🎙 How I Lawyer #128 LIVE: Positive Lawyering in the Practice of Law with Eli Albrecht and Jordana Confino
🎙 How I Lawyer #128 LIVE: Positive Lawyering in the Practice of Law with Eli Albrecht and Jordana Confino
👋 Welcome back and an early Happy New Year to you!
Three years ago this week I scheduled my first interview! It is amazing to see how far the podcast has come thanks to my guests and to so many of you! I can't wait to share an exciting slate of guests and features in 2024.
But I don't want to get ahead of myself.
For the final episode of 2023 I am pleased to share the first ever How I Lawyer Podcast Episode recorded in front of a LIVE audience on the important topic of positive lawyering in practice. In this episode I speak with two of my most downloaded prior guests: Eli Albrecht and Jordana Confino.
This episode was recorded LIVE at DLA Piper’s Offices in Washington D.C. with the support of sponsors Lateral Hub, LawPods, and the Legal Mentor Network. I loved this new format and would love to find additional live opportunities in 2024 at law firms and law schools (DMs always open).
Eli is a partner at SMB Law Group LLP where he represents buyers and sellers of businesses and specializes in representing private equity groups. After graduating from Georgetown University Law Center, Eli worked as a mergers and acquisition Associate at DLA Piper and at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. In addition to his day job, Eli writes about his own path in the legal profession primarily on LinkedIn where he focuses on balancing life as a private equity lawyer, husband, and LawDad in a way that is “fully integrated.”
Jordana is a lawyer and expert on positive lawyering. She previously served as the Inaugural Dean of Professionalism at Fordham Law where she remains an adjunct professor. Jordana was voted Fordham Law Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2021 for her class on Positive Lawyering. In 2022, Jordana founded her own consulting and coaching business with the mission to advance the well-being of the legal profession. Prior to joining Fordham Law, Jordana served as the Assistant Director of Academic Counseling, Acting Clerkship Advisor, and a Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law, clerked for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and Southern District of New York, and graduated from Yale Law.
Listen Now
In this episode, Eli and Jordana share valuable insights about the legal profession:
😊 Jordana discusses how googling “how to be happy” led to her discovery of positive psychology early in her legal career [4:36]
👩❤️👨 Eli discusses how a conversation with his wife recalibrated his career goals [12:15]
🧠 Jordana discusses how she redefined success by living according to her values rather than her fears [14:43]
🌟 Eli encourages listeners to follow their north star and to speak openly about life outside work [19:06]
🧩 Eli explains how “full integration” allows him to maintain continuity throughout his family, workplace, faith, and other vital parts of his life [26:31]
🌉 Jordana defends why boundaries are important and can create bridges to better relationships [29:57]
📅 Jordana explains how to identify your nonnegotiable needs and calendar them into your schedule [33:55]
💵 The panel debates the billable hour [36:52]
🤗 Jordana explains how to build a better relationship with yourself as a starting point to positive lawyering [54:26]
🌍 Eli implores listeners to trust that the world will support you and to enjoy the ride [55:43]
You can hear more from Eli by listening to HIL episode 87 and hear more from Jordana by listening to HIL episode 110.
This live episode was sponsored by: Lateral Hub, LawPods, The Legal Mentor Network.
Thanks again for such an amazing year of #HowILawyer. I am particularly grateful to my sponsors, my listeners, and to Liam Murphy & Melanie Fineman for their hard work on the show the last few months!
Thanks again for being a part of the How I Lawyer community and see you in the New Year,
Jonah
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