Season 4, Episode 17: Relaunching Legal Career with Mindy Berkower

Mindy S. Berkower is Chief Client Officer and General Counsel of iRelaunch, LLC. iRelaunch, a consulting, events, and content firm founded in 2007, is the pioneer, industry leader, and chief innovator in the return to work space, bringing progressive employers together with “career relaunchers”: educated, experienced professionals seeking to return to work after a career break. Since joining iRelaunch in 2013, Mindy has held multiple cross-functional roles encompassing marketing and communications, audience development, strategic planning, business development, client and partner relationship management, and legal.

Currently, Mindy develops and manages key corporate client relationships, shapes iRelaunch’s overall corporate client practice and policies, and leads iRelaunch’s legal function as the sole in-house attorney. A career relauncher herself, Mindy practiced corporate and securities law in major New York City law firms before taking a multi-year career break to raise her two children. During her time away from paid work, Mindy used and enhanced her skills by project-managing important family undertakings and volunteering extensively in her community, including in what she calls “skin-thickening” PTA leadership roles. She is a lifelong New Yorker and received her JD from New York University School of Law and her BA in Political Science from Binghamton University (SUNY).

Many of us pursue career paths because of parental expectations or fall into a career by accident. Taking a career break can often shed light on one’s true interests and provide direction, leading to a career pivot. In other cases, as with Dorothy in ”The Wizard of Oz,” one’s heart’s desire has actually been close at hand all along. Mindy Berkower shares her story of leaving the grueling life of “big law” to raise her family, having a multi-year career break as a recovering lawyer and community volunteer, relaunching her career in a marketing role for a small company, and eventually, and happily, becoming the solo general counsel at the same company.