Discussing a leave of absence for mental health or substance use disorder can be challenging—but knowing your rights, how to communicate your needs, and how to transition back to work can make all the difference.
Watch this webinar to get practical strategies and expert insights on:
- Approaching your supervisor about taking a leave
- Preparing for a smooth return and advocating for what you need
- Rebuilding confidence and professional momentum after time away
- A managing partner’s perspective on the business side of granting leaves and firm culture
- Recognizing when it’s time to step away for your well-being
- Handling workplace conversations upon your return
- Understanding your legal rights in Massachusetts regarding leave, pay, and job security
Whether you’re considering a leave, preparing to return, or supporting a colleague, this session will offer valuable tools to help you navigate the process with confidence and clarity.
Meet Our Panel
Amy Levine
Director of Programs and Volunteers, LCL MA
(MODERATOR)
Amy Levine joined LCL in 2023. As Director of Programs and Volunteers, Amy coordinates our organization’s educational programming as well as contributions to our organization from across the Massachusetts legal profession.
Amy Levine has over 20 years working in the legal industry including working at Goulston & Storrs and Hale and Dorr (currently WilmerHale) and spent the last 15 years working as a vice president and legal recruiter at one of the top legal staffing firms in New England. She has experience in recruiting, coaching, counseling, professional development, and career management. She has presented at Boston University Paralegal Certificate program, the Massachusetts Paralegal Association and resume workshops. Additionally, she has coached Attorneys, Paralegals and Business Professionals on resume writing, job search techniques, and other elements of this process to find their ideal job. She received her Master of Social Work degree from Boston University and has dedicated her career to improving people’s lives.
Beth Myers, Esq.
Zucker Law Group, LLP
Beth Myers specializes in employment law, representing clients in every aspect of the employment relationship with a particular concentration on litigation, representation of executives on employment matters, and advising business clients on management-side employment issues. She was a partner at Burns & Levinson LLP in its Employment Group prior to founding ZLG.
Beth represents individuals and businesses in litigation in state and federal court in cases involving discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation, wage and hour and misclassification laws, as well as breach of non-compete agreements. She works with executives to negotiate compensation, severance and non-competition agreements and provides counseling on offers of employment and strategic exits. Additionally, Beth counsels businesses on all aspects of employment matters, including negotiation of severance agreements, complicated issues involving medical and parental leave and wage and hour matters.
From the initial conversation through mediation or litigation, Beth remains an empathetic and zealous advocate for her clients.
In litigation in Superior Court and before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, Beth has secured significant victories for her clients in sexual harassment and gender discrimination cases as well as cases involving disability discrimination, race discrimination and retaliation. She has successfully briefed and argued important issues in employment law before the appellate courts of Massachusetts.
Before joining the bar, Beth served as a law clerk for the Honorable Margaret R. Hinkle in the Massachusetts Superior Court, where she first developed her passion for the courtroom. When not practicing law, Beth enjoys spending time with her wife, Maggie and their children and dogs.
Education
- Northeastern University School of Law, J.D. (2009)
- New York University, B.A., Psychology (2004)
Professional Involvement
- Member and Clerk of the Board of Directors of GLAD Law (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders);
- Member and past President of the Board of Directors of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL);
- Appointed member of the Supreme Judicial Court’s Standing Committee on Lawyer Well Being 202-2024;
- Member of the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Employment Lawyers Association (MELA);
- Mentor with the LGBTQ Bar Association
Relevant Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, “10th Annual Recovery Day,” Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, May 2024
- Panelist, “Substance Abuse, Alcoholism, and Mental Health Issues in the Workplace: Considerations with Respect to Accommodations and Employee Well-Being,” The Boston Bar Association, June 2021
David Rosenblatt, Esq.
Retired Partner, Burns & Levinson
David Rosenblatt is a recently retired attorney and law firm partner who practiced at the Boston-based firm, Burns & Levinson LLP for over four decades. He also served as Managing Partner of the firm for 24 years, stepping down in April 2023. He practiced environmental law, specializing in litigation, negotiation, and permitting concerning hazardous waste, solid waste, air, and water issues, and resolving environmental matters in real estate and corporate transactions.
Outside the office, David has focused on lawyer mental health issues. In 2018-2019, he served on the Supreme Judicial Court’s Steering Committee on Lawyer Well-Being, which was formed to explore and make recommendations regarding the state of well-being in the legal profession. He currently serves as a Board member and Treasurer of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, a nonprofit that promotes well-being, resilience, and mental health for lawyers in Massachusetts. David also serves on the Board of the Commonwealth Land Trust, a non-profit organization that owns and manages buildings and housing units for homeless people in Boston.
He received his JD from Boston College Law School and completed his undergraduate degree from Trinity College-Hartford.
Shawn Healy, Ph.D.
Director of Administrative Operations and Staff Clinician, LCLMA
Shawn Healy is the Director of Administrative Operations at LCLMA as well as a clinical psychologist on the clinical team. In his clinical role he provides individual clinical consultations and groups to law students, lawyers, judges, and legal professionals. He regularly presents and publishes on all manner of mental health topics germane to the legal community. Shawn is also a certified trainer in Mental Health First Aid and serves as a co-chair of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Lawyer Well-Being Committee.
Shawn joined LCLMA in March of 2014 following his work in a private group practice in Cambridge. Prior to private practice, Shawn worked at the May Institute, Inc. for 10 years where he initially completed his pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship. He later became the Clinical Director and finally the Director of Clinical Services and Operations for the Behavioral Health Division of the May Institute where he managed two outpatient clinics and four-day treatment programs. Shawn graduated from Suffolk University in Boston, MA in 2006 with his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. His dissertation and research interests are in the field of conflict resolution, and he has been involved in facilitating many conflict resolution workshops, discussion groups, and mediation and private conflict coaching sessions.
Shawn is a member of the American Psychological Association and of the Massachusetts Psychological Association and is licensed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a psychologist. Shawn coauthored the book The Full Weight of the Law: How Legal Professionals Can Recognize and Rebound from Depression (ABA publication, 2017 – available in our lending library) with another LCL Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Jeff Fortgang.
Shawn runs our ADHD Support Group Meetings & Workshops and co-facilitates Mental Health First Aid certification trainings for legal professionals.
Shawn can be reached at (617) 482-9600 or shawn@lclma.org.