Stalled

You never expected to be in Biglaw as long as you have been. You graduated law school hoping for a career in public service or the non-profit sector, but your student loans and other responsibilities make that kind of life seem out of reach.

Overworked

You’re hitting your billable hours targets, maybe even qualifying for those nice end of year bonuses, but you have no time for anything else. Your family, friends, and other interests have not seen you for years and you miss them.

Underwhelmed

You dreamed of Biglaw life and set your career in motion to make partner. But after a few years, you notice that you don’t really enjoy the work, the clients, or the people who would be your future “partners” and you’re looking for something more.

Happy

Congratulations! You’re right where you want to be. (You’re also a unicorn and I’m not sure you actually exist.)

Are you a frustrated Biglaw associate who’s underwhelmed by your current legal career? Most associates don’t even want to make partner, but the daily grind and all-consuming billable hours make thinking Beyond Biglaw just another chore you have no time to tackle. You’re not alone, but to get where you need to be, you’ll have to make a change. I graduated from Columbia Law School a single mom of twins with hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loan debt, and I couldn’t even imagine surviving anywhere other than my large DC firm. But I just needed someone to show me the path and help me make a plan.

I’m now an Accredited Financial Counselor® who crafts financial strategies for lawyers looking to free themselves from the Biglaw prison they’ve trapped themselves in. I teach you how to make the most of your money so you can do more of what you love, whether as a new career or just more time to serve out your true purpose. As a result of working with me, lawyers are able to pursue their true passions, no matter the salary.

I recall so vividly the day I knew Biglaw was no longer for me. I had spent months of late nights and weekends preparing for a critical motion in my high stakes class action litigation — deposing experts, gathering corporate documents, canvassing international patents — and missing out on time with my twin kindergarteners. And then it happened: success! Our motion was granted! But the victory was not sweet. All I could think about was the time I had lost fighting for something I did not even care that much about. That’s when I knew I was done.

But being a single mom of twins makes leaving a lucrative DC job difficult. I felt a responsibility to provide secure income for my family that would cover not only our needs but also my hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loan debt. I was a woman, a Latina, and I was doing well in my firm and felt obligated to blaze a path for other associates like me coming up behind. And I was scared to lose the prestige that comes along with Biglaw life.

It took me another 10 years struggling with all those fears and insecurities before I finally left the law to pursue my true passion, financial counseling. It would have been so much easier to leave Biglaw if someone had shown me the path that would provide me the financial freedom to pursue more fulfilling work, a life on my terms.

THINK BEYOND BIGLAW

Optimize.

It all begins with putting in place the systems and strategies that will optimize your time in Biglaw while preparing your personal finances for the next move. We look at cash flow, student loan and other debt, and long term savings goals to create a plan that will work now and into the future. And you get to make those decisions, and finally take action, with an expert guiding you along the way.

Visualize.

Part of thinking Beyond Biglaw is recognizing the way you’re currently living is not the lifestyle you dreamed of when you were in law school (or ever!). Law doesn’t need to be a string of endless all-nighters and unmanageable expectations and the lifestyle choices we make often limit our ability to see and take advantage of real opportunities. We’ll take a realistic look at how you’d like your future life to be, and make plans to make sure your money lasts a lifetime.

Realize.

For many lawyers, it’s the analysis paralysis that traps us into thinking we cannot move forward unless we have it all figured out already. But building a solid financial foundation and planning for a different future is only worthwhile if you actually take action and make the changes. Your Biglaw years can be a burden or an opportunity — I help you take full advantage of this time in your life so you can realize your dreams with peace of mind.

What does an Accredited Financial Counselor do, exactly?

We work with people, not just money.

I’m certified as an Accredited Financial Counselor through the Association of Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE) so I’m trained both in counseling techniques and personal finance strategies. I don’t just figure out your numbers, I figure out the right numbers that will work for your personality and your lifestyle.

I help people with their spending plans, paying down debt, saving strategies, and thinking through career transitions and other big financial moves like early retirement. And I help them stick to those plans.

I do not, however, give investment or tax planning advice (that’s other licensed professionals) and I don’t sell any financial products so you always get unbiased analysis.

We basically work on all the good money habits that lead to building wealth, however you define it.

Should I just work with a financial advisor?

Probably not.

Financial advisors take many forms: investment advisor, financial planner, stock broker, wealth manager, and others. They work with investments and building net worth through financial products.

Some of these professionals make money by selling certain products, others make a percentage of the money they manage for you, and others may charge a flat fee. Few are interested in spending time building out your budget, helping you find ways to pay down debt or save more, and even less are willing to check up on you to make sure you’re implementing the strategies discussed.

One of the greatest services I offer is accountability.

I should be able to do this on my own, right?

Maybe — but have you yet?

My clients are brilliant, capable, accomplished professionals. But personal finance doesn’t get them up in the morning and they already have enough on their plates. That’s where I come in so my clients can make real progress in a fraction of the time.

I help you sift through all the noise so we can focus just on the financial information and strategies that are important for your personal situation. Then we work through the best ways to implement those strategies based on your personality and style. Oh, and I check up on you to make sure it actually gets done this time!

My clients are smart enough to know that even if they could do it themselves, they don’t have to.