1. It’s Time to Change the Water We Swim In

Water to the fish, air to the bird, both can’t see it, but they can feel the turbulent forces of change.

—Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The first time I talked to them, they told me theirs was the kind of New York law firm that young lawyers were “dying” to work for. But from what other people had told me about the place, I suspected people were “dying” from working there. I was right. In the last year, several of their top lawyers, all women, had left. The women said they left for “family reasons” or “work-life balance.” I knew there was more to it than that.

It really was an impressive law firm. The office was huge and luxurious, and the client list was a Who’s Who of top ...

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