How Big Law is Failing New Parents (And Why It Matters) featuring Lori Mihalich-Levin

Lori Mihalich-Levin explains why she believes parents make the best employees and the importance of having a mindful return to work after parental leave.

In this episode, Lori Mihalich-Levin, a Georgetown Law School graduate, explains why she wants to assist parents with transitioning back to work.

How Big Law is Failing New Parents (And Why It Matters) featuring Lori Mihalich-Levin

<iframe width="100%" height="180" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless src="https://share.transistor.fm/e/d6b7ca40"></iframe>

How Big Law is Failing New Parents (And Why It Matters) featuring Lori Mihalich-LevinHow Big Law is Failing New Parents (And Why It Matters) featuring Lori Mihalich-Levin

About This Episode

Lori Mihalich-Levin believes that parenthood can make a person a better employee.  Parenting entails time management, project management, multitasking, prioritizing and budgeting, to name a few things.  When Lori was on maternity leave from her role as a medical reimbursement attorney, Lori created Mindful Return out of sheer desperation.

After being unable to find resources to assist a parent into being a new parent and this change in their identity, Lori created the program to assist the new parent with this transition.  Employers are able to offer the program to their employees as a benefit when they are on parental leave.

Mindful Return is an online program that assists people in transitioning back into the workforce after parental leave.  Each program is a cohort of parents with different employers.  Mindful Return is available for those who identify as moms, dads, are parenting special needs children, adoptive parents, and surrogate parents.

There is also a manager track of Mindful Return which prepares a manager for the biggest differences when a team member is on leave.  You may register for Mindful Return as an individual, or connect your Human Resources department with Mindful Return.  Visit mindfulreturn.com for additional details.

Lori Mihalich-Levin is licensed in New York.  Connect with Lori on Twitter @mindfulreturn and Instagram @mindfulreturn.


Follow the You Are A Lawyer podcast on Twitter @YouAreA_Lawyer, Instagram @youarealawyer and on LinkedIn.  Follow the podcast host, Kyla Denanyoh, on Instagram @mrsdenanyoh.  Kyla Denanyoh is a 2015 graduate of Southern University Law Center (SULC) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Recent Episodes

The Advantages of Being a Lawyer with a Nursing Degree feat. Irnise Williams

Trauma Nurse. Lawyer. Business owner. Irnise Williams is passionate about healthcare policy and law. Irnise explains why she attended law school as a successful registered nurse.
Read and listen here

Virtual Legal Internships are Changing Everything featuring Reza Yassi

Reza Yassi explains why he created Attornneed and the importance of experiencing the practice of law while in school.
Read and listen here

How to Turn Your Legal Expertise Into Multiple Revenue Streams feat. Susan Guthrie

Susan Guthrie spent decades as a successful family law attorney, but when life pushed her to relocate and reimagine her career, she embraced innovation instead of starting over. Now, she’s a nationally recognized mediation expert, online business owner, and podcast host, helping legal professionals expand their skills beyond traditional practice. In this episode, Susan shares how she transitioned from courtroom litigation to a thriving mediation business, the importance of leveraging technology in law, and why attorneys should think bigger when it comes to using their expertise.
Read and listen here

The Power of Lawyer Referrals and Justis Connection featuring Kisha Brown

Lawyers know other lawyers. Kisha Brown created Justis Connection as a database of Black lawyers to connect legal specialists with clients.
Read and listen here

How To Succeed as a Clothing Designer and Lawyer featuring Robert Uy

In this episode, Robert Uy, a Santa Clara University School of Law graduate, explains why taking an Asian American college course changed the trajectory of his life and led him to becoming a designer.
Read and listen here

Prosecutors Are Misunderstood. Why Justice is my Client featuring Brianna Herman

Brianna Herman explains why you need to find your spark in life and the importance of mentoring law students.
Read and listen here

I Hated Law School But Love Being a Lawyer featuring Kyle Sherman

Kyle Sherman explains why he hated law school and how jujitsu allows him to alleviate stress.
Read and listen here

Why Unhappiness is a Puzzle and How Lawyers Can Solve It featuring Becky Morrison

Becky Morrison explains why she stopped practicing law to obtain an LLM in tax and become an executive coach and the importance of doing what makes you happy now.
Read and listen here

I Quit My Job to Take the Bar Exam (and Passed!) featuring Jay Coleman

Jay Coleman explains why he took the bar exam in multiple states and how he became a youth advocate. After testing in Tennessee, Maryland, and Arkansas, Coleman found success in the law in Kentucky.
Read and listen here

Why a Fashion Student Became a Brand Protection Lawyer featuring Anna Radke

Anna Radke, a managing associate at Brand Counsel, explains her role protecting brands and fashion influencers.
Read and listen here

How a Lawyer's Passion for Equality Inspired a Beauty Brand feat. Erin Potempa-Wall

Erin Potempa-Wall, a lawyer turned beauty brand founder, shares her journey from practicing law to starting her own beauty company. She shares her experiences as a prosecutor and former law firm owner, her passion for equity and civil rights, and how her background in philosophy helped shape her approach to advocacy. Tune in to hear Erin's inspiring story of creating her own path to career success.
Read and listen here

How Thrift Shopping Created a Legalprenuer featuring Andrea Sager

Andrea Sager discusses why she advocates for small business owners and the importance of filling a need for your network.
Read and listen here

©2025 You Are A Lawyer LLC.
All rights reserved.