KJK Family Law Partner Janet Stewart Scalley Featured on Women in Law Podcast – KJK

In a modern two-component series with the Females in Law: On the Report podcast, KJK Family Law Partner Janet Stewart Scalley sat down with host Allison Stewart to go over her work as a Domestic Relations attorney with KJK.

The two-section series attributes graduates from the Ladder Down system in Cleveland, Ohio. Ladder Down is a national, year-long program that supplies direct instruction and profession progress as a result of a combination of coaches, sponsors and members to empower gals lawyers in 3 critical places: management, organization improvement and mentoring.

In Janet’s particular person interview, she discusses some influential aspects that led to her career path:

“When I went to regulation school, I believed I needed to do domestic relations… I have liked [working with] troubles that primarily entail girls and kids. So, when I was in higher education, I was really much so associated in volunteering about the issues of domestic violence and human trafficking and I just had a basic curiosity in those people varieties of concerns.”

As the interviewer factors out, however, this location of legislation can be pretty tumultuous, and numerous lawyers shy away from the often really serious and emotional mother nature of the task. Janet responds:

“Honestly, that’s the most typical response I get, ‘I could by no means do that.’ I get that reaction, it’s not an space of regulation for everyone… I could never do company perform I just really don’t find it fascinating. I like operating with family members. I come across that that’s the place I can make the most useful big difference for people today.”

Expanding on that thought, Janet adds:

“In terms of separating private everyday living and work… and form of the psychological features that obviously arrive with domestic relations matters… It can be really hard. I’m not heading to lie, some issues strike you in another way. From time to time the situation just does not sense suitable, correct? As a law firm, you the natural way want to arrive in and help you save the day or definitely support this person because they’re in a rough place and those people can become… both of those individually gratifying and individually complicated when points may not be going the way you think they ought to be heading.”

However, recognizing her unique ability to enable as a result of know-how and practical experience, Janet has uncovered to individual her do the job and individual life in get to technique and deal with complex situations with the clearest brain:

“Somebody early in my occupation gave me superior advice on this, who was also a domestics relations attorney, and he mentioned, “You know, you simply cannot make your clients’ challenges your troubles.” Even though of course you are striving to do your occupation as a lawyer and do well by these clients, you have to independent on your own mainly because you’re not heading to be a very good lawyer if you can not individual you from them. Kind of like, when you are on the plane and you have to set your very own mask on right before you help a child.”

Crediting her progress with Cleveland’s Ladder Down software, Janet explains her mindset when approaching her day-to-day and her involvement with her casework:

“I see it substantially additional so as making a brand… It is a organization it is what we do. [I try to] consider about, what do I want individuals to see when they see me as their domestic relations lawyer? What do I want to aid give persons in my representation with them? Kind of considering about it that way, being additional introspective in conditions of what I provide for my purchasers, Ladder Down has truly aided me to have those assumed processes to actually determine out how I can place my greatest foot ahead and truthfully, produce the very best illustration for my shoppers.”

Pay attention to the full podcast here, with Janet’s interview beginning close to the 21:00 mark.