About Us
WorkBetter for Lawyers was created specifically for law firm associates, giving them practical strategies to navigate the challenges they face at every stage of their careers.
The idea grew out of founder Kandice Stetson Thorn’s experience working in practice management at a large law firm, where she saw talented associates encounter the same challenges again and again—often without the practical guidance they needed to navigate them successfully.
WorkBetter was built to fill that gap. Our short, actionable learning helps associates develop the skills, confidence, and judgment they need to succeed, while helping firms strengthen engagement, performance, and retention.
We also believe that how professional development is delivered matters. Our experienced team combines practical, relevant guidance with thoughtful content, production, and design to create learning that is concise, engaging, and easy to apply—so associates are more likely to retain what they learn and incorporate it into their day-to-day practice.
Meet the Team

Kandice Stetson Thorn
Founder & CEO
Kandice is a true law firm insider, having spent much of her 20+ year career working at firms including Gibson Dunn, Weil Gotshal, and Fenwick & West - first as an associate, and later in practice management. She also worked for several years as Director of the LL.M. program at Fordham Law School, where she created the Graduate Professional Development Program. She has advised hundreds of lawyers and law students and is passionate about helping them find balance, happiness, and purpose in their careers.
A first-generation college graduate, Kandice grew up in Puyallup, Washington where she worked full-time while attending community college before transferring to Western Washington University. She holds a B.A. in Music and Philosophy from WWU and a J.D. from Cornell Law School.
She lives in New York City with her two daughters and rescue pup Coco.

Sarra Ziari
Director of Client Engagement
Sarra has over 20 years experience in the legal industry, working first as a corporate associate at Cooley and later Weintraub Tobin, and most recently as a business professional in Legal Personnel at Fenwick & West. She also worked for several years as a career advisor at Berkeley Law and in professional development, career services, and fundraising at McGeorge School of Law. She has coached hundreds of lawyers and law students and is passionate about helping each person build their unique set of strengths and navigate their individual career path with success.
Sarra holds a B.A. in English and Spanish Literature from UC San Diego, and a J.D. from UC Davis School of Law. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and is currently taking a deep dive into the neuroscience of coaching with additional certification work.
She lives in Northern California with her pitsky pup Nico, and enjoys skiing the Sierras as often as she can.
Mallory Dowd
Creative Associate
Mallory is our brilliant jack-of-all-trades Creative Associate. She serves as our script editor, production assistant, and video editor, among other things. Mallory holds a B.A. in Drama from New York University.
Want to learn more?
Book a short call to see how WorkBetter for Lawyers can support your firm's associate development.
