A Practical Guide to Taking Back Your Power and Protecting Your Peace in Law
If you’ve ever found yourself walking on eggshells, doubting your abilities or crying before work but telling yourself to “be tougher,” this guide is for you.
I wrote it after hearing hundreds of lawyers, from graduates to partners, share eerily similar stories about harmful workplaces that left them exhausted, anxious and questioning everything. I too have been one of them.
This isn’t a therapy substitute or legal advice. It’s a practical roadmap for when you know something’s wrong but don’t know what to do next.
A 50+ page practical guide packed with tools, scripts and strategies to help you move from confusion to clarity.
Part 1: Understanding What’s Really Going On
How to recognise when stress has become harm
What psychological safety actually means (and how it differs from psychosocial safety under law)
Why these patterns happen so often in law (and why it’s not your fault)
Part 2: Naming and Navigating the Problem
How to tell the difference between feedback and bullying
How to decide when to stay or go
How to approach HR and protect yourself without losing credibility
Part 3: Taking Back Control
What to document and how to plan your exit
How to manage money and references safely
What recovery looks like (hint: it’s not linear)
How to rebuild confidence, redefine success and find healthy workplaces again (they do exist)
Crisis Response Plan for when you’re in acute distress (developed in conjunction with mental health professionals in the field)
Checklists for early warning signs, documentation and interviews
Scripts for HR meetings, resignations and boundaries
Email Templates for following up and creating a record
Self-Care Toolkit and Reflection Worksheets
Anonymised Case Studies showing what recovery can look like at every career stage
✔️ Law students and graduates in their first jobs
✔️ Mid-level lawyers feeling trapped in high-pressure firms
✔️ Senior leaders trying to rebuild or repair culture
✔️ Anyone who’s ever thought, “Is it me or is this low key not normal?”
This isn’t another vague wellbeing resource. It’s:
Written by a lawyer, for lawyers and in plain English
Grounded in evidence and real-world experience
Designed for action, not theory
Full of empathy but low on fluff
You’ll find real talk, not corporate wellbeing jargon.
Because I was tired of watching smart, capable lawyers crumble in environments that reward harm and call it resilience. Because I’ve lived it, seen it and helped hundreds of people through it. Because when you’re in survival mode, you don’t need another 10-point wellness plan: you need clarity, validation and a plan that works.
“Reading this today was like having someone calm and wise sit beside me when I just couldn’t think straight.” - Associate, Brisbane
“I wish this had existed years ago. Every firm should give this to their juniors.” - Director - Corporate, Melbourne
“It helped me realise I wasn’t “crazy” and it gave me the language I needed to ask for help. Thank you, Mel” - Junior Lawyer, Townsville
Format: Digital PDF (instant download)
Length: 53 pages
Price: $29 AUD
Created by: Mel Storey - lawyer, educator and creator
(Instant access after purchase. You’ll receive your copy via email.)
Mel Storey is an award-winning lawyer, educator and creator behind Career Big Sis and Counsel Media. After more than fifteen years working across the Australian legal and tech sectors, she now helps lawyers design careers that feel authentic, healthy and sustainable.
Through her workshops, guides, podcast and online community, Mel shares real, practical advice for navigating the modern legal profession — with clarity, confidence and compassion.
Follow @theinhouselawyer on Instagram and LinkedIn or listen to The Counsel Podcast to keep learning how to build a legal career (and life) that fits you.
A Practical Guide to Taking Back Your Power and Protecting Your Peace in Law
If you’ve ever found yourself walking on eggshells, doubting your abilities or crying before work but telling yourself to “be tougher,” this guide is for you.
I wrote it after hearing hundreds of lawyers, from graduates to partners, share eerily similar stories about harmful workplaces that left them exhausted, anxious and questioning everything. I too have been one of them.
This isn’t a therapy substitute or legal advice. It’s a practical roadmap for when you know something’s wrong but don’t know what to do next.
A 50+ page practical guide packed with tools, scripts and strategies to help you move from confusion to clarity.
Part 1: Understanding What’s Really Going On
How to recognise when stress has become harm
What psychological safety actually means (and how it differs from psychosocial safety under law)
Why these patterns happen so often in law (and why it’s not your fault)
Part 2: Naming and Navigating the Problem
How to tell the difference between feedback and bullying
How to decide when to stay or go
How to approach HR and protect yourself without losing credibility
Part 3: Taking Back Control
What to document and how to plan your exit
How to manage money and references safely
What recovery looks like (hint: it’s not linear)
How to rebuild confidence, redefine success and find healthy workplaces again (they do exist)
Crisis Response Plan for when you’re in acute distress (developed in conjunction with mental health professionals in the field)
Checklists for early warning signs, documentation and interviews
Scripts for HR meetings, resignations and boundaries
Email Templates for following up and creating a record
Self-Care Toolkit and Reflection Worksheets
Anonymised Case Studies showing what recovery can look like at every career stage
✔️ Law students and graduates in their first jobs
✔️ Mid-level lawyers feeling trapped in high-pressure firms
✔️ Senior leaders trying to rebuild or repair culture
✔️ Anyone who’s ever thought, “Is it me or is this low key not normal?”
This isn’t another vague wellbeing resource. It’s:
Written by a lawyer, for lawyers and in plain English
Grounded in evidence and real-world experience
Designed for action, not theory
Full of empathy but low on fluff
You’ll find real talk, not corporate wellbeing jargon.
Because I was tired of watching smart, capable lawyers crumble in environments that reward harm and call it resilience. Because I’ve lived it, seen it and helped hundreds of people through it. Because when you’re in survival mode, you don’t need another 10-point wellness plan: you need clarity, validation and a plan that works.
“Reading this today was like having someone calm and wise sit beside me when I just couldn’t think straight.” - Associate, Brisbane
“I wish this had existed years ago. Every firm should give this to their juniors.” - Director - Corporate, Melbourne
“It helped me realise I wasn’t “crazy” and it gave me the language I needed to ask for help. Thank you, Mel” - Junior Lawyer, Townsville
Format: Digital PDF (instant download)
Length: 53 pages
Price: $29 AUD
Created by: Mel Storey - lawyer, educator and creator
(Instant access after purchase. You’ll receive your copy via email.)
Mel Storey is an award-winning lawyer, educator and creator behind Career Big Sis and Counsel Media. After more than fifteen years working across the Australian legal and tech sectors, she now helps lawyers design careers that feel authentic, healthy and sustainable.
Through her workshops, guides, podcast and online community, Mel shares real, practical advice for navigating the modern legal profession — with clarity, confidence and compassion.
Follow @theinhouselawyer on Instagram and LinkedIn or listen to The Counsel Podcast to keep learning how to build a legal career (and life) that fits you.
