In a recent installment on motherhood in the legal profession, lawyer, wife and mother Kate Landis shared her experiences of being the financial backbone for her family while working in a high-pressure legal job. She confessed that the feat was not possible without her husband, who opted out of his career to support hers and raise their children at home. Above The Law
Landis began her career as a public defender and gradually moved up to be an in-house counsel at a national company. However, her climb up the career ladder was not without its challenges. She struggled to get back on track after getting pregnant and taking a three-month maternity leave. Being the breadwinner was both empowering and daunting as she juggled being a good mother and dedicating her all to being a lawyer.
She admits to the societal pressure and negative perceptions around being a ‘career woman’ and how it contrasts the norm of a ‘career man’. The experience of having her husband as a stay-at-home parent, according to her, is lonely as she lacks friends who are in a similar situation. On the flip side, her husband finds himself surrounded by stay-at-home moms in social settings like the park, which occasionally creates awkward situations.
Despite all the challenges, Landis expresses her gratitude for her husband’s support, acknowledging the invaluable role he plays in their family. She shared a sense of hope for a future where a career-driven mom and a stay-at-home dad will not raise eyebrows, additionally emphasizing the importance of raising empathetic, intelligent children, regardless of the complications of family roles.
Landis currently works as in-house counsel for a national construction company. Despite leaving her days as a public defender, she’s still passionate about criminal justice reform and dreams of volunteering for the Innocence Project or Equal Justice Initiative at retirement.