Courtroom dramas on television inspired a young Miriam Airington-Fisher to become a lawyer. She loved the idea of standing up for other people. At the beginning of her career, Miriam worked as a legal aid attorney and public defender, then progressed to a small firm. Even though she enjoyed the work, as a new mother, it was highly demanding to be in court daily while working nights and weekends to keep up. "When my daughter was born, I knew I couldn't keep going at that pace, but I still wanted to practice law, and I also needed to earn a living," Miriam explains. "I decided to open my own practice. I didn't have all the answers, but I figured that I could make it work if I was in the driver's seat." Like any working parent struggling to navigate childcare, sick days, and daycare closings while still having to work, Miriam found the flexibility in her entrepreneurship to jump around those hurdles.
Miriam wanted to prove professional achievement is possible without sacrificing balance. With technological tools like online portals, live phone support, virtual meetings, and virtual support staff, Miriam is confident that businesses can still provide excellent service without being tethered to their phones and emails. She built her practice, Airington Law, into a sustainable firm by hiring support and creating processes to complete work efficiently and profitably. "We are all very dedicated to our clients and the work we do, but I do not promote a culture of workaholism, which is very prevalent in the legal field," Miriam says. "We all have families and personal lives. Some of our team members are parents and have specific schedule needs, which we work to accommodate in a way that is fair to the rest of the firm."
Airington Law is proud to be a women-led law firm that combines quality representation with a family-friendly culture. "We have an amazing team of truly passionate and dedicated legal professionals, and we help hundreds of clients each year," Miriam says. "We also have a respectful and family-friendly firm culture, and I can continue to do the work I love and have meaningful time with my kids." Miriam decided to share her journey, hoping it might inspire other women lawyers to choose entrepreneurship. In January 2023, she published a book titled Mom's a Lawyer: How to Start a Firm and Take Control of Your Life as a guide for working mothers who wish to leave traditional legal jobs for legal entrepreneurship. Notably, the book became an Amazon bestseller in the first week.Miriam is hoping to reach out and encourage more working moms to run their own businesses, so they can promote positive changes within their professions.
Mom's a Lawyer: How to Start a Firm and Take Control of Your Life is available for purchase in print or digital from Amazon. Visit Airington Law’s website at: airingtonlaw.com
Besides running a successful law firm and publishing a book, Miriam manages a website, Mom's A Lawyer, a digital community of resources for lawyer moms. She shares tips and support for lawyer moms interested in entrepreneurship through blog posts, videos, and a monthly newsletter. To learn more, visit momsalawyer.com.