Melissa found herself in a position familiar to many couples starting their professional careers — her husband had a great opportunity in another city that they wanted to pursue.

It was an opportunity too good to pass up. After moving to Atlanta from New York, where she had been working in a prominent firm for more than four years, Melissa — who already had a young daughter — soon gave birth to her son, Brody. It wasn't easy to envision how she was going to jump back into practicing law.

“I found Counsel On Call, and they've been able to put me in a great situation,” she said. “I'm able to pick my kids up from daycare on the days I work, and there's not some sense of guilt that I'm leaving early or anything like that. The attorneys understand my role and have really been great to work with.”

With Counsel On Call, Melissa is working with a large, well-respected firm — not dissimilar to her former environment in New York City. A very talented student — she was in the top 7 percent of her law school class, recipient of two different merit-based law school scholarships, the editor for New York Law School Journal of Human Rights, and on the Dean's List for five semesters while an undergrad at Emory University — Melissa wanted challenging assignments and the right workplace.

Spending time with her family, however, became of paramount importance. Her daughter, Sarah, loves to swim and play with friends, and as anyone with a 4-year-old will tell you, is difficult to keep up with. Brody's activity level isn't far behind Sarah's, so it's easy to see how Melissa needed a more flexible schedule.

“There are also several evenings when my husband works, so having some flexibility is even more helpful then,” said Melissa, whose husband is a psychologist. “The main thing, though, is the time I get with Sarah and Brody. I think a lot of women my age are forced into choosing between career and family, and I'm fortunate that I don't have to do that.”

Now that they're settled in Atlanta, Melissa is even more optimistic about what the future might hold. After working with Counsel On Call, she sees how a move back toward a more full-time schedule might be possible.