Embracing Gratitude: The Heart of Montage’s Mission

By Erin Giglia

As Thanksgiving approaches and we embrace this season of gratitude, I find myself reminiscing about the moment Montage Legal Group’s mission came to life. It was just another day as an attorney, and I was walking into the office for the day. I ran into Laurie in the parking garage, so we walked in together, rode up the elevator. I still don’t know why I did this, but I told Laurie that I had a secret, and if she wanted to hear it, she should come to my office. We sat down, and I blurted out that I was 7 weeks pregnant. I hadn’t told anyone. Laurie’s jaw dropped to the floor, and she said that she was 5 weeks pregnant. She hadn’t told anyone either. Laurie casually asked my plans now that I was going to have a second baby. I thought I would go part time until my kids were older, but Laurie’s brain started churning, and she planted a tiny seed about doing contract work together.

When my youngest was a year old, and after 3 years of no sleep, I finally left the firm to start Montage Legal Group with Laurie. We thought there must be other women who left legal practice under similar circumstances. We had excellent training, but no longer wanted to remain in a traditional legal practice after starting families. We thought there must be others who were similarly situated. We started Montage Legal Group in 2009 with a simple mission:

1. Keep women in the legal profession when they otherwise would have opted out
2. Bring women back into the legal profession after taking time away
3. Provide busy law firms with high level, substantive help with legal projects to
   1. Improve client service
   2. Improve attorney well-being

Over the last sixteen years, we are so grateful to have worked with hundreds of attorneys who were looking for an alternative to traditional legal practice. All of them have different stories, but we all have one thing in common. We all have some other interest or priority that drives our need to control our schedules in a way that is functionally impossible in a law firm. We are parents of young children, attorneys caring for ill parents/children/relatives, attorneys who have other business interests, law professors, entrepreneurs, attorneys who have relocated to jurisdictions where they are not licensed, JD military spouses, U.S. lawyers living abroad, and all kinds of other lawyers. We have loved hearing their stories, their unique situations, their motivations, and their passions.

We’ve also loved being an onramp for hundreds of lawyers who took meaningful breaks from the law. Some of these lawyers stepped away for a decade or more, and now they are happily and successfully back at it. I always say the same thing:

Your brain didn’t fall out of your head after having children. You have the exact same brain you had while you were a practicing lawyer. You might be a little rusty, and you might need to spend some personal time getting back up to speed, but you can absolutely do it.

I haven’t been wrong.  We’ve transitioned over 300 lawyers back into permanent employment, and have served as a reference hundreds of times. We have had Montage freelance attorneys go back to BigLaw, start thriving boutique firms, run successful solo practices, go in-house, serve as counsel for judicial branches and government entities, and even become judges. We are overjoyed that we’ve been just a small part of their success and happiness.

Law firms benefit from Montage Legal Group’s incredible pool of talented freelance lawyers who are thrilled to help them thrive. We cover every imaginable legal specialty, and we are truly happy to help. Hiring firms get access to freelance attorneys with exceptional credentials so they can better serve their clients’ needs. Hiring attorneys can focus their energy on high level strategy, business development, and other important tasks. Hiring attorneys can even take time to step away to care for their own lives. Hiring attorneys are happier. Clients are happier. It is truly a win-win-win.

We never would have guessed that day we rode the elevator in the parking garage that sixteen years later, we would have a company with over 450 freelance lawyers, thousands of law firm clients, and a team of employees.   As we enter the busy holiday season and life becomes extra chaotic, Laurie and I are especially grateful for our dedicated employees who manage finance, project coordination, marketing, and operations. Their hard work and commitment ensure that our business runs smoothly, allowing us to serve our freelance lawyers and law firms effectively. Without their expertise and tireless efforts, we wouldn’t be able to provide the high level of support and service that our clients have come to expect.  Amanda Hunt, Brenda Price, Jennifer Barnes, Erin Johnson, Kristin Martin, Stephanie Kutrumbis, and Suzanne Picariello are the backbone of our organization, and we deeply appreciate all they do to help us thrive.

I am profoundly grateful for the connections we’ve built and the shared stories that enrich our lives. We have stayed true to our company goals, and always will. I personally have talked to thousands of attorneys. I’ve listened to their struggles. I’ve listened to their dreams. Lawyers are brilliant problem solvers. We at Montage Legal Group are so happy to continue to solve problems for busy lawyers all over the US.

Wishing our attorney clients, freelance lawyers, and everyone who has contributed to the Montage mission a Happy Thanksgiving and a joyful holiday season!