Conversations With Cady

The legal field is antiquated. Much has changed in the world but it seems the legal profession remains firmly rooted in the 1900s. We see law firms managed by white, male lawyers. We see unattainable billable hour requirements. We see a hesitancy to talk open and honestly about the mental health issues that plague our profession and country.  Law is based on precedent - cases that supports arguments and a judge's decisions. Case law that dates back to when the United States was newly formed and leaning on a fresh constitution. When we rely on precedent so heavily to do our jobs, it is hard to embrace change within the field. We require legal associates to stay late in the day not because they are more effective by working longer hours, but because that's just the way things have always been. We hire people from the same schools and backgrounds as us for the same reason. It is what we know. Firm culture relies on precedent just as much as the law.  In order to effectuate change...

At this moment, I am a woman learning about who I am and what I want from my life. I am a ten-year practicing lawyer. I am a student. I am a friend, girlfriend, daughter, sister, and aunt. I am curious. I am an athlete and also, a coach. I am anxious. I am Type A. I am a traveler, reader, bubble bather, sunset watcher, and writer. I am an empath. Sometimes, I am happy and sometimes, I am sad. I am growing.  It is hard to say how I got to this point. How, at 34, I started questioning my "life plan". Through a pandemic and a lot of isolation, we have all been provided time, perhaps too much time, to think about our past, our present, and our future selves. I've considered what brings me the most joy. Here is what I know -  you do not have to do something just because you are good at it. You do not have to do something because you have the education, experience, and resources to do it. You also do not have to do something because it is expected from you.  The truth is that t...