Michelle Cotter Richards

Michelle Cotter Richards, JD, LICSW, PCC is a therapist and coach who loves helping lawyers find peace, joy, and purpose - professionally and personally. As a former litigator at a large international law firm and in-house counsel for a Fortune 50 company, she knows firsthand the challenges and opportunities a Big Law legal career offers, and has worked with many hundreds of lawyers to help them cultivate the upsides and mitigate the downsides of Big Law. She is uniquely skilled at helping lawyers develop the skills they need to be successful including business development, leadership, feedback and communication, emotional intelligence, and relationship development. Michelle is also passionate about helping lawyers and law firms improve lawyer well-being and mental health - both for individuals and for the industry as a whole. Through therapy and experiential group workshops, Michelle helps lawyers stop working against themselves and each other and move towards healing, growing, and thriving. She helps lawyers develop self-awareness, self-compassion, the ability to connect authentically to themselves and others, and find ways to cultivate the aspects of their lives that bring them meaning and joy. Michelle is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Virginia and D.C. She received her J.D. with Honors from The George Washington University Law School, her M.S.W. from The Catholic University of America, and her B.A. from Fordham University. She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation. She speaks and writes about legal professional and business development issues to bar associations, law firms, law schools, and legal departments.