A junior lawyer recently explained to me her dilemma. She wanted to have a successful career, to be well-thought of and become a partner at her large international firm, but she did not want to do all that at the expense of her other interests and her mental health.

The offer on the table at her stage of career feels like a binary one: Devote your life to your work, with long hours in the office and little time for anything else, or choose another path. The other path could be working as an in-house lawyer or moving to a smaller firm—neither of which guarantee less stress or fewer hours—or something else entirely.