When redesigning work becomes the only way to stay in law with Carolyn Miller

In this episode of If You Ask Me, we are joined by Carolyn Miller, a partner at Lewis Silkin and one of the lawyers responsible for opening the firm’s Glasgow office.Before returning to private practice, Carolyn spent several years running her own consultancy, Fish to Water. During this time, she provided HR and employment law advice while creating greater flexibility to be present with her children. Her career reflects a non-linear path shaped by senior leadership responsibility, family life and deliberate professional choices.Earlier in her career, Carolyn reached a senior role in a large firm and began to question the personal cost of the traditional model. She decided to step away from firm life, not from the law itself, and continued practising independently. Throughout this period, she maintained her practicing certificate, built a client portfolio on her own terms, and developed a working style that better aligned with her family commitments.In the conversation, Carolyn speaks openly about the emotional and financial trade-offs involved in stepping away from private practice, the realities of the motherhood penalty and fatherhood bonus, and what it was like to return to partnership after a long break. She also reflects on the importance of firm culture, flexible working and the conditions that made her return to private practice possible.Carolyn’s experience offers a grounded perspective on career breaks, senior leadership and what it takes for legal careers to remain sustainable over the long term.Host: Hannah Bradshaw, Founding Director of BlueSkyHost: Sarah Lyons, Founding Director of BlueSkyGuest: Carolyn Miller, Partner in the Employment Team at Lewis Silkin