Legal Lady Boss- Allison Stewart

Allison Stewart is a commercial litigator in Dallas at Greenberg Traurig LLP and happens to be a mentor in the Dallas region for Avocate. When she’s not in court, she also dedicates her time to interviewing female attorneys for her podcast, Women in Law On the Record. If you haven’t listened yet, stop reading and download immediately (then come back here to finish reading of course). Suggestion on an episode to listen to? Avocate’s founder was featured on one of the episodes , and you can listen here.

Tell us about what a day in the life of Allison Stewart looks like.

As most lawyers will tell you, my typical days varies. I am a commercial litigator, so most of my days are spent drafting and responding to motions, conferring with clients, attending hearings, and moving a case forward to get a great result for my client. I also spend quite a bit of time building my network and developing my Women In Law podcast. This includes everything from reaching out to women in LinkedIn to going to lunch with previous guests to recording new episodes. I also travel a lot for work, so I try to make the maximize those trips by working at my firm's other offices and visiting with women who I have developed relationships with.

What made you want to pursue the law?

In undergrad, I was focused on criminology and forensic science. I knew I would need to go to graduate school to get to where I wanted with that type of degree. One day, a FBI agent spoke to one of my classes and he talked about how he had gone to law school and then the FBI Academy. I thought that is what I want to do! Turns out, criminal law was my worst grade in law school. Along the way, I became most passionate about advocacy (mock trial and moot court) and started to focus more on the healthcare space because during law school I worked in the legal department of a major pharmaceutical and medical device company.

Your podcast, Women in Law On the Record, has been a hit. Tell us what made you start a podcast.

First and foremost, I wanted to start this podcast because there was nothing out there like it at the time. I was listening to podcasts featuring great trial lawyers or female entrepreneurs but none that focused on successful women in the legal industry. I wanted to create a platform for women that was accessible, informative, and relatable. The goal was to provide content that sounded like two friends or colleagues talking about their careers over coffee or a glass of wine and for it to be something women could listen to on the way to work or doing things around the house. Fortunately, a lot of the positive feedback I get about the podcast makes me feel like I am achieving that goal.

How is balancing a podcast with your work and everything else in between?

It has been a learning process. I started by posting an episode every week. After about 20 episodes, I realized I was putting too much content out there and not giving enough space and time to listeners to listen to the wonderful women I was featuring. So, I have gone to every other week and that has been a tremendous help on my work load. I also have an editor I work with who helps chop the audio and an intern who helps me with creating outlines, writing descriptions, and listening back to the interview before I post it. She helps about 3-4 hours a week but that's such a relief for me. My advice for anyone trying to balance work, a side hustle, and a personal life - stay organized, know when to say no, do not be too stubborn to make adjustments.

What does mentorship mean to you?

Mentorship has been the most important aspect to my success in my career so far, including with the podcast. To me, it comes in all forms. It can be someone who is more senior to you, it can be a peer, and it can be a friend. It means providing guidance and encouragement but also being an advocate when the time comes. I lean on my mentors to hear me out when I am trying to navigate a new challenge or pursuing a long term goal. And I know I can count on them to advocate for me when I am not in the room.

Who is one of your female mentors that comes to mind who has helped shape your career?

Stephanie Smiley. She is a litigation partner who I have worked with since I started at the firm. Stephanie took me under her wing in every way possible. She gave me work and once I proved myself, she trusted me with important opportunities. She was and continues to be there for me--from talking me out of self doubt to being so proud when I achieve some goal I set out to accomplish. She is incredibly generous and always treated me like a peer--never making me feel like I was lesser just because I was a baby lawyer. I think her approach in that way allowed me to do quality work and feel like an integral part of the firm. Also, she has the most infectious laugh! We will laugh forever about the goofiest things!

Best advice you've ever received.

"Don't give too much power to those who don't have your best interests at heart." I am guilty of caring way too much about what others think and it becomes a distraction. When I started thinking of it as giving "power," it really changed my perspective.