I Didn't Set Out To Write A Series And Yet It Happened - Above the Law

"Joy Is Not A Luxury. I began 2025 by writing about joy, which felt almost rebellious in a profession that tends to reward exhaustion more than fulfillment. The point was not that legal work should always feel good. It will not. The point was that many lawyers never question whether the way they are working makes sense for who they are. They assume unhappiness is inevitable, rather than examining the systems and choices that produce it."

"Chaos Is Part Of The Job. Panic Is Optional. Several articles grew out of conversations with in-house lawyers whose professional lives felt like constant emergencies. Reorganizations. Leadership changes. Strategy shifts. Conflicting priorities. None of this is unusual. What is damaging is the belief that you must absorb all of it personally without boundaries. You do not need perfect control to function well. You need stability in how you respond when things are unstable."

"You do not need perfect control to function well. You need stability in how you respond when things are unstable. Preparation Is Not Disloyalty. I wrote about "packing your parachute" because too many in-house lawyers are told that planning for uncertainty means they are not committed enough. That is nonsense. Companies change. Roles evolve. Leaders leave. Preparing for the unknown does not mean you expect failure. It means you understand reality. Preparation means mak"

Many lawyers endure careers instead of shaping them. Joy is not a luxury but an outcome that requires intentional building rather than passive endurance. Legal work often includes chaos from reorganizations, leadership changes, strategy shifts, and conflicting priorities, but responding with stability and boundaries reduces harm. Preparing for uncertainty—"packing your parachute"—is prudent, not disloyal; companies change, roles evolve, and leaders leave. Planning and contingency enable resilience without implying lack of commitment. Lawyers should examine systems and choices that produce unhappiness, set boundaries, and build practices that foster fulfillment and sustainable professional lives.

Read at Above the Law