By Jessica M. Stauring & Denisse Garcia | ND Galli Law LLC
On March 18, 2021 Women Owned Law hosted its second annual Symposium Pivoting Forward Together: Women Entrepreneurs at the Cutting Edge of Law. The Symposium was held over a virtual platform which provided the opportunity to attend panel discussions, “fireside” chats, and an interactive speed-networking session. Denisse, an attorney with ND Galli Law, and Jessica, a co-op student with ND Galli Law, attended the Symposium and highlighted their experiences below!
The Symposium kicked off with a discussion on burnout and resilience with Dr. Paula Davis, Roberta Liebenberg, and Stephanie Scharf. The panelists discussed burnout within the legal profession and provided solutions for addressing the systemic problem that often has a greater effect on women, and particularly women of color. Importantly, Dr. Davis highlighted how burnout is more complex than mere exhaustion and provided attendees with three signs to look for to recognize the difference between stress and burnout: chronic physical and emotional exhaustion, chronic cynicism, and inefficacy or lost impact. As a third-year law student, Jessica found this advice especially helpful to keep in mind as she enters the legal profession. The feelings associated with burnout are often very isolating, so the ability to attend an event like the Symposium where successful women discuss those feelings so openly to provide concrete solutions for moving forward was inspiring. Roberta and Stephanie noted that the failure to address burnout by employers will have long-term negative effects on the type of individuals the profession attracts. Course correcting burnout is necessary for employers to ensure that they are creating diverse teams and making the legal profession accessible to all.