Coaching for women lawyers
Coaching for women lawyers focuses on the points where many women’s legal careers stall: making partner, pay, building a book of business, and combining practice with caregiving. This directory lists 19 coaches who name women lawyers as a focus; 6 of them offer a free consultation.
The 19 coaches
Filter them by stage, format or state.
From public sources, A to Z
19 listings
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Tara Antonipillai
Cultivate LLC
- Based in
- Arlington, VA
- Meets clients
- Virtual and in person
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Tara Antonipillai:
Tara Antonipillai is an executive coach, keynote speaker, and leadership consultant for the legal profession.
Also helps with Partner track, Leadership
Credentials and background: JD. Big Law experience.
-
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Virtual
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Laura Chipman:
I coach women lawyers to live and practice intentionally.
Also helps with Well-being
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Rachel Clar
Interconnected Us
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Virtual
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Rachel Clar:
I help high-achieving women lawyers grow influence and business in systems that weren’t built for them.
Also helps with Business development
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Ellen B. Cohen
EBC Coaching & Consulting LLC
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Not confirmed
- Free consult
- Offered
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Ellen B. Cohen:
Executive Coaching and Thought Partnership for High Achievers
Also helps with Leadership, Well-being
Credentials and background: JD, ICF PCC, CPCC, Coaching certification.
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Jill Lynch Cruz
JLC Consulting
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Virtual
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Jill Lynch Cruz:
Jill is an executive coach and career development consultant specializing in the career and talent development of attorneys in the legal profession.
Also helps with Career change, Job search, Business development and 3 more
Credentials and background: ICF PCC, CPC. Legal recruiting experience.
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Audrey Decker
Audrey Decker Coaching
- Based in
- Alexandria, VA
- Meets clients
- Virtual
- Free consult
- Offered
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Audrey Decker:
I specialize in performance coaching for lawyers and ADHD coaching for adults.
Also helps with ADHD, Well-being
Credentials and background: JD. Big Law experience, government experience.
-
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Not confirmed
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Erin Gerner:
Attorney-Turned-Coach for Powerhouse Women in Law
Also helps with Well-being
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Lady Justice Initiative
Coaching firm
- Based in
- Fairfax, VA
- Meets clients
- Virtual
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Lady Justice Initiative:
We catalyze an AI era of law where women in law capture opportunity and justice thrives, globally.
Also helps with Leadership
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The Lawyer’s Edge
Coaching firm
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Virtual
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
The Lawyer’s Edge:
Business and leadership development for law firms and lawyers.
Also helps with Business development, Leadership, Well-being
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Heather Mills
Heather Mills Coaching LLC
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Not confirmed
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Heather Mills:
Helping women attorneys sustain fulfilling careers in law
Also helps with Well-being
Credentials and background: JD.
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Elizabeth Munnell
EHMunnell
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Virtual and in person
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Elizabeth Munnell:
I provide career coaching services to law firms, lawyers, law schools and law students
Also helps with Business development, Returning to law, New lawyers
Credentials and background: JD. Big Law experience.
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Charise Naifeh
Happy Law Mom
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Not confirmed
- Free consult
- Offered
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Charise Naifeh:
I help Lawyer Moms find fulfilling careers, create flexible work arrangements, and develop the leadership skills needed to succeed
Also helps with Job search, Leadership, Well-being
Credentials and background: JD. Big Law experience.
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Autumn Noble
The Lawyer Life Collective
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Not confirmed
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Autumn Noble:
I am a nervous system-informed career and life coach for high-achievers who want sustainable success
Also helps with Partner track, Leadership, Well-being and 1 more
Credentials and background: JD.
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Ellen Ostrow
Lawyers Life Coach LLC
- Based in
- Rockville, MD
- Meets clients
- Virtual
- Free consult
- Offered
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Ellen Ostrow:
Since 1998, she has pioneered the field of lawyer coaching
Also helps with Career change, Business development, Partner track and 2 more
Credentials and background: ICF PCC.
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Sara Santoyo
Sara Santoyo Coaching
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Not confirmed
- Free consult
- Offered
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Sara Santoyo:
I coach first-gen lawyers and early-career attorneys who are ready to brave the bar and lead like they mean it.
Also helps with Well-being, New lawyers, Lawyers of color and first-generation lawyers
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stage
Coaching firm
- Based in
- East Rockaway, NY
- Meets clients
- Not confirmed
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
stage:
We are a women-owned business development and marketing boutique focused on relationships, revenue, and growth for law firms and lawyers.
Also helps with Business development, Partner track, Lawyers of color and first-generation lawyers
-
- Based in
- Denver, CO
- Meets clients
- Virtual and in person
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Amy Van Court:
Helping professionals find themselves in meaningful careers
Credentials and background: ICF PCC.
-
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Virtual
- Free consult
- Not confirmed
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Arivee Vargas:
Leadership Development & Career Coaching for Leaders & Lawyers
Also helps with Partner track, Leadership
Credentials and background: JD. Big Law experience.
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Women Interested In Leaving Law
Coaching firm
- Based in
- Not confirmed
- Meets clients
- Not confirmed
- Free consult
- Offered
- Published price
- Not confirmed
Women Interested In Leaving Law: Also helps with Career change, Well-being
That is every coach who lists women lawyers, in the order above. Verified listings come first, then everyone else from A to Z by surname. No coach pays to be listed or to rank. Browse all 198 coaches.
