The 2022 Mental Health Special Episode: Burnout in the Legal Profession

In this special episode, hosts April Abele Isaacson and Kate Geyer are joined by Kasey Koballa, an Associate from the Kilpatrick Townsend Raleigh office. Kasey’s practice focuses on patent litigation in federal courts and before the ITC in matters relating to a wide variety of industries, including video games and footwear and sport apparel. In 2015, Kasey received a BS in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with a minor in Biotechnology from North Carolina State University, where she graduated summa cum laude, was the valedictorian of her class, and received the Top 10 Scholar Athlete Award for her achievements in soccer. In 2018, she received her law degree from William & Mary Law School with an Intellectual Property Concentration.

With three very different backgrounds and life journeys, April, Kate, and Kasey discuss the issue of burnout in the legal profession, and particularly in the hard-charging, high-stakes world of patent litigation. They share their first-hand experiences and their earned wisdom about building resilience and thriving in such a pressure-filled environment. In this important conversation, April, Kate, and Kasey use compassion and humor to tackle a serious problem that continues to claim many promising legal careers far too early. They also provide a glimpse into what it takes to work at the highest levels of patent litigation while keeping burnout at bay.
Highlights include:

• Broadening career options
• Definition of burnout
• Why attorneys are particularly susceptible to burnout
• The struggle to say “no”
• Why women are more likely to suffer burnout than men
• “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”
• The signs of reaching your limit
• Navigating the post-COVID hybrid work environment for greater productivity and better work-life balance
• The critical importance of recognizing early signs of burnout
• Recruiting your support system
• Tiny recharging breaks can make a huge difference
• Rethinking proactive management of work assignments to reduce overwork
• Law-firm mentors as a first line of defense against burnout
• Surprising reasons why burnout is a major threat to talent retention
• The availability and value of external resources like employee assistance programs
• Destigmatizing the use of therapy and other mental health support
• Recognizing that blocking off time for self-care is not an indulgence but a tool to becoming a better lawyer

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**The opinions expressed are those of the attorneys and do not necessarily reflect the views of the firm or its clients. This podcast is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.