Joy in the Law® aspires to bring together attorneys interested in exploring various aspects of happy lawyering. Our goal is to increase the joy of lawyers who are already happy, and to begin the journey towards career happiness of lawyers who are not. We believe that all lawyers can find work that makes them happy most of the time, if not every minute, and a professional life that squares with their values and priorities, whether that’s making millions or having a modest salary but lots more time with their families and friends.

Diana Maier, founder of Maier Law Group, first conceived the idea of a joy in the law movement after she attended a silent meditation retreat at Spirit Rock in Woodacre, California. The retreat, led by James Baraz, focused on the theme of Awakening Joy. Inspired by the insights from the retreat, Diana gathered a group of volunteer attorneys, and they put together the first Joy in the Law® Conference in Marin County, California in September 2016. Diana and volunteers organized the second Joy in the Law® Conference in September 2018.

In the meantime, we continue to host regular meetings in the Bay Area for women lawyers striving for joy in their law practices. Additionally, we offer ad hoc Joy in the Law® events that are co-ed and intended to promote and inspire one another to find meaning and joy in the practice of law (such as the 2018 Conference). 

Maier Law Group also hosts regular in-person and virtual lunches for women in-house counsel in a project Diana calls Closer Connections, and for women labor & employment attorneys in a group called LEAP. Also centered around the San Francisco Bay Area, these meet-ups are for enhancing women's professional success and generating more joy in the practice of law.