Career Toolkit: Reentering the Workforce
| Type of Resource | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Program | OnRamp Fellowship Program | The Fellowship is a re-entry platform that matches experienced lawyers returning to the workforce with top organizations for six month and one-year paid positions. This unique experiential learning program gives returning lawyers – many of whom opted out of the workforce for a period of time to raise children – an opportunity to demonstrate their value in the marketplace while also increasing their experience, skills, and contacts. |
| Blog | Re-entering the Legal Job Market? 6 Tips for Success | Talent solutions company Robert Half provides six quick tips for lawyers reentering the workforce. |
| Blog | Reentry Lawyers: Easing Back Into Practice | Lawyer Valerie A. Fontaine offers advice on on-ramp strategies, negotiation points, perception issues, and transition tactics when reentering the workforce. |
| Blog | Reentry Attorneys: Wanting Back In (and Bringing a Lot Too) | There’s a huge, still largely untapped source of energy and talent available to legal employers right now, and with the recent increase in structured programs that recruit, vet, re-orient, and/or mentor these candidates, there’s never been a better time to include them in a workplace that prioritizes diversity: reentry attorneys. |
| Website | Path Forward | Path Forward is a nonprofit organization on a mission to empower people to restart their careers after time spent focused on caregiving. It fulfills this mission by working with companies to create and run mid-career internships — also known as “returnships” — that give professionals a jump start back to their careers, while giving companies access to a diverse, untapped talent force. |
| Book | Lawyer Interrupted: Successfully Transitioning from the Practice of Law–and Back Again | This book covers both the practical and ethical considerations for lawyers taking a break in service for a variety of (voluntary and involuntary) reasons, including temporary leaves of absence, taking care of family, changing careers, disciplinary actions, and retirement. The book focuses on the importance of pre-planning, addresses the considerations unique to each reason for a break, and shares stories and advice from a broad population of lawyers who have taken a break from service. |
| Website | Mindful Return | Mindful Return is a movement that helps new moms and dads navigate the uncertain terrain of working parenthood. Are you ready to trade your working parent guilt for meaningful connection and support? |
| Article | Diving back in: 4 tips for restarting a legal career | Tips for reentering the legal profession after a hiatus. |
| Article | Reclaiming Your Career After a Career Break | Every year, lawyers decide to take a temporary break from the law. They are motivated by a multitude of reasons – motherhood and child care, eldercare, travel, or even the call of other careers. The workload and rigid structure of career progression within the profession can prove challenging for lawyers looking to return to the law. Conversely, the cost of losing trained lawyers can be high – re-training fresh lawyers to fill the same roles is expensive, particularly when an experienced mid-career lawyer could step in. Insights explores this issue and what both lawyers and employers can do help experienced legal professionals return to the profession. |
| Website | iRelaunch: Your Return to Work Experts | iRelaunch is a career reentry consulting, training and events company focused on bringing professionals back into the workforce after extended leave. |
| Article | Advice on Going Back to Work After Maternity Leave | As your due date approaches, you get more and more excited. The thrilling journey of parenthood is just on the horizon. But, your excitement can quickly change to worry when you look at your parental leave benefits. The last thing you want to be thinking about is going back to work after maternity leave. Adjusting to parenthood is magical, but it’s also exhausting. When you’re learning to be a parent, every sleepless moment feels brand new. For some moms, the idea of returning to work so soon seems unbearable. There are a ton of emotions that come with the end of maternity leave, but preparing ahead of time can help you create a smooth transition. This article explores how to manage the emotional and logistical challenges of going back to work after maternity leave. |
| Book | Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return From Maternity Leave | There are books out there on every baby-related topic imaginable, but what about one that helps you plan your return to work, and ease concerns and fears about the transition so you can focus on your child? Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return from Maternity Leave fills this much-needed gap. It introduces you to a community of other returning-to-work mamas, and empowers you to make calm, thoughtful choices. Whether you are a brand-new mom or you had your second or third child, Back to Work After Baby will inspire you with new ideas on how to approach heading back to work with a healthier mindset, tackle the myriad of logistics (from negotiating for flexibility to pumping to dealing with baby sick days), view your leave and return as a leadership opportunity, and commit to staying in community with other working mamas. |
The Committee welcomes feedback from the WBA membership about the Toolkit at careertoolkit@wbadc.org. If you have suggestions for resources to include, please use “TOOLKIT RESOURCES” in your email subject line.