Highs & Lows: Navigating Motherhood & Legal Career with Erin Cowling

Imagine you're a litigation #lawyer at a #biglaw firm, progressing towards partner.   You get married, become pregnant with your first, then second child, and take your maternity leaves.   When you return to work, you find most of your files given away, and you are faced with building up your caseload all over again.   But before you can do that, your firm merges with another firm and you are let go. In a panic you accept the first job offer you get.   Then one day in the doctor’s office, pregnant with child number three, you break down in tears, diagnosed with depression and immediately know what needs to change.   What would you do?   Erin Cowling's story hits all these highs and lows, including:

• The identity dilemma of working as a lawyer
• Being a working mom while trying to build your legal career
• Anxiety that’s becoming so common for lawyers

Tune in to find out what happened after the doctor’s visit!

 

Erin Cowling is the author of The Modern Freelance Lawyer.

Book launches on June 8th 2025 (paperback & e-book) and June 19th for hardcover. 

Order your copy here: https://www.cowlinglegal.com/book.html

 

Connect with Erin

Web: www.flexlegalnetwork.com

Instagram: @erinccowling

 

Trigger Warning: Anxiety, mental health. Elena is not a licensed mental health professional. If you are experiencing significant anxiety, then we recommend talking to a health professional. 

 

The WILL Podcast is hosted by Elena Deutsch, a dedicated legal career coach and catalyst.  This podcast is more than a good listen — it may inspire you.  As WILL Alumni and Guests break the confines of traditional practice, you’ll see that change is not just possible for them, but for you too. 

Feel stuck, unhappy and ready to explore a WILL journey of your own?

Book your consultation with Elena: https://womeninterestedinleavinglaw.com/book-a-call

 

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-deutsch/ 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/womeninterestedinleavinglaw 

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Web: https://womeninterestedinleavinglaw.com