Managing the Burnout Crisis: Effectively Handling Your Legal Team’s Wellbeing & Mental Health

Chelsy Castro is CEO and Founder of Castro Jacobs Psychotherapy and Consulting (CJPC), a firm specializing in lawyer well-being. An attorney turned psychotherapist and performance coach, Chelsy counsels individuals and the organizations they work for on how to achieve their goals in healthy and productive ways. Chelsy’s publications and trainings focus on science-based skills and strategies for improving performance and increasing well-being in high-pressure professions.

After practicing law as a multilingual attorney in the field of international regulatory compliance, Chelsy later earned her clinical degree at the University of Chicago and shifted her focus to lawyer well-being.

Prior to launching CJPC, Chelsy designed, developed, and managed clinical programs for the legal profession, and provided evidence-based psychotherapy and training for lawyers, judges, and law students.

If there is something to be done in the Legal field, Lauren Schwartz has done it! From her early days as a patent litigator at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, to her federal clerkship, to teaching law, to leading Groupon’s in-house IP litigation practice, and now as General Counsel of cleverbridge, Inc., Lauren has practiced a wide variety law in a multitude of contexts. And the common thread running through these seemingly disparate vocations has always been service to others: service to the company, service to her team, and service to those who are underrepresented in the field. She’s thrilled to talk to you all today about preventing burnout in times of crisis, as it’s one of the most important ways we can serve those who have entrusted us as leaders.

Laverne Horton is the Senior Coroprate Counsel at Rio Tinto.

Carly Kennedy is General Counsel at the Pampered Chef, a Berkshire Hathaway Company. Ms. Kennedy is responsible for legal matters across the company and providing advice and counsel to all levels and functions of the business. She oversees all legal areas, including corporate governance, intellectual properties, global security, labor/employment, international law, and privacy. Ms. Kennedy is a trusted business partner, closely aligned with and providing essential guidance toward achieving the company’s strategic initiatives.

Prior to the Pampered Chef, Ms. Kennedy held executive positions at Tenneco and Allison Transmission, serving as global Head of Litigation, Head of Labor / Employment, and Head of Regulatory at both companies. Most recently, at Tenneco, Ms. Kennedy additionally played a crucial role in facilitating a major corporate transaction involving the acquisition of Federal-Mogul and subsequent merger and synergy of the businesses, resulting in forming a Fortune 100 company.

Ms. Kennedy earned a law and bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, as well as a Masters in Public Administration from University of Colorado. At Indiana University, she served as the captain and four-year starter of the Women’s Varsity Soccer team. Additionally, she was named an Honors Intern at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Ms. Kennedy currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Fire Foundation.