When Advocacy Becomes the Career feat. Mary Ellen O'Connor

Jan 8
3 min read

Updated: Jan 11

Mary Ellen O’Connor is a New York law firm owner who practices workers’ compensation and Social Security disability law. In this episode, Mary Ellen shares how she moved from teaching to law, built a firm rooted in advocacy and empathy, and created a legal career that supports both families and real impact.

About This Episode

Background

Mary Ellen O’Connor originally began her career in education, earning a master’s degree and teaching elementary school in a high-needs area of New York City. Working closely with young children and their families exposed her to systemic gaps in access — particularly for parents who didn’t know how to navigate complex programs their children were entitled to receive. That experience shaped her growing interest in advocacy and systems change.

“I worked in a high needs area… and saw a lot of children who weren’t really getting the different programs that they were entitled to because parents didn’t necessarily know how to access the services," shares Mary Ellen O'Connor on You Are A Lawyer.

Although Mary Ellen grew up around the legal profession (her father was a practicing attorney well into his late 80s) law was not initially her plan. In fact, she was actively discouraged from becoming a lawyer. Still, her early exposure to advocacy, combined with her lived experience as a teacher, planted the seeds for a professional shift that would eventually lead her to law school and a second career.

Why Law School

Mary Ellen entered law school as a parent of three young children, including premature twins with additional needs. She approached the decision with intention and pragmatism, choosing a law school with on-site childcare and finding creative ways to finance her education with minimal student debt. For her, law school wasn’t about prestige, it was about purpose and problem-solving.

“I went to law school when I had three children… so making choices and figuring out a way to make it work is part of what worked for me and my family," explains Mary Ellen O'Connor on Episode 226 of You Are a Lawyer.

Initially drawn to special education law, Mary Ellen quickly realized that the system didn’t always serve the people she hoped to help. Rather than forcing herself to stay in an ill-fitting path, she remained open to change, a mindset that would ultimately lead her to workers’ compensation law through an unexpected opportunity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg6pXDEMwmQ

What Can You Do with a Law Degree

Mary Ellen’s legal career has spanned multiple practice environments, including insurance defense, in-house counsel, and eventually firm ownership. Each role helped her refine what mattered most: advocacy, fairness, and creating access to justice for people who might otherwise go unheard.

“For most people, the first experience that they have with the legal industry is coming to my office because they got hurt at work," shares Mary Ellen O'Connor on Episode 226 of You Are a Lawyer.

Through workers’ compensation and Social Security disability law, Mary Ellen sees firsthand how legal knowledge can act as a bridge to stability for individuals and families living paycheck to paycheck. Her work demonstrates how a law degree can be used not just to argue cases, but to restore dignity, provide clarity, and make a tangible difference in people’s lives.

Lawyer Side Hustles

In addition to running her firm, Mary Ellen has intentionally built a workplace culture that reflects her values. She leads a team of attorneys and staff with flexibility, empathy, and realism, offering split shifts, family-friendly policies, and an environment where people are treated as humans first.

“We should not be living to work, but work should be an adjunct to our life,” Mary Ellen O'Connor expresses in Episode 226 of You Are a Lawyer.

Rather than a traditional side hustle, Mary Ellen’s parallel work shows up in leadership and mentorship. She models what it looks like to build a legal business that prioritizes sustainability, inclusion, and respect, proving that success in law doesn’t have to come at the expense of family, health, or humanity.