The World Can Wait: Wellness, Self-Care, and Making Yourself A Priority | Episode 4

The World Can Wait: Wellness,

Self-Care, and Making Yourself A Priority

Episode 4: All’s Well That Ends Well: The Importance of Starting and Ending with Wellness in Big Law

Chantel Johnson

Until recently, law school and the legal industry more broadly was known for a culture of mental and physical toxicity. Of working your fingers and body to the bone. Of “no days off.” But a combination of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse amongst lawyers paired with the ongoing pandemic has forced firms out of complacency and into action.

Because truthfully, mental health matters, and the new generation of lawyers are making that clear. It’s not enough for firms to put band-aids over mental health crises anymore. Neither is it enough to just end well. You must be well – from start to end, and it is the firm’s responsibility to ensure their attorneys are not pouring from an empty cup.

I recently interviewed Cooley LLP’s Julie Delay, Elissa Wartell, Colleen Gillis, and Luke Cadigan to elevate and learn more about what wellness means to Cooley – my 1L/2L summer firm. Cooley is also one of PracticePro’s Diversity Founders, meaning they fund and support PracticePro’s Diversity Scholar Program and Law School Mastery Scholars, and help brainstorm and launch new DEI initiatives.

About the Interviewees:

Julie Delay(JD) is the Director of Benefits and Wellness at Cooley. She oversees the benefits and wellness department and has been at the firm for 20 years.

Elissa Wartell(EW) is the Leave of Absence and Wellness Manager. She manages leave of absence administration and the wellness program and has been at the firm for 11 years.

Colleen Gillis(CG) is a Mental Health & Wellness Committee Chair and Partner at Cooley specializing in proptech and real estate.

Luke Cadigan (LC) is a Mental Health & Wellness Committee Chair and Partner at Cooley specializing in securities litigation and white-collar defense.

CJ: What does mental wellness mean at Cooley and why is it important?

JD, EW, CG & LC: Mental wellness is how we positively engage in all aspects of life and how we react to the challenges (e.g., stress, anxiety, and adversity) that life presents us. It is important because it puts us in the best position to find the greatest satisfaction, happiness, resiliency, and success in our professional endeavors and personal lives. At a firm like Cooley where we deal daily with the most challenging issues of our elite clients, a positive mental approach, coupled with the use of available tools and resources, better enables our attorneys to thrive in circumstances that could be daunting, if not overwhelming, for many others.

CJ: Can you talk about the “b.well” initiative at Cooley? Where did this idea come from?

JD & EW: Cooley has always believed in fostering the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual well-being of our partners and employees. This was true, even before ‘wellness’ became a trend! But we decided to bring all aspects of well-being together under the official b.well program in 2011. B.well empowers our employees to become active participants in their well-being, and we have designed a program that is robust, versatile, and truly changes lives.

CJ: Some highlights of my 1L summer at Cooley were the wellness opportunities and resources that Cooley offered summer associates, including the Step Challenge that allowed me to form healthy habits with my fellow summer associates throughout our workday. Why does Cooley find it critical to implement wellness resources in one’s legal career as early as the summer associate stage?

JD & EW: We want our summers to experience as much of the Cooley culture as possible, which includes our wellness program. As a firm, we support our employees' health during all phases of their employment, from their first summer to retirement and beyond.

CJ: What would you say to law students or lateraling attorneys that want to prioritize their mental well-being during their legal career and are choosing between multiple law firms? Are there specific resources or packages one should look for or seek out?

JD & EW: They should, at a minimum, look for law firms that have signed onto the ABA’s Well-being Campaign pledge. Outside of that, they should also review what type of mental health and wellness resources the law firm offers and make sure there are a variety of wellness offerings that support physical to emotional wellness as that all impacts mental well-being. Resources could include a high-quality mental health benefit, to free access to mindfulness tools, to a program that supports physical activity. In addition, generous leave benefits that allow for time off due to illness (whether physical or mental), parental leave, and other life events, help to support mental well-being during the course of one’s career. The culture/reputation of the firm should also be considered as that can also have a big impact on mental well-being.

CJ: Mental wellness as a core value in big law is quite a new endeavor. Where do you see mental wellness – as a concept and action – going for Cooley and big law overall?

JD, EW, CG & LC: As a society, we are becoming more and more willing to acknowledge the importance of mental wellness. In addition, younger attorneys see less of a stigma in prioritizing their mental wellness than those before them. At Cooley, we have seen tremendous benefits from openly encouraging attorneys to tend to their mental wellness and providing them tools to help them do so (e.g., mindfulness meditation, resiliency training, therapy, coaching). We expect that this will remain a priority at Cooley and that our approach and initiatives will only have a broader impact as more attorneys prioritize their mental wellness. We believe that other firms may have additional cultural hurdles to address before they get to the same place, but ultimately big law as a whole will come to prioritize the importance of mental wellness.

CJ: Is there anything else you’d like prospective students or lateraling attorneys to know about Cooley and/or its wellness program? What is the best way to contact Cooley to learn more information?

JD & EW: Cooley invests heavily in our wellness programming because we truly believe that healthier employees are happier, more resilient, and find more satisfaction in their careers. We offer a wide variety of programs to appeal to each individual and make it fun with incentives and team challenges. We encourage each other and lift each other up; celebrating our successes and providing support when needed. We are very proud to be an inaugural signer of the ABA’s Wellbeing Pledge and are committed to improving well-being in the legal industry. If you have questions about Cooley’s b.well program, you may get in touch with us at b.well@cooley.com.

I wholeheartedly encourage 1Ls, 2Ls, and lateraling attorneys to ask similar questions to their firms, as it is through such questioning that you will learn who and what is truly valued.