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Belinda Crosbie and the team at Morrissey law are leading the way when it comes to building a firm that has the health and wellness of its team and clients at the heart of every decision they make. I fell upon Morrisey Law after they won this year’s  Minds Count national award for their initiative ‘mind your marbles’ and aside from the great name, I knew I needed to learn more! And more I have!  Belinda is based down in beautiful Newcastle and in her day job is a construction lawyer.  And while we did talk law, in this interview we spoke a whole lot about the business of law and why it is becoming increasingly necessary to put health and wellness at the centre of a business.

Well the team at Morrissey Law have done just that and in this interview Belinda shared how they have put good health and wellbeing at the centre of their decision making and the significant benefits that have flowed as a result.  I got to talk all sorts of fun things in this conversation from movies to Christmas adventures to interior design- all of which will make sense when you listen!  And Belinda shared many a happiness tip too!  This is a conversation that will have you all out finding a new office dog (save for me… I can’t quite make that leap yet, much to the dissappointment of my team!)

In this interview, Belinda and I also chatted about-

• If Belinda was not a lawyer she would have been a writer and how she has started a writing course this year too!
• The correlation between creative writing and our mental health and well-being.
• Discipline, attention and the daily practice mindset.
• Belinda grew up in Newcastle and we discuss this beautiful part of Australia.
• Belinda explains her path to the law and why she made the shift from social work into law.
• Although she made a career shift, Belinda uses a lot of her social work practices in law. 
• Her time studying at Newcastle University while working in a legal firm as a photocopy clerk.
• The importance of building positive relationships at all levels of your career.
• Belinda started out working in insurance law, but found the pace of Construction law more attractive and made the shift.
• How Belinda came to work at Morrissey Law.
• The traditional law model doesn’t necessarily fit in with good health and wellbeing, and the changes Morrissey Law has made to correct this.
• Working collaboratively as a team and removing the competition and isolated nature between colleagues.
• Shifting from billable hours to value-based pricing, which is more aligned with the construction industry.
• Niching in the law and the advantage of bringing in experts.
• The ‘Mind Your Marbles’ initiative and the constant conversation around mental wellbeing at Morrissey Law.
• Belinda explains the EAP counselling services provided for staff.
• The importance of the spaces we work in and the impact our location can have on our mental health.
• Belinda’s advice to new lawyers and the key to finding happiness in the law.
• The intentional step of taking the ‘seriousness’ out of the legal office environment.
• Belinda’s Happiness Tip.

Sit back and enjoy this interview with Belinda Crosbie.

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Learn more here about upcoming events and courses and connect with Clarissa Rayward at the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life’ knowledge centre-  A community for lawyers who want to make the best out of their life in and outside of the law.   

Listen to last week’s episode here