Welcome to BEYOND THE BILLABLE HOUR ™, a free email
newsletter, published by Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D., founder of
Lawyers Life Coach ™.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to colleagues
and friends who might be interested.
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"Is There Life After the Law?"
If you're an overworked, over-committed, over-scheduled,
successful woman attorney, then you've probably asked
yourself this question.
The answer is a resounding "Yes!" But how do you go
about creating a satisfying life for yourself?
You might try using the following "rules of law" as you
begin to create your own unique solution:
1. Become absolutely clear about what is most important
to you -- this is essential for creating a balanced
and satisfying life.
2. Remember that no one knows your priorities better
than you -- even if you experience doubt or other
people challenge you.
3. Even if you're not clear about your priorities, you
can learn how to envision your most important goals.
4. Maintaining focus on your goals can guide your
decisions as you work to create balance in your life.
For the impossibly busy attorney, these "rules" mean that:
1. Every billable hour presents you with trade-offs.
2. Once you are clear about what's most important to you,
you can assess whether what you gain from each billable
hour is worth its cost.
3. Examine each hour under the light of your life goals
and priorities. You can make decisions about each
hour, one hour at a time. All-or-nothing decisions
are rarely effective.
4. Once you have a clear picture of your priorities and values
you will be able to assess whether your current
dissatisfaction is due to a need to:
-- organize and optimize your
non-working hours to create
more balance in your life
-- set more effective limits
with clients and/or employers
-- find a practice area better
suited to your values, interests and
preferred lifestyle
-- acknowledge and address the inherent
gender bias in "billable hour" measures
of competence
-- pursue a career outside the law
If you don't have accurate information about career options
outside the legal profession, you may mistakenly believe
that you are "stuck."
But even if you're certain you've made the right career choice,
you're still left with the challenge of making your career
work for you - so you can have a full and satisfying life
beyond the billable hour.
Approach your life as you would approach a case -
thoroughly research the facts, objectively examine
the evidence, weigh the alternatives, take calculated
risks.
Many women lawyers are finding that working with
a professional and personal coach helps them make
better life decisions and find clarity in a shorter
period of time.
That's one way you can answer the question, "Is there
life outside the law for me?"
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BEYOND THE BILLABLE HOUR ™ is published monthly by
Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D., founder of LawyersLifeCoach.com.
She brings 20 years of experience assisting women
attorneys to her work in Lawyers Life Coach ™.
LawyersLifeCoach.com is a professional and personal
coaching firm specializing in working virtually (by
phone with email and fax backup) with women attorneys
interested in developing strategies to find greater
satisfaction in their careers within the law or
in exploring career alternatives for lawyers.
Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D. established Lawyerslifecoach.com
to coach busy lawyers who might benefit from the
insights gained from 20 years as a psychologist
combined with her experience and familiarity with
the legal profession.
Ellen holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
from the University of Rochester and is a managing
member of Metropolitan Behavioral Health Care, LLC.,
a multispecialty, multidisciplinary psychotherapy
practice in Washington, D.C. and suburban Maryland.
She is a member of the International Coach Federation
and a graduate of the Mentor Coach Program ™.
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NOTE: BEYOND THE BILLABLE HOUR ™ is intended
for informational and educational purposes only.
It is not a substitute for a personal consultation
with a mental health professional and should not
be construed as a form of, or substitute for,
counseling, psychotherapy, or other psychological
service.
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SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
For a FREE subscription to BEYOND THE BILLABLE HOUR ™
sign up at:
http://LawyersLifeCoach.com
or send an email to:
billablehour-request@LawyersLifeCoach.com
with the word subscribe in the body of the letter.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D.
LawyersLifeCoach.com
Phone: (301) 578-8686
email: Ellen@LawyersLifeCoach.com
Web: http://LawyersLifeCoach.com
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(c)Copyright 2000 Ellen Ostrow. All rights reserved.
Distribution Rights: The above material is copyrighted
but you may retransmit or distribute it to whomever you
wish as long as not a single word is changed, added
or deleted, including the contact information.
However, you may not copy it to a web site.
Reprint permission will be freely granted upon request.
Advance written permission must be obtained for any
reprinting of this material in modified or altered form.
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and family if you think they might be interested in it.
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