Know a coach who works with lawyers and is not listed? Coaches can ask to be added on the For coaches page.
Coaching for women lawyers at a glance
The gap shows up in the numbers. In NALP’s report on law firm diversity, women were 52.09% [1] of associates but 29.55% [2] of partners, and 26.5% [3] of equity partners at firms with both equity and non-equity partners. In a study of lawyers from the California Lawyers Association and the D.C. Bar, published in PLOS ONE, one-quarter [4] of the women had considered leaving the profession because of mental health concerns, and for women the factor most tied to leaving was work-family conflict [5].
None of the 19 listings shows a published price, so ask on a first call.
The numbers
- Coaches listed
- 19
- Verified by the coach
- 0
- Work with partners
- 5
- Work with associates
- 3
- Meet by video or phone
- 11
- Meet in person
- 3
- Offer a free consultation
- 6
- Show a published price
- 0
- Have Big Law experience
- 5
Computed from the listings on October 16, 2026.
Who it is for
- Associates aiming for partnership.
- Women partners building a book of business or seeking leadership roles.
- Lawyers planning parental leave, a part-time schedule or a return to practice. See our guide to returning to law after a career break.
- Women in house and in government who want a coach who knows the profession.
By career stage
- Partners 5 coaches who work with partners
- Associates 3 coaches who work with associates
- In-house lawyers 2 coaches who work with in-house lawyers
- Law firm owners 2 coaches who work with law firm owners
- Law students 1 coach who works with law students
- General counsel 1 coach who works with general counsel
- Government lawyers 1 coach who works with government lawyers
When to hire one
- Before a partnership review or a compensation conversation.
- Before and after parental leave.
- When you are deciding whether to stay at your firm, move or leave law.
- When you face bias at work and want a plan for dealing with it.
If you are weighing a lateral move before parental leave, check leave eligibility first. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act covers only employees who have worked for their employer for at least 12 months [6], among other conditions, and firm policies set their own rules.
How to choose a coach
Each listing shows the coach’s other specialties, such as business development or leadership, so you can find a coach who covers both. Profiles note when a coach is on the NAWL Coaching Roster, run by the National Association of Women Lawyers. If you want a coach who has practiced law, filter for coaches with Big Law experience.
For partnership and building a book of business, see coaches for partner-track lawyers and business development coaches.
What coaches for women lawyers charge
Prices that coaches in this specialty publish on their own websites.
None of the 19 listings in this specialty shows a published price, so ask on a first call. What a lawyer coach costs covers every specialty.
Questions about coaching for women lawyers
Can you recommend a coach for women attorneys?
We do not recommend individual coaches, and no coach pays to be listed or to rank. This directory lists coaches who name women lawyers as a focus, in neutral order, with each coach’s specialties, format, credentials and published prices. Profiles also show when a coach is on a public roster such as the NAWL Coaching Roster.
Should I lateral before or after having a baby?
Check leave eligibility before you move. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act protects your job during leave only after you have worked for an employer for at least 12 months [6], among other conditions, and some firm parental leave policies have their own waiting period. State leave laws differ too, so ask each firm in writing how its policy treats a new hire. Beyond leave, moving first can mean starting leave before you have built relationships at the new firm; staying can mean waiting longer to move.
How do mothers manage Big Law?
It varies a lot by firm and practice group. Reliable childcare with a backup plan, a group that respects time off, and clear agreements about when you are reachable all help. A coach can help you plan a return from leave and hold those boundaries.
How do I handle sexism from opposing counsel or clients?
Decide in advance how you will respond in the moment, keep notes of what happened, and know who at your firm you can raise it with. A coach can help you rehearse responses and plan longer-term moves. For harassment or discrimination, talk to your firm’s HR team or an employment lawyer.
Sources
- 1
Women comprised the majority of associates for the first time in 2023, and their representation continues to grow, reaching 52.09% of all associates in 2025
nalp.org/uploads/PressReleases/2025DiversityReportMediaRelease0326.pdf NALP, retrieved October 14, 2026 - 2
The share of women partners grew by 0.7 percentage point in 2025 to a new record high of 29.55%.
nalp.org/uploads/PressReleases/2025DiversityReportMediaRelease0326.pdf NALP, retrieved October 14, 2026 - 3
In 2025, however, women accounted for 26.5% of equity partners
nalp.org/uploads/PressReleases/2025DiversityReportMediaRelease0326.pdf NALP, retrieved October 14, 2026 - 4
Further, one-quarter of all women contemplated leaving the profession due to mental health concerns, compared to 17% of men.
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0250563 PLOS ONE (Anker and Krill, 2021), retrieved October 14, 2026 - 5
For women, work-family conflict was associated with the highest likelihood of leaving, while overcommitment was the number one predictor of leaving for men.
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0250563 PLOS ONE (Anker and Krill, 2021), retrieved October 14, 2026 - 6
Employees are eligible if they: Work for a covered employer for at least 12 months
dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla U.S. Department of Labor, retrieved October 14, 2026