TheCorporateCounsel.net

A few years ago, I shared observations as I was heading out on parental leaves for my son and my daughter. Now, I’m gearing up for a different reason – thoracic surgery. Medical leaves are a reality for many, yet they’re rarely discussed openly. Here are my learnings in case they’re helpful to anyone else out there:

1. There is no perfect time. I know my career will endure a 6-week pause. That said, it’s tempting to try to wait for the “perfect time.” Right now is inconvenient because my practice has momentum, everything is going well, there are lots of events I want to attend and people I want to see. When it comes to things like this, there is never an ideal moment. But when it comes to your quality of life, you’ve got to play to win. Which brings me to…

2. Don’t neglect your health. Although this is a condition I’ve had my entire life, years of running and yoga helped me mask (but not eliminate) my symptoms. I had planned to just make do. But earlier this year, a friend’s health scare prompted me to revisit medical results that I’d brushed off, and to get a second opinion. Things were more severe than I realized. I’m facing surgery now on my own terms, ensuring a healthier future.

3. Medical issues are not a sign of weakness. I worried people would think less of me – or maybe not want to work with me? – if I wasn’t the picture of perfect health. This was the case even though I know I’ve never felt that way about others. In fact, some of the strongest and most admirable people I know are the ones who have been dealt a difficult hand in life with their physical circumstances. Strength does not mean having everything go your way. That’s just luck. Luck eventually runs out for everyone – and that’s a good thing! Because it gives us all empathy. Which is a reminder that…

4. My colleagues and clients are wonderful (and yours are too). I hate imposing on people and for various reasons, I was nervous about sharing my need to take leave. Come to find out, my colleagues at Fredrikson and CCRcorp have given me nothing but authentic support and resounding well-wishes. They are selflessly jumping in to ensure that the trains keep running and that clients will be well-supported during my absence. John even offered to take my parents to a baseball game when they are there with me in Cleveland for the procedure! (my dad loves the Guardians.) My clients also have been incredibly understanding and do not seem to be writing me off. If you are facing a similar situation, I think you will find this to be true as well.

5. Redefine “balance” and “success.” A lot of us have a hard time stepping away from work when deadlines are looming or when we’re working on something interesting. When I returned to private practice last year, many folks in our community shared thoughtful advice about how to find a better balance, which I very much appreciated, and which I’ve been using to plan my days and my overall approach. I used to operate on the assumption that things would shake out, on balance, if I worked overtime whenever the work was there and focused on “life” when there was a break in the action. That strategy served me very well early in my career and has helped me learn and grow, so I’m not saying it’s wrong. But “balance” looks different in these middle years, and “success” currently means building up a team to deliver great results. That’s all fine for now, and maybe in 10 years there will be another round of new meanings.

I (still) know I’m not alone on this journey of balancing life & lawyering. I’d welcome more emails to liz@thecorporatecounsel.net with any experiences & “lessons learned” that you want to share. I’m extremely grateful to John, Dave, Meredith, all of our CCRcorp HQ folks, and all of my Fredrikson colleagues, for being very good at what they do, and willing to handle some “extras” for the next month or two. Thank you also to my clients and friends for their patience with me! See you all soon.

– Liz Dunshee