Ep 120, Peace: Leaving a Toxic Workplace on Your Own Terms

This week on Conflict Managed we are joined by award-winning attorney Jessica Childress.

Join us as we discuss:

🏆Avoiding impulsive reactions to leaving a difficult work environment

🏆Developing courage to address difficult work situations

🏆Supporting colleagues by lending your courage to them

🏆Always leading with respect

🏆Managed conflict fuels innovation

Jessica Childress is the author of Peace: Leaving a Toxic Workplace on Your Own Terms.  Ms. Childress has practiced employment law for over eleven years, representing organizations of all sizes and individuals in employment law matters.  She is the Managing Attorney of the Childress Firm PLLC, a boutique employment law firm, based in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Childress holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and African American Studies from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. Ms. Childress graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with High Distinction from the University of Virginia in 2007.

Prior to launching the Childress Firm PLLC, Ms. Childress served as an associate at two global law firms and as an attorney at the United States Department of Justice. 

Ms. Childress has litigated retaliation, discrimination, sexual harassment, non-competition, trade secret, unfair labor practice, and whistleblower cases before various tribunals. She serves clients in general business transactions with employees and independent contractors. Ms. Childress drafts agreements such as employment agreements, consulting agreements, severance agreements, and confidentiality agreements.

She has been the recipient of several honors, including the National Bar Association’s 2018 Young Lawyer of the Year Award, the Washington Bar Association’s 2017-2018 Young Lawyer of the Year Award, the National Bar Association’s 40 under 40 Best Advocates Award, the Kim Keenan Leadership & Advocacy Award, the Greater Washington Area Chapter of the National Bar Association’s Rising Star Award, and recognition by the National Black Lawyers as one of the top 100 black attorneys. In 2022, Ms. Childress received the Women Owned Law organization’s Woman Legal Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Ms. Childress has been named to the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers Rising Stars lists. Only 2.5% of practicing attorneys in Washington, D.C. are selected to receive this honor.

Ms. Childress is a 2022 graduate of the Aspen Institute’s Justice and Society program. Ms. Childress serves as a contributor for Arianna Huffington’s international media outlet, Thrive Global. She has been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Essence, the Huffington Post, Success, and Entrepreneur.

Conflict Managed is hosted by Merry Brown and produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services.