Mark Goldstein is a Partner at Reed Smith’s New York Labor & Employment Group, where he helps companies in New York and around the world manage their workplace needs. Mark defends employers in a wide range of employment litigation matters and advises clients on a variety of day-to-day and big-picture workplace issues, including policy development, risk assessment, and litigation avoidance.
Mark is also a passionate mental health and wellness advocate, particularly in the legal profession. He has written for numerous legal publications, speaks at conferences and Bar Association events, and was recently selected as a member of ALM Media/Law.com’s Mental Health Advisory Board.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- Mark Goldstein talks about the diagnosis that impacted the path of his career in law
- Mark shares his motivation behind writing The American Lawyer article, “‘Scared. Ashamed. Crippled.’: How One Lawyer Overcame Living With Depression in Big Law”
- Why Mark waited so long to seek support for his mental health—and his advice to lawyers who are currently suffering
- Mark explains the problems with asking about mental health conditions on the Bar application
- Practical tips for how to have a conversation about your mental health with someone at your firm
- How Mark has maintained his mental health during the pandemic
- Mark discusses how being open about his health has provided more opportunities in his career
- Mark’s curse of knowledge: gratitude
In this episode…
When you’re feeling physically ill, do you call out of work for the day? What about when you’re not feeling well mentally? Do you still reach out to your firm when you need to take time off to work on your mental health?
In the legal industry, and within BigLaw in particular, there is often a badge of honor for working yourself to the bone. Lawyers are lauded for lack of sleep, long hours, and neglected vacation time. But, this type of work environment is a recipe for burnout—and a serious detriment to your mental health. Mark Goldstein, Partner at Reed Smith, says that while physical ailments and mental health issues may appear different, both should be handled with respect in the workplace.
In this episode of The Lawyer’s Edge, Elise Holtzman sits down with Mark Goldstein, Partner at Reed Smith’s Labor & Employment Group, to talk about mental health in the legal industry. They discuss Mark’s experience diagnosing, treating, and maintaining his mental health, the advocacy work he’s done in the years since his diagnosis, and how being open about his health has opened doors for him in his career. Plus, Mark shares some practical tips on how you can address your mental health in the workplace.
Resources Mentioned in this episode
- The Lawyer’s Edge
- The Lawyer’s Edge Podcast
- Reed Smith
- Mark Goldstein on LinkedIn
- “‘Scared. Ashamed. Crippled.’: How One Lawyer Overcame Living with Depression in Big Law” by Mark Goldstein
- Bloomberg Law article featuring Mark Goldstein
- Lawyers Depression Project
- “Mental Health and Substance Abuse” ALM Report
- Jennifer Rosa on The Lawyer’s Edge
- Lawyers Making Rain
- Elise Holtzman on LinkedIn
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is brought to you by The Lawyer’s Edge, a firm based in the New York metropolitan area founded by Elise Holtzman in 2008 to help lawyers become skilled business developers and leaders so that they can grow their practices, retain top talent, and step confidently into leadership roles.
The firm offers customized coaching, consulting, and training programs such as their signature business development program, Lawyers Making Rain.
Now more than ever, it’s not enough to just do good work and hope your law firm will thrive. And no matter how smart and hard-working you are, it can be time-consuming and overwhelming to figure it all out by yourself.
To learn more about how we help lawyers become rainmakers and leaders, visit thelawyersedge.wpengine.com or email us at podcast@thelawyersedge.wpengine.com.
