Balancing Act

In a new book that promises to take readers “from the courtroom to the living room,” three Texas Law alumnae and one adjunct professor are offering firsthand accounts of pursuing a life in the law alongside the full-time challenges of parenthood. The book, “Law Moms: Juggling Motherhood, Ambition, and Personal Fulfillment,” was published this month by Sulit Press.

Eight authors each contributed a chapter on a different topic. But all share themes of resilience in the face of struggle and the tenacity to push beyond adversity in one’s professional and personal lives.

Texas Law alumnae Susan Arenella ’98, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch ’08, and Amy Mitchell ’04 are three of the lawyers-turned-writers whose work appears in the book. They are joined on the contributors list by Texas Law Adjunct Professor Nadia Bettac.

Each author has followed her own distinctive path in the law. Arenella, originally from Massachusetts, spent 25 years as an attorney, most of that time in the Texas attorney general’s office, “battling against Big Pharma,” as she describes it. She is now a full-time writer.

Lincoln-Goldfinch, meanwhile, is well-known in Austin for her work as an immigration attorney and founder of Lincoln-Goldfinch Law—as well as her innovative use of TikTok, Instagram, and other social media tools to share information about legal rights.

Mitchell is the founder of a boutique entertainment law firm in Austin, with a lengthy client list that includes the late Austin art and music legend Daniel Johnston, as well as the Hi, How Are You Project, a nonprofit organization inspired by Johnson’s work and with the mission to remove the stigma around mental health.

Bettac, who teaches advocacy courses, is a litigator and mediator.

The book’s chapters include personal and intense essays on a range of topics faced by the authors:

• A second-generation lawyer confronting her relationship with alcohol and its pervasive influence in legal culture.
• A mother of two who embraces imperfection as she opts to join her kids’ summer musical instead of pursuing her own summer internship.
• A woman who takes refuge in a law career as she tirelessly advocates for an adopted son with severe behavioral issues while trying to protect her younger daughter.
• A trailblazer challenging cultural stigmas surrounding mental health and therapy while battling depression.
• A personal injury lawyer finding solace amid her demanding schedule, cherishing precious moments with her children, while helping her clients seek justice.

“Law Moms: Juggling Motherhood, Ambition and Personal Fulfillment” is available now.