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For Eileen, a commercial contracts attorney based outside Chicago, joining Axiom in October 2022 was more than a career change. It was a lifeline during one of the most challenging periods of her professional and personal life, and it was the beginning of a journey that would fundamentally reshape how she viewed her own capabilities as a lawyer.
Eileen's path to Axiom wasn't the typical trajectory of a legal professional climbing a corporate ladder. She's what she calls “one of those odd ducks” who went in-house straight out of law school, having attended as a slightly older student than her classmates. Her decision to pursue law was born from an unexpectedly defiant moment: a frustrating day at work and a well-timed email asking if she was still interested in law school. “I can walk into your spite, which sustains me,” she jokes about the motivation that carried her through.
For years, Eileen built her career in in-house legal departments, handling everything from HR liaison work to safety compliance. Then COVID-19 arrived, and like so many professionals, her career took an unexpected turn. In May 2020, she was laid off from a company that, as she puts it, “made neither paper, toilet paper, nor the boxes to shove it in.” What followed were a couple of years she describes as a “wild ride,” bouncing between opportunities and struggling to find the right professional fit.
When Professional and Personal Challenges Collide
By the time Eileen started working full-time with Axiom in October 2022, she was navigating circumstances that would test anyone's resilience. Less than a year earlier, her husband passed unexpectedly, leaving her as the sole parent to a seven-year-old daughter. Professionally, she found herself in a position that wasn't working, and she needed to make a change.
Her initial engagement with Axiom was structured as a standard three-month assignment.
“It was scary to jump into this kind of contingent approach,” Eileen reflects. “At least no matter what, I had 13 weeks of work. Someone wants me to work for them today.” What she didn't expect was how profoundly that first engagement would change her perspective on her own professional worth.
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Discovering Professional Value Through Axiom's Support System
One of the most transformative aspects of Eileen's experience with Axiom has been the relationship with her talent success partner, Sheena. From the beginning, Sheena has been a champion, an advocate, and a trusted advisor who genuinely invests in Eileen's success.
“She is wonderful, and I love chatting with her,” Eileen says. “She has always been my biggest cheerleader.”
The two connect about once a month when Eileen is actively engaged with a client. During these conversations, they discuss how assignments are going, whether the work aligns with Eileen's goals, and any concerns or challenges she might be facing. Sheena also keeps Eileen informed about important updates from Axiom and has advocated for her when it came time for merit increases.
Perhaps most importantly, Sheena provided support during a moment when Eileen needed to make a difficult professional decision. Early in one assignment, Eileen recognized that the role wasn't the right fit. Like many professionals, especially women, she initially questioned whether she should speak up or try harder to make it work.
“One of the things I've learned as a woman in the workforce is that you know a bad fit right away. You know it within the first two weeks,” Eileen explains. “And a lot of times people, especially women, will spend two years trying to tie themselves in knots thinking like, if I could just [do XYZ], it would be fine.”
When Eileen gathered the courage to tell Sheena that the assignment wasn't working, she braced for potential consequences. Instead, Sheena got her out of the situation quickly and professionally. Not only were there no negative repercussions, but Axiom continued to book her and trust her with new opportunities.
“I was terrified calling to tell her because I worried about backlash,” Eileen remembers. “But they've continued to book me; they continue to use me.”
This experience taught Eileen an invaluable lesson: Sometimes, the hardest word to say is “no,” but saying it can be the right choice for everyone involved.
Professional Growth Through Commercial Contracting Work
When Eileen started with Axiom, her primary focus was commercial contracting work, which involved reading contracts, conducting reviews, and handling related legal matters. While she had some contracting experience, this area of practice was relatively new compared to her earlier career, which had centered on HR, safety, and other general legal responsibilities.
The shift to commercial contracting happened just before COVID-19 reshaped her career trajectory. As Eileen explains it, contract review work is something larger companies can more easily hand off to external counsel, making it an accessible entry point for lawyers working through Axiom's model.
What surprised Eileen most wasn't the nature of the work itself, but the scale and significance of the matters she was entrusted to handle. Through Axiom, she's worked with companies larger than she'd ever supported in her previous in-house roles. The result? Bigger deals, more complex negotiations, and greater responsibility than she'd imagined possible.
“One of my assignments, I'm the legal person on an eight-figure, not small eight-figures either, contract,” she says with a mixture of pride and disbelief. “And I'm like, who is this person? Who are you? They know what they're letting you do. Are they sure about this?”
She compares the feeling to the moment when hospital staff hand you your newborn and sends you home: “Are you sure about this? You want me to keep this whole thing alive?”
The experience has been both humbling and affirming. Being responsible for high-stakes agreements at major companies required Eileen to trust her own judgment and capabilities in ways she hadn't before.
