 2006 retirement as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court Commissioner, Lindsey D. Draper oversaw Wisconsin’s adherence to the mandates of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) as the state’s Disproportionate Minority Contact Coordinator and Compliance Monitor until his retirement in 2014. Draper previously served as Chair of the ABA then-Standing Committee on Client Protection and a Trustee at St. Francis de Sales Seminary. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors at St. Charles Youth and Family Services in Milwaukee; Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Milwaukee County Historical Society; a Director-at-Large of the National Client Protection Organization (NCPO); liaison to the Wisconsin Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being; a member of the Wisconsin Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection Committee and a member of the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility Continuing Legal Education Committee.

Episode 22: Lia Dorsey

As the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Ogletree Deakins, Lia Dorsey is responsible for the development and execution of the firm’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. Ms. Dorsey collaborates with firm leadership, practice group leaders, and business resource groups to expand and advance efforts in the recruitment, development, promotion and retention of diverse talent. She has experience in strategic change management, organizational development, and several talent management disciplines including leadership development, training, coaching and marketing and business development.

Ms. Dorsey previously served as the Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Dentons US LLP. There, she was responsible for the strategic oversight, design, and implementation of the firm’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. Earlier, she served as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Eversheds Sutherland US LLP. She also held senior positions at DLA Piper and Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC.

Ms. Dorsey is a thought leader in the movement to advance diversity and a driver for inclusive change. She is President Emeritus of the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals, and a member of several leading diversity organizations. Ms. Dorsey is a frequent presenter and panelist on a broad range of topics covering diversity, equity and inclusion at conferences across the country.

Episode 23: Manar Morales

Manar Sweillam Morales is a national thought leader on women’s leadership, diversity, and workplace flexibility. She serves as President and CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance – a think tank dedicated to helping organizations create inclusive cultures that advance diversity and flexibility to attract and retain top talent. Manar is a frequent speaker on workplace flexibility, diversity and inclusion, women’s leadership, and individual strategies for success.

Manar began her career as an employment litigator representing clients in all aspects of labor relations and employment law. She has litigated in federal court, before federal administrative agencies, and in arbitration. In addition, Manar served as an adjunct faculty member of Georgetown University where she taught classes in Labor and Employment law and Entrepreneurship.

Manar serves on a number of Boards and Commissions; she is a Washington Advisory Council member for Commonsense Media, a member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women, liaison to the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, and a Trustee of the Board of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School.

Episode 24: Kori Carew

Kori S. Carew, Esq., an attorney, TedX speaker, and community builder who generates awareness and understanding of critical human issues by creating the space and climate for open dialogue that is meaningful, enables people to expand their perspective and drive positive change.

With grace and truth, she is a disruptor, womanist and social justice advocate. With a multi-national, multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual family background, she brings a keen sensitivity to belonging and inclusion across differences.

Kori is the Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer at Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, an international AmLaw 100 firm. Using advocacy and organizational strategy to address structural barriers to diversity in the workplace, she brings an incisive voice, unapologetic questioning of the status quo, and a lifelong fascination of human potential to empowering women and marginalized people. She is a nationally sought-after speaker on topics of diversity, inclusion and belonging, inclusive leadership, talent engagement and development, authenticity and leveraging power.

Her TedX, Just belonging: finding the courage to interrupt bias can be found here.

https://www.ted.com/talks/kori_carew_just_belonging_finding_the_courage_to_interrupt_bias

Episode 25: Helen Wan

Helen Wan is an author and lawyer, and a graduate of Amherst College and The University of Virginia School of Law.

Helen is the author of the novel THE PARTNER TRACK, which just launched as a new TV series on Netflix. It is the story of an Asian American woman and her law colleagues as they compete in the culture of a prestigious global law firm. The book is taught in colleges and law schools, in first-year seminars and Ethics courses, and is often used by law firms and companies in dialogues about diversity, equity and inclusion. The book is also being translated into several languages.

THE PARTNER TRACK began as subway scribblings on a legal pad when Helen was a first-year associate at a large New York firm. She writes primarily about how race, gender, socioeconomic class, and culture impact ambition and our pursuit of happiness. Helen has written for the Washington Post, CNN.com, the Daily Beast, and the Huffington Post, among others.

Before becoming a writer, Helen practiced media and intellectual property law in New York, both at law firms and as in-house counsel at the Time Inc. division of (then) Time Warner Inc., A&E Television Networks, and Hachette Book Group USA.

You can follow her on Twitter @helenwan1

Episode 26: Jennifer DiSanza

Jennifer DiSanza has spent the last two decades working with law students as a student affairs administrator and financial educator. She has worked at three different ABA-Approved law schools and is passionate about well-being in the legal profession. Most recently, Jennifer worked for AccessLex Institute, a non-profit dedicated to improving access to and the affordability of legal education. Jennifer has served as the Chair of the Student Services Section of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and on the board of the National Association of Law Student Affairs Professionals (NALSAP). She has presented on student and staff well-being topics at national conferences.

