{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Wellness Docket","title":"Building a Legal Career Without Sacrificing Your Life: Julia Belanger on Grief, ADHD, and Redefining Success","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/02d1454d\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2664,"description":"Host Tim Culbert welcomes newly called to the bar New Brunswick lawyer Julia Belanger to The Wellness Docket for an honest conversation about mental health, grief, neurodiversity, and building a legal career that prioritizes both professional excellence and personal well-being. After completing her articling year at the New Brunswick Court of Appeal, Julia reflects on entering the profession while navigating one of the most difficult periods of her life—the sudden loss of her mother during her clerkship.\nJulia shares how receiving an ADHD diagnosis during law school transformed her understanding of herself and helped her develop healthier ways of working. She explains how embracing her neurodivergence, asking for accommodations, and being transparent about the conditions that allow her to thrive have strengthened (not diminished) her ability to succeed. Together, Tim and Julia discuss why the legal profession must move beyond outdated expectations and create workplaces where lawyers can openly discuss mental health, family responsibilities, and the support they need to perform at their best.\nThe conversation also explores Julia's experience balancing law school and a legal career while raising four children, her passion for access to justice, and her graduate research examining lawyer wellness as an access to justice issue. Through her story of grief, resilience, and intentional career-building, Julia offers an encouraging vision for a healthier legal profession, one where lawyers don't have to choose between meaningful work and meaningful lives.\n\nAbout Julia BelangerJulia Belanger is a lawyer with Trio Law Offices in New Brunswick. She completed her articles at the New Brunswick Court of Appeal before joining private practice. Julia is passionate about access to justice, lawyer wellbeing, and creating healthier legal workplaces.\nShe is currently pursuing a Master's in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of New Brunswick, where her research explores...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/ZW3fGwpowQh29sOYTrQ_gVXKlwv7d8wnEU-i9_e_bY8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS84MjM5/N2RkZjIzNGQyZDNk/Y2U3OGY4M2MwYWMw/MGFmOC5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}