Ed.
note:
This
is
the
latest
installment
in
a
series
of
posts
on
motherhood
in
the
legal
profession,
in
partnership
with
our
friends
at MothersEsquire.
Welcome
Elise
Buie
back
to
our
pages.
Click
here
if
you’d
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donate
to
MothersEsquire.
When
I
went
to
law
school,
there
was
no
class
teaching
young
law
students
how
to
run
a
business.
Such
classes
are
still
an
anomaly,
though,
for
the
life
of
me,
I
cannot
understand
why.
Having
founded
a
law
firm
devoted
to
family
law
about
a
decade
ago
(later
expanding
into
estate
planning),
classes
on
running
a
law
firm
—
even
one
—
would
have
been
a
godsend.
I
also
strongly
believe
this
type
of
class
should
be
a
requirement,
not
an
elective.
Why?
Because
lawyers’
paths
change.
Plus,
owning
a
law
firm
can
be
one
of
the
most
rewarding,
not
to
mention
effective,
ways
to
blend
life
and
work.
If
you’re
hellbent
on
excelling
at
both,
law
firm
ownership
offers
a
real
chance
to
make
that
happen.
I
have
found
this
to
be
especially
true
for
lawyer
moms
like
myself.
Lawyers
who,
like
I
once
did,
find
themselves
struggling
to
do
it
all
in
an
industry
that
hasn’t
caught
up
(or
caught
on)
to
women’s
workplace
struggles
due
to
the
gender
inequality
that
persists
at
home
and
in
the
office.
But,
as
is
painfully
evident,
it’s
not
entirely
the
legal
profession’s
fault.
Our
infrastructure
in
the
U.S.
falls
short
of
supporting
families
like
other
countries
do
by,
for
example,
offering
parental
leave
for
mothers
and
fathers
across
the
board.
We
need
to
catch
up.
Until
then,
many
people
continue
to
turn
to
law
firm
ownership
as
a
means
to
afford
themselves
control
alongside
flexibility,
as
I
did.
Long
before
remote
working
was
in
vogue,
I
started
a
fully
remote
law
practice.
I
haven’t
regretted
going
remote
since,
not
for
one
minute,
because
being
remote
meant
I
could
be
the
mom
and
lawyer
I
envisioned.
That’s
not
to
say
starting
a
law
firm
and
leading
it
to
success
was
easy
or
that
there
hasn’t
been
a
steep
learning
curve.
There
has
been.
I
will
be
the
first
to
say
that
being
a
law
firm
CEO
is
not
for
the
faint
of
heart.
You
have
to
not
only
want
it
but
also
be
prepared
for
it
in
more
ways
than
one.
Twenty-two,
actually,
if
I’m
counting,
which
I’ll
cover
in
this
first
part
of
a
two-part
series
to
give
them
the
attention
they
deserve.
Before
I
get
into
any
of
those,
though,
you
should
be
honest
with
yourself
if
you’re
considering
taking
this
leap.
Look
in
the
mirror
and
say,
“Do
I
have
what
it
takes
to
be
the
CEO
of
my
law
firm?”
If
you
aren’t
sure,
here’s
what
I
can
tell
you:
The
CEO
role
may
not
be
for
you
if:
Plan
To
Spend
The
Next
1,000-Plus
Hours
Reading
Business/Self-Improvement
Books
Have
you
ever
seen
the
1988
film
“Cocktail”?
In
it,
bartender
Brian
Flannigan
(Tom
Cruise)
always
has
a
business
book
stashed
behind
the
bar.
Why?
He
wants
to
have
his
own
bar
one
day.
The
message?
You
don’t
need
school
to
learn.
But
you
do
need
to
read
books
—
a
lot
of
them.
Time
To
Tackle
Your
Money
Mindset
Law
firms
don’t
come
cheap.
You
have
to
invest
in
them,
you
have
to
invest
in
yourself,
and
you
have
to
invest
in
the
people
you
hire
to
help
them
grow.
If
you
don’t
want
to
part
with
money
to
enable
this
growth,
law
firm
ownership
will
not
be
for
you.
Mind
you,
the
investment
doesn’t
end
when
you
hang
the
proverbial
shingle
outside
the
door.
Growth
pays,
but
it
costs,
too.
It’s
Not
Enough
To
Love
Practicing
Law
Law
is
a
noble
career.
It
is
an
art
form.
Many
people
love
that
about
law
practice
and
would
never
want
to
give
that
up.
If
that’s
you,
and
you
have
your
heart
set
on
owning
a
law
firm,
understand
you
may
have
to
give
up
that
love
of
legal
practice
because
there
are
only
so
many
hours
in
the
day.