As a law school dean of students, Jennifer worked with various constituencies to improve student well-being. She has partnered with the Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions, the Dave Nee Foundation, and institutional offices to provide enhanced programming and resources to students.

Jennifer received her J.D. from the University of Maryland, M.S. in Organization Development and Strategic Human Resources from Johns Hopkins University, and B.S. in Business from Miami University. She is also an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®), a Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP), and a Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF).

Episode 27: Nathalie Cadieux

Nathalie Cadieux has a Ph.D. from the University of Montreal specializing on the mental health of professionals in a regulated profession. Canadian leader on mental health research among legal professionals, she is professor in the Department of Management and Human Resources Management at the University of Sherbrooke’s business school. Speaker and author of several international scientific publications on the mental health of professionals, she is currently leading a national research project as principal investigator on the mental health of Canadian lawyers. Over 7,300 lawyers have already participated in this two-phase project entitled Towards a Healthy and Sustainable Practice of Law in Canada. This research was conducted in partnership with the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and the Canadian Bar Association. She was also the principal investigator of a project in partnership with the Barreau du Quebec from 2014 to 2019 in which more than 2500 lawyers practicing in Quebec participated.

Episode 28: Tara Antonipillai

The founder of Cultivate, Tara Antonipillai’s experience in professional well-being comes from a career in Big Law, a masters degree in positive psychology, and ongoing research in the field. Tara is a speaker, teacher and author who combines her unique set of skills to introduce topics that include the science of well-being, job-satisfaction, communication, stress management, compassionate leadership, mindfulness, resilience, mindset, and engagement & belonging to law firms and other organizations.

Tara received her J.D. and undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and was a tax lawyer in Arnold & Porter’s DC office. She also holds a Masters degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Tara is a certified coach through Brown University’s Leadership & Performance Coaching Program. She is also a certified yoga instructor and meditation teacher, as well as a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor. Tara is the Vice-Chair of the Institute for Well-being in Law’s Research and Scholarship Committee and the Vice-Chair of the DC Bar Lawyer Assistance Committee.

She and her husband live in Arlington, VA with their four children and their chocolate lab (Judy).

Episode 29: Julian Sarafian

Julian Sarafian is a lawyer and content creator. His law firm – For Creators by Creators PC – is the premiere law firm focused on representing content creators and social media influencers. As a content creator himself, Julian produces videos and blog posts related to the legal profession, law, and mental health on Tiktok, Youtube, LinkedIn, and Instagram, where his cumulative following is nearly 350,000. He has given multiple TedX talks. The Cost of Success dove into what originally made Sarafian viral – his mental health story as a high achiever who faced mental health challenges along the way, culminating in him quitting his job in Biglaw during the COVID pandemic. The second talk – How Content Creators are Being Ripped off on Social Media – shed light on the legal underbelly of the creator economy and how content creators are being taken advantage of by big-money brands and social media platforms. He has written and published op-ed pieces in The American Lawyer, Law360, Business Insider, Bloomberg Law and CNBC. His advocacy for mental health has been covered by the New York Times and Bloomberg Law.

Path To Wellbeing Podcast Episode 30: Javoyne Hicks

Episode 30: R. Javoyne Hicks

Javoyne Hicks serves as Chair of the State Bar of Georgia’s Lawyers Living Well Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee for State Bar’s Board of Governors. Over the last several years Ms. Hicks has been committed to promoting the importance of wellness on all levels–physical, mental, social and financial–throughout the programs offered by the State Bar and throughout the practice of law. She often serves as a speaker for several organizations and as a panel member and presenter for numerous continuing legal education classes. She helped develop the State Bar of Georgia’s 1^st Wellness and Practical Skills 12 hour Continuing Legal Education Seminar. Now in its 4^th year, it is a Wellness Institute. Javoyne also spearheaded the movement to create a Wellness Center as part of the State Bar of Georgia. Her goal is to normalize the attention everyone should be paying to their own well being and minimize the stigma that exist that keeps people from seeking help when needed. As such, Javoyne serves on the Boards of the Institute for Well-Being in Law (IWIL) and the American Foundaion of Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

In her day job, she serves as a Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and as certified Leadership Life Coach. She has served as the DeKalb County State and Magistrate Courts Clerk, as a Deputy Chief Assistant Solicitor-General in charge of the Diversion Programs for the Solicitor-General’s Office. Javoyne has been an Assistant Attorney General in the Georgia Attorney General’s Office and as an Associate Magistrate in DeKalb County. She served as an Assistant District Attorney in three judicial circuits in Georgia and as an Civil Associate conducting internal investigations and trial logistics. In addition, Javoyne has served as a past president of the DeKalb Bar Association and on the boards of Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, DeKalb Lawyers Association and Leadership Georgia.

Javoyne is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned her undergraduate and law degrees. She is also the proud mom of two fabulous daughters, Victoria and Sydney.