Building Belonging: Rachel Clar on Cohorts, Connection & Redefining Success in Law

In this episode of This Legal Life, host Ben Chiriboga sits down with Rachel Clar, founder of Interconnected Us, to explore how women in Big Law are transforming their careers through the power of community. Rachel shares her personal journey—leaving law, building a career in real estate, discovering peer learning, and ultimately returning to law to create space for women lawyers to connect, collaborate, and thrive.

Rooted in a philosophy of non-binary thinking and spiritual leadership, Rachel’s work is redefining professional growth—not through competition, but through connection. From early struggles with belonging to launching cohort-based programs that drive real economic and career impact, this episode is a powerful conversation about creating change from the inside out.

Guest Bio:

Rachel Clar, Esq. is a strategic networking and confidence-building expert and the Founder of Interconnected Us, where BigLaw women lawyers gain the clarity they need to land the clients they deserve. Result? Clout.

Through her three-part framework, Rachel guides women lawyers in mastering strategic networking, communicating with power, and using their unique qualities to confidently win more business. Interconnected Us members skip the guesswork by gaining access to shortcut knowledge from successful women rainmakers who’ve done it before. Additionally, private conversations with peers, regular office hours, and private coaching empower members to land high-value clients that grow their pay, put them in control over their careers, and grow their influence.

Before founding Interconnected Us, Rachel built a career in business strategy and persuasive communication by developing affordable housing, urban infill neighborhoods and commercial-scale solar arrays in the real estate and clean energy sectors. Working in male-dominated fields, Rachel honed her strategic networking and influence building skills until they became razor sharp. Now, she guides powerful women lawyers to understand and leverage their unique strengths to grow their book of business – supporting them in confidently being their full selves is her edge.

Rachel is dedicated to shifting the status quo in BigLaw by building generational wealth and influence within a new tranche of women lawyers, calling herself a “compassionate disruptor.” In 2022, in furtherance of her mission to empower 1000 BigLaw women to grow their pay and influence (so that they can lift up others), she joined the ABA Law Practice Division’s Women Rainmakers Committee, where she has served ever since.

Connect with Rachel through LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelclar/

Subscribe to the newsletter at https://www.interconnectedus.com/newsletter

Learn more about how Interconnected Us is helping BigLaw women rise at https://www.interconnectedus.com/inner circles.