Supporting Women in Law Through Mid-Career: Randi Bean Featured in CBA National Magazine
Perimenopause and menopause are becoming increasingly important workplace conversations, particularly in the legal profession, where retaining experienced women remains an ongoing challenge.
Life After Law founder Randi Bean was recently featured in CBA National Magazine in an article titled “The Pause and the Profession,” written by Holly Lake and published on October 18, 2026, in recognition of World Menopause Day.
The article explores how menopause and perimenopause can affect women working in law, the stigma that continues to surround these experiences, and why law firms and employers need to rethink how they support and retain experienced female legal professionals.
An Overlooked Factor in Legal Talent Retention
The legal profession has long faced challenges retaining women as they advance through their careers. While conversations about workplace flexibility, parental leave and work-life balance have become more common, the impact of menopause and perimenopause remains comparatively underdiscussed.
In the article, Randi shares observations from her experience working with lawyers considering career transitions.
She notes that women sometimes describe feeling exhausted, unlike themselves or increasingly dissatisfied with roles that previously worked well for them. Yet menopause or perimenopause is rarely identified directly as a contributing factor.
As Randi explains, these experiences are often discussed privately rather than openly in professional environments.
Her perspective highlights an important consideration for employers: when experienced legal professionals begin questioning their careers, the reasons may be more complex than a desire for a different position or workplace.
Creating a More Supportive Legal Workplace
The article also examines how the profession has adapted to changing workplace expectations in the past.
Randi draws a comparison to the evolution of maternity leave and workplace flexibility in law firms. Practices that were once difficult to accommodate gradually became more accepted as firms recognized the importance of supporting women throughout different stages of their careers.
She believes the profession is capable of making similar progress in supporting women experiencing menopause and perimenopause.
That progress begins with greater awareness, open conversations and workplace environments where professionals feel comfortable discussing their needs without fearing negative consequences for their careers.
Retaining Experience, Leadership and Talent
For law firms and legal departments, this conversation extends beyond individual well-being. It is also about retaining valuable institutional knowledge, leadership experience and legal expertise.
Women navigating menopause and perimenopause are often at a point in their careers where they have developed significant professional experience and are positioned to take on greater leadership responsibilities.
Creating workplaces that recognize and support employees through different life stages can help organizations retain the talent they have invested years in developing.
Randi’s contribution to the discussion reinforces an important message: supporting legal professionals throughout their careers is an essential part of building a sustainable and inclusive legal workforce.
Read the Full Article
To explore the experiences, research and perspectives shared by legal professionals across Canada, read Holly Lake’s full article in CBA National Magazine.
Read “The Pause and the Profession” in CBA National Magazine
At Life After Law, we understand that careers evolve alongside people’s professional and personal circumstances. For more than 25 years, we’ve helped lawyers and legal employers navigate career transitions, identify opportunities and build lasting professional relationships.