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How Axiom Changed Eileen's Self-Perception
Perhaps the most significant impact of Eileen's time with Axiom has been the restoration of her professional confidence. When she arrived at Axiom, she was carrying the weight of job loss, personal tragedy, and professional uncertainty. She questioned whether she was good enough, whether anyone valued her work, and whether she belonged in the legal profession at all.
Axiom's clients provided an answer she hadn't expected: yes, absolutely.
What Axiom showed me, and through the work I've been able to do for Axiom, was that I'm actually good at what I do, and I actually am a good lawyer, that people do like the work I do.
“What Axiom showed me, and through the work I've been able to do for Axiom was that I'm actually good at what I do,” Eileen says. “And I actually am a good lawyer, and people do like the work I do.”
She references a joke expression she'd seen online: “Maybe you're the problem, or maybe you're surrounded by jerks.” For Eileen, working through Axiom taught her that she wasn't the problem. The quality of her work, her judgment, and her legal skills were all strong. What she'd needed was an environment where those strengths could be recognized and valued.
“I've always been forever grateful to Axiom for that,” she says.
This newfound confidence has extended beyond her professional identity. Axiom's model has allowed Eileen to balance a meaningful legal career with her responsibilities as a single parent. She can structure her day in a way that lets her pick up her daughter from school and bring her home, something that would have been nearly impossible in a traditional in-house role or law firm environment.
“I have some control, not unlimited control, you know, there are stresses everywhere, but I have control over what assignments I take, how many hours I'm going to agree to commit to, and how that functions with the rest of my life,” Eileen explains.
For a parent managing everything alone, that control makes all the difference.
Building Relationships That Last Beyond Engagements
Another unexpected benefit of working through Axiom has been the genuine relationships Eileen has built with colleagues at client organizations. One person from her first assignment became a close friend. About a year and a half after they initially worked together, Eileen attended their wedding and sent gifts when they had their first baby.
“I've had the opportunity to meet great people and to do things I don't think I would have ever had a chance to do,” she says. These connections demonstrate how embedded Axiom attorneys become within client organizations; they're integrated into teams, trusted with important work, and welcomed as valued colleagues.
Advice for Lawyers Considering Axiom
When Eileen talks to lawyer friends about her experience with Axiom, she's candid about what the model offers and who it might serve best. Her message is simple: Axiom has allowed her to continue having a career with meaning and value while also addressing her needs as a parent and as a person.
“It's allowed me to be a useful and effective parent to my, you know, I'm the only parent right now, you know, I'm the alpha and omega here,” she says. She can schedule her day and life in a way that works for her family. Her daughter is now ten years old and doesn't need constant supervision, but Eileen can't simply send her off on her own either. The flexibility to be present while still doing excellent legal work has been transformative.
Eileen has recommended Axiom to friends in various situations. Some are approaching retirement and aren't ready to stop working, but are done with the relentless pace of traditional roles. Others are burned out from litigation and unsure what to do next. Still others simply need to do something different after years in the same environment.
“This was a good transition for me,” Eileen tells them. “It's not for everybody, but it has worked for me.”
She's thoughtful about not overselling the model. Different lawyers need different things from their legal careers, and Axiom's approach won't be the right fit for everyone. But for lawyers who value flexibility, variety, and control over their professional trajectory, it can be life-changing.
The Personal Side: Gratitude for Support During Crisis
Beyond the professional benefits, Eileen remains deeply grateful for the support Axiom provided during one of the darkest periods of her life. When her husband passed, Axiom sent flowers. They offered her more paid time off than she received from her previous employer, the one providing her W-2 income at the time.
The contrast was stark and meaningful. At a moment when she most needed to grieve and care for her young daughter, Axiom treated her with compassion and generosity.
Eileen also appreciates the practical support Axiom has provided over the years. Her husband had been chronically ill, and she'd spent years fighting with insurance companies over coverage for his care. With Axiom, she's never had to deal with those battles. The medical coverage is excellent, and it's one less source of stress in an already complicated life.
Axiom showed up at a time when I really needed them, and I'm forever grateful for them.
Continuing to Build a Career on Her Terms
As Eileen looks back on her time with Axiom, she can clearly see how far she's come. She started with that first three-month engagement, uncertain about what would happen when it ended. But thanks to her talent success partner Sheena's dedication and Axiom's strong client relationships, she's only spent about two weeks between assignments since October 2022.
Her first assignment ramped down slowly, allowing her to transition gradually from full-time to part-time work. By the time that engagement ended, something else had already come along. Since then, she's been able to string together assignments in a way that's kept her continuously engaged with meaningful work.
Each engagement has also added to her skills, expanded her network, and reinforced her confidence. She's learned that she can handle high-stakes work, that clients appreciate her judgment, and that she belongs in the conversations happening around those eight-figure deals.
“I've been very fortunate, but I've had great help from my talent success person,” Eileen acknowledges.
That combination of her own skills and Axiom's support system has created a sustainable career path that works for both her professional ambitions and her personal realities.
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