Keeping-Tabs-Fall-2023

angements. People are much more accepting
of virtual meetings and working from home
than they have ever been. Taking advantage
of these flexibilities has been a necessity
when we inevitably come down with another
daycare-related plague. Seriously — since my
return to work this May, our household has
had strep throat, pink eye, a cold, and the flu.
In addition to flexible work arrangements, I
have become an entirely electronic litigator. I
take advantage of electronic files, e-discovery
software, Zoom discovery examinations, and
a virtual task list. This allows me to work from
anywhere, anytime.
Delegating
As litigators, we struggle with relinquishing
control and in my experience, parents may be
the biggest culprits. We truly believe we can
be everything to everyone all of the time. This
fallacy not only drains us but makes us feel inadequate.
I am still struggling with relinquishing
control. That said, I have tried to rely more
on my junior colleagues by letting them run
with research or an appearance on my behalf.
Not only is this kind of delegation integral to
the private practice model, it is also a mental
health necessity. Let’s all take a page out of
the Frozen playbook and try letting go.
Not having it together
In addition to my toddler, I am pregnant with
my second child, so I am exhausted most of
the time. It often feels like I finish one job at
work and then go home for my other, unpaid
gig. While I am lucky to have a supportive firm
and an incredible partner, I do not have it together
all the time. I am also reconciling that
I am not the same litigator I was before I had
children. Not better, not worse — just different.
Truthfully, I am not sure I am the same
person. But I have learned that for me, being
my best is okay, and if it isn’t for others, that
is okay too.
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