You
Think
2,400
Billable
Hours
Per
Year
Sounds
Difficult?
(Oh,
Sugar
—
Try
5,000)
You’ve
heard
about
work-life
balance/integration
(or,
as
I
like
to
say,
life-work
balance/integration).
Yes,
I
believe
in
the
concept.
But
I
also
had
to
work
for
it.
So
will
you.
There’s
just
no
easy
way
around
it.
You
Value
Your
Freedom
Your
dream
of
being
a
law
firm
CEO
will
hold
you
captive,
but
you
won’t
mind
that
so
much
if
you’re
serious.
Just
keep
in
mind
that
you
won’t
feel
free
until
you
get
what
you
want.
Say
Buh-Bye
To
Imposter
Syndrome
Imposter
syndrome
is
real.
For
me,
impostor
syndrome
comes
in
the
body
of
a
mean
girl
named
Eloise.
If
you
want
to
be
a
law
firm
CEO,
fire
the
employees
who
poison
the
well,
starting
with
the
one
in
your
head.
It
took
me
a
while,
but
I
finally
got
up
the
nerve
to
fire
Eloise,
and
I
haven’t
missed
her
since.
You
Can’t
Handle
The
Truth
(Think
‘A
Few
Good
Men’)
To
succeed
as
a
law
firm
CEO,
you
have
to
be
willing
to
ask
yourself
the
hard
questions.
You
also
need
to
prepare
yourself
to
answer
the
hard
questions
from
others
along
the
way
that
you
seek
support
from,
like
coaches
and
mentors.
If
you
think
you’re
a
hot
mess
now
and
own
that,
good
for
you.
That’s
a
sign
you
are
not
yet
in
the
position
to
go
solo.
However,
it
doesn’t
mean
you
can’t
work
on
becoming
someone
who’s
ready
to
take
that
leap.
We
all
have
the
power
within
us
to
pull
ourselves
together.
Get
Ready
To
Experience
Regular,
Large,
Public
Failings
If
you
fail,
understand
that
it’s
going
to
be
in
public.
I’ve
already
done
it
a
few
times.
Que
sera
sera.
Pro
tip:
Get
the
support
of
others
on
your
way
to
becoming
a
law
firm
CEO,
the
people
who
will
cheer
you
on
no
matter
what.
The
ones
who
will
be
sad
if
you
don’t
succeed.
Unfortunately,
there
will
also
be
those
waiting
to
see
you
fail,
waiting
to
enjoy
it.
There’s
really
not
much
you
can
do
to
avoid
that.
But
if
law
firm
ownership
is
what
you’re
after,
develop
a
thick
skin
first.
You’re
gonna
need
it.
Managing
People
Can
Drain
Your
Bucket,
Then
fill
It
Right
Back
Up
Fact:
Hiring
is
soul-sucking.
It’s
tedious
and
can
take
a
lot
of
time
to
get
right.
When
you
don’t,
it
can
be
even
more
grueling.
Firing
people
doesn’t
feel
good
(to
most
people),
either.
I’m
not
arguing
any
of
this.
But
managing
people
can
also
be
gratifying
as
you
begin
to
see
the
team
you’re
assembling
take
shape.
If
you’re
going
to
become
a
law
firm
CEO,
you
need
to
be
able
to
picture
a
time
when
this
will
happen
and
recognize
that
every
obstacle
you
hit
until
then
will
make
those
moments
that
much
sweeter.
You
Thought
‘The
Devil
Wears
Prada’
Was
A
Powerful
Example
Of
Good
Leadership
If
you’re
itching
to
say,
“That’s
all,”
and
be
dismissive
like
Miranda,
don’t
bother
with
this
career
route.
As
a
law
firm
CEO,
it’s
incumbent
on
you,
if
you
want
to
build
a
strong
team
and
have
that
life-work
balance/integration
you
dream
about,
to
become
a
mentor
first.
So
be
prepared
to
teach,
share,
appreciate,
and,
by
that,
lead.
When
doing
so
becomes
second
nature,
even
in
the
hardest
of
moments,
you’ll
know
this
is
what
you’ve
been
working
toward
all
along.
And
why.
Stacey
Freeman
contributed
to
the
writing
of
this
article.
Elise
Buie
is
a
Seattle-based
divorce
and
family
lawyer,
founder
of
Elise
Buie
Family
Law
Group,
a
law
firm
devoted
to
family
law
and
estate
planning,
writer,
and
public
speaker.
A
champion
for
maintaining
civility
throughout
the
divorce
process,
Elise
advocates
for
her
clients
and
the
best
interests
of
their
children,
helping
them
move
forward
with
dignity
and
from
a
position
of
strength.