Ellen Ostrow

Background & Certifications

Coaching Clientele

I coach attorneys at all levels of seniority in law firms of all sizes. I also coach lawyers who work in house, in non-profits and in the government. I have a specialty focus on the challenges facing women attorneys and assisting them in their advancement.

Coaching Process

My process is entirely individualized to meet your needs. I offer a free initial phone consultation. Once a client and I decide to work together, we identify specific goals she would like me to help her accomplish and sketch out a strategic plan for accomplishing them. When useful, I provide self-assessments and am also certified to provide a range of leadership, career, personality and strengths assessments. We break your goals into manageable action steps and you should expect to leave each session with an action plan that we have developed collaboratively to move you forward towards your goals. We begin the subsequent session with an accountability check-in to ensure progress. My job as your coach is to challenge you to stretch beyond your comfort zone, to support you in taking risks, to help you maintain focus on your goals even in the busiest of times, to hold you accountable for your commitments and to celebrate your successes. I provide unlimited email support between sessions. Meeting arrangements depend upon geography and client preference. The frequency of meetings/calls depends upon your goals and the time frame in which you want to accomplish them.

Expectations & Benefits

My intention is to provide a safe, supportive and challenging space for you to clarify what is most important to you and find within yourself the strengths to live and work in a manner that is aligned with your values and enables you to live up to your full potential. I expect you to be an active collaborator in a joint effort to enable you to gain clarity about your values, goals and strengths and to take committed action in the service of these. Clients typically not only accomplish their goals but also leave coaching with greater self understanding and a sense of empowerment.

Background Information on Clients

I maintain complete confidentiality of all client communications. The degree of background information about clients that I request depends upon who is making the referral. When a client is referred by an employer, I frequently speak to appropriate others in order to gain an understanding of the reason for the referral and the organization’s goals for the coaching. My Coaching Agreement specifies that the client and I will provide the organization information about goals and progress since they are paying for the coaching but that all other information is confidential unless you provide your consent for me to release additional information. I often conduct a 360-degree assessment for clients who either self-refer for leadership development coaching or are provided this opportunity by their employer. I maintain the confidentiality of ALL assessment findings unless I have your consent to share them with others.

Case Studies

• Partner in AmLaw 100 Firm: The Managing Partner engaged us to coach a woman partner after several associates cried in his office about her harsh supervisory style. The partner was deeply disturbed about the complaints since she was strongly committed to associate development. She believed that the pressures of her practice made it impossible for her to invest time in informal relationship development with associates. However, she accepted the challenge to experiment with this as well as alternative approaches to providing feedback and supervision. Following coaching, not only did complaints cease but associates began requesting to work with her. She is now the only woman on the firm’s management committee.
• Senior Associate in a Mid-size Boutique Firm: The attorney initially engaged me to help her develop and implement a business-generation plan in order to position her for advancement to partnership. As she became increasingly successful in building her practice she asked that we switch the focus to leadership development. She wanted to clarify both her current and potential roles within her firm. We have continued to work together as she has advanced within her firm. Currently she serves on her firm’s executive committee, is co-chair of her practice group and among the top business generators and most highly compensated partners at her firm. She attributes much of her success to our work helping her to develop mindful awareness of, and distance from, her critical internal monolog which enabled her to access her many strengths and talents, advocate for herself and others and take the risks necessary to accomplish her goals.

The single most important factor that leads to a successful coaching relationship

The client’s willingness to take action.

Fee Structure & Ranges

I use both hourly and project rates. Fees are competitive and vary depending upon the seniority of the client and the size of the organization.