OPTING BACK IN PROGRAM
Helping Attorneys Return to the Law

Continuing program. Call 415-565-4640 for possible openings.

Are you ready to "on ramp"? That is, are you an attorney who is ready to return to legal practice after leaving law for a year or more to care for your family? Two years ago, the University of California Hastings College of the Law's Center for WorkLife Law (WLL) launched the "Opting Back IN" program to help attorneys like you. The program was so successful that WLL decided to expand it by partnering with Lawyers Life Coach LLC.

The expansion of the Opting Back In Program makes it available to attorneys throughout North America by offering it as a virtual telephone coaching group. Participants from diverse locations call into a single teleconference bridge line at a regular day and time to receive professional coaching to craft and implement their return-to-work plans.

What participants in the first Opting Back In Program said:

"Excellent"     "Extremely helpful"     "Empowering"

"It was great to meet other people who had made decisions similar to mine and see how they had successfully 'opted back in' to the work force. This program gave me the boost I needed to start seriously looking for work."

"I have been fearful about reentering the job market ever since I left it. This program helped me to get over my fear and take important, practical steps towards reentry."

"It will jump start your re-entry."

Here are the details:

Who should participate?

Attorneys who have been away from law practice to care for their families for a year or more and want to return to practice.

How will you benefit?

• You will receive coaching from two very experienced coaches.
• You will connect with other attorneys facing the same challenges.
• You will get support, encouragement and opportunities to practice from the group.
• Group members will learn from one another's experiences.
• The group will jump-start your network expansion.
• You'll be able to take what now seems like a daunting process and break it down into manageable pieces.
• Special 'bonus' calls will feature:
  
  
• Employers giving advice about what they're looking for
• Attorneys who've already successfully opted back in telling you what has worked for them
• Career counselors providing tips on resumes and interviews
• Headhunters supplying information about the job market
• Experts on part-time work offering advice on how to negotiate schedules
  

When does the group meet?

The group meets twice a month via teleconference call for 90 minutes on Thursdays at

• 12:30 - 2:00 PM Eastern time
• 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Central time
• 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Mountain time
• 9:30 - 11:00 AM Pacific time

The group is continuing, and new people are welcome to join when there are openings and you can participate for as long as you'd like -- all the way to celebrating your new job!

How many people are in the group?

In order to ensure that every participant receives sufficient time and attention to effectively craft and implement a re-entry plan, group size is limited to 10 participants.

Enrollment is on a first-come-first-served basis.

Who are the coaches?

Linda Marks, Director of Training and Special Projects at the Center for WorkLife Law, UC Hastings College of the Law

Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D., CMC, Principal, Lawyers Life Coach LLC

Linda has over 25 years experience in corporate consulting and training and specific expertise in flexible work arrangements and work-life balance. She led the first Opting Back In program at UC Hastings College of the Law as well as previous career-change support groups at Alumnae Resources, a career center for professional women. She is co-author of Negotiating Time: New Scheduling Options in the Legal Profession and numerous articles. Linda is a frequent presenter at conferences and meetings inside and outside of law and has spoken to the American Bar Association, Association of Legal Administrators, NALP and numerous state bars. Her most recent presentations have been on ways attorneys can opt-back-in after taking time off for care-giving reasons. Linda worked with the Bar Association of San Francisco on their work/Life Balance task force and is working with bar associations around the country to help them put on work/life balance conferences. She is also involved with member relations for the Project for Attorney Retention. Linda previously worked for New Ways to Work, a nonprofit promoting flexible work arrangements, where she directed their "Work-time Options in the Legal Profession" project and for WFD (Work Family Directions), a Boston-based consulting firm as part of their flexibility consulting and training practices, working remotely from her home in San Francisco.

Ellen is a licensed psychologist, certified coach and law firm consultant. Since 1998, she has been providing individual and group coaching services to lawyers working to achieve professional-success goals without sacrificing what makes their lives meaningful. She speaks throughout the country on gender issues in the profession, unexamined bias, women's business development and leadership, as well as remedies for the inflexible work structures that serve as obstacles to the advancement of women and to the well-being, productivity and work-life balance of all attorneys. Her "Options for the Opt-Out Revolution" presentation at the 2006 ABA Section of Litigation Annual Meeting and "So You Are Thinking of Returning to the Office" panel at the National Association of Women Lawyer's 2007 Ready to Ramp-On conference were very well-received. Ellen is the editor of the Women in the Law department of the electronic magazine, The Complete Lawyer and her e-mail newsletter, "Beyond the Billable Hour," has been reprinted by more than 25 different print and electronic legal publications. She serves on the board of The ThirdPath Institute, a work/life balance advocacy organization, was an advisory committee member for the Project for Attorney Retention and PAR - GC, and served on the faculties of the ABA Commission on Women's Women in Law Leadership Academy and the UC Hastings Leadership Academy for Women in Law Firms.

What is the cost of the group?

$150/month for two 90-minute calls/month and additional 'bonus' calls

Charges for the long-distance call will depend on your calling plan. We will provide information about low-cost options.

How will you know what number to call and when to call it?

Once you are registered for the group you will receive all the information you need to participate.

How can you register for the Opting Back In Coaching Group?

Please download, print and complete the Registration Form and fax it to 301-587-4327. (This is a secure fax.) We will confirm receipt of your registration.

Remember: group size is limited to ten (10) participants. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis.

For further information contact:

Linda Marks: 415-581-8826 marksl@uchastings.edu

Ellen Ostrow: 301-578-8686 Ellen@lawyerslifecoach.com