A Day in the Life at Elise Buie Family Law: Meet Client Care Coordinator Judy Qiao

This is the next installment in our series, “A Day in the Life at Elise Buie Family Law Group.” Today, you will hear from Judy Qiao, one of our firm’s client care coordinators. Judy joined EBFLG in 2024, and we couldn’t be happier. Neither can she. Below, Judy will tell you why becoming a part of our quickly growing team was the right decision for her and her family.

I’ve always been passionate about merging my education and professional experience in psychology to work with people. My journey to becoming a client care coordinator at EBFLG is a testament to that passion.?

With a B.A. in psychology and gender studies, I always envisioned a career where I could make a tangible difference in people’s lives. After college, I volunteered with children’s outreach programs, which led me to a seven-year stint as a behavior interventionist.?

My specialization in working with children with autism was deeply fulfilling, and I cherished the opportunity to provide compassionate care to both the children and their families. However, as rewarding as it was, I began to feel the urge to expand my horizons beyond this niche.

Working with children with ASD taught me the importance of compassion in any role that involves helping others. It also highlighted the necessity of broadening my skill set and exploring opportunities that could utilize my diverse abilities and background more comprehensively. This desire for growth and broader impact is what eventually led me to EBFLG.

The journey to EBFLG was quite organic. I am a friend of a friend of Reyna Fisher, EBFLG’s COO. When I met Reyna at a party, she spoke highly of the firm’s commitment, spearheaded by founder and visionary Elise Buie, to putting life first in the life-work continuum, where both life and work everyone is passionate about are integrated rather than balanced.?

This philosophy resonated deeply with me, as my previous roles had all centered almost exclusively on ensuring that the emotional and physical needs of others were met to help them perform their best without much thought to how the same could be done for the people who worked in these companies. EBFLG’s structure, fueled by the company’s core values, supports both clients and employees in maintaining a healthy balance between personal well-being and professional responsibilities.?

I was intrigued by EBFLG’s compassionate workplace culture and its data-driven approach to identifying and addressing clients’ pain points. As a data-oriented and analytical person myself, I found the firm’s methodology aligned perfectly with other elements of my professional experience.

My work history includes several roles with increasing responsibility at Aritzia, where I started part-time while working as a behavioral therapist. Fashion has always been a personal interest of mine, and I thrived in the upbeat, fast-paced environment of this retail environment in particular. Through hard work and dedication, I was eventually promoted to the position of operations analyst, a role that allowed me to collaborate with designers on product development.?

For me, the experience at Aritzia was not just about fashion; it was about being part of a female-driven environment that championed empowerment and innovation, much like EBFLG. Female empowerment has always been a driving force in my life, and working in environments that promote it has always been important to me. At EBFLG, I found a place that values and promotes female leadership, self-improvement, and personal and professional growth, mirroring my own values and aspirations. This alignment made the transition to EBFLG a natural and exciting step in my career.

My personal life has also been a source of strength and stability. I have been married to my wonderful husband for a year and a half (we’ve been together for 10 years), and our partnership has been a cornerstone of my development. The only child of immigrant parents from China, I became fluent in Mandarin, a skill that has proven invaluable in personal and professional contexts, allowing me to connect with a broader range of clients, colleagues, and friends.

Sinking my heels into my fully remote job more each day, I wake up excited to bring my unique blend of compassion, analytical skills, and passion for empowering others to clients from my home office or wherever I choose to work. My background in psychology and gender studies, coupled with my hands-on experience in behavioral intervention and retail operations, positions me to contribute to the firm’s mission while allowing me to fulfill my own aspirations of working with diverse groups of people and using my skills to help them become their best selves, something I continue to work toward every day. Except now, I get to have EFBLG cheering me on.?

I am thrilled to be part of a team that values life first and uses data-driven insights to make meaningful differences in their clients’ lives. The transition from working specifically with children with autism to a broader client base has been refreshing, allowing me to apply my expertise in behavior analysis to help a wider range of individuals and families navigate their challenges. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me, my colleagues, and the people we support.

If you're interested in learning more about Elise Buie Family Law Group and the possibility of joining our team, please check out our current job openings.

Elise Buie is a Seattle divorce and family lawyer and founder of Elise Buie Family Law Group, a law firm devoted to divorce and family law and estate planning. A champion for maintaining civility throughout the divorce process, Elise advocates for her clients and the best interests of their children, helping them move forward with dignity and from a position of strength.