When Advocacy Becomes the Career

Mary Ellen O’Connor is a New York law firm owner who practices workers’ compensation and Social Security disability law. In this episode, Mary Ellen shares how she moved from teaching to law, built a firm rooted in advocacy and empathy, and created a legal career that supports both families and real impact.

Lawyer Side Hustles

In addition to running her firm, Mary Ellen has intentionally built a workplace culture that reflects her values. She leads a team of attorneys and staff with flexibility, empathy, and realism, offering split shifts, family-friendly policies, and an environment where people are treated as humans first.

“We should not be living to work, but work should be an adjunct to our life,” Mary Ellen O'Connor expresses in Episode 226 of You Are a Lawyer.

Rather than a traditional side hustle, Mary Ellen’s parallel work shows up in leadership and mentorship. She models what it looks like to build a legal business that prioritizes sustainability, inclusion, and respect, proving that success in law doesn’t have to come at the expense of family, health, or humanity.

This episode is produced by Skip the Boring Stuff, a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.