Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

An Inner Circle is a group of approximately 8 women lawyers who commit to becoming each others’ personal board of advisors. We find your peers - those who work in the same type of work environment as you and build the group.

You all agree to ground rules that allow for trust to grow, and you meet bimonthly, online, for confidential, structured group conversations.

These women will have committed to participating for six months minimum (just like you), and also will have taken an oath of confidentiality. With these commitments, you connect and confide in one another.

The experiences shared enrich everyone - not just the person who does the asking. Members build connections that can last for years, nurturing your long-term success.

You will be placed in an Inner Circle with fellow women lawyers who work in a similar environment as you (i.e. Big Law); as the goal is that you gain camaraderie, meaningful feedback, and an expansion of your network.

Currently, the Inner Circle program is only open to women in BigLaw. Of those, women who are the right fit are lifelong learners, crave growth and challenge, and prize learning within a community defined by kindness, reciprocity and collaboration. We take our “lawyer hats” off here!

Further, many lawyers are introverts, needing solo time to recharge, for example. What our members find, though, is that the group learning is a far more effective and efficient modality to learn at an accelerated pace; their participation got them unstuck in areas that they weren’t able to “figure out” alone and the other women in their cohort share insight into themselves that they couldn’t identify before.

To participate in one of our groups, fill out our “Sign Up” or “Join Us” form, linked from either of these buttons on our home page. You will be prompted to set up a time to meet, so we can get to know you, answer any questions you may have, and ensure that the program is a good fit for you.

At your bimonthly meetings, everyone will share their updates, focusing on the best and worst of what has happened in their lives since their previous meeting. The group will choose one or two member’s updates to focus on, and will spend the balance of the time discussing that person’s issue. The presenter will share it in more depth, and the members will have a chance to ask questions and share relevant experiences.

Occasionally, the group will also choose to study or discuss a particular theme as well, such as a wellness topic.

Your group will be facilitated by Rachel Clar, Founder and CEO of Interconnected Us and/or one of our partners who are experienced group facilitators.

Rachel has also created the Interconnected Us community guidelines.

Our Inner Circles best practices were adapted from studying under Rachel’s mentor and IU advisory board member, Mo Fathelbab. Mo wrote the book on best practices for peer learning groups (FORUM: the Secret Advantage of Successful Leaders, published by Lulu.com, April 22, 2008) and has taught hundreds of group moderators in best practices. Mo and the group of moderators that he has trained now collectively lead tens of thousands of leaders worldwide, such as Harvard Business School alumni.

Like great sleep and regular exercise, any action of self-care or self-improvement, including participating in a cohort group, requires a consistent commitment.

Our Inner Circles meet two times per month for 1.5 hours each time for 6 months. We have found this allows for bonding and trust to develop naturally.

The groups meet virtually.

At signup, each member signs a binding contract, and payment is made. Payment is a commitment unto itself and is a statement that you value participating in this unique learning opportunity.

Further, each group is moderated by a facilitator so that air time is shared among the participants, community guidelines are adhered to, and industry best practices are followed.

Lastly, at each group’s launch, the members will adapt the boilerplate IU group constitution to the individual group’s desires, so mutual expectations and a code of conduct are developed.

The meetings are organized so that they are productive and forward-moving; people show up because they want to grow and they want their investment of time to be valuable, just like you do.

You might not; that’s not the point. That very person you would never choose to be friends with might teach you a masterful way to plan for a negotiation for example, share how they relocated seamlessly or handled aging parents with lessons that you could learn from.

Women’s Bar Associations are wonderful platforms for professional development and networking; but our groups are a different animal altogether. Our aim is to create a safe, confidential space among similarly situated women from outside your immediate circle, if not from outside your community completely, so that you can speak freely and get the advice you most need but are hesitant to seek elsewhere.

You choose what challenges you want to discuss; you are in full control.

What happens often, though, is that members experience a level of trust and intimacy that they have either never experienced before, or haven’t experienced in years. Members find it deeply reassuring, and are in full control about if, and when, to potentially share about their challenges.

Inner Circle cohort members choose as a group when they would like to meet. Some groups choose times during the work week; others choose evenings or weekends.

Members commit to attend and participate in bimonthly meetings, which maximizing group connectivity and creates a compounding effect as trust builds and deeper topics are addressed.

Absolutely! As our community grows, we will offer more and more opportunities for you to network with women outside of your Inner Circle.

Yes.

If you pay the lump sum option (for a 6 mo. Inner Circle membership), you have 30 days from the date of first group meeting to terminate and get a full refund.

If you choose the monthly installment payment option, you have 30 days to terminate and be released from the remainder of the payment obligation under the 6 mo. term, and the money for the first month of your membership will be unconditionally and fully. (On day 31, however, you are still obligated to pay for the remainder of your contract term, even if you quit the Program/Agreement).