Misty Oaks Paxton, JD, CCWS
Misty Oaks Paxton, JD, CCWS, is a seasoned attorney and Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist based in Decatur, Georgia. With 18 years of legal experience, she began her career at Jones Day, one of the largest international law firms, focusing on white-collar criminal investigations. She later founded her own law firm, The Oaks Firm, where she specialized in mortgage restructuring, bankruptcy defense, and foreclosure solutions, developing innovative seminars, workshops, and educational programs to empower clients with legal knowledge.
In 2019, Misty transitioned her focus to corporate wellness, founding The Spiritual Attorney, a brand dedicated to helping high-performance professionals—particularly attorneys—manage stress and burnout. She integrates meditation, mindfulness, energy work, hypnotherapy, and somatic practices into her coaching, training, and facilitation services. Her programs cover wellness topics ranging from stress management and mindfulness to personal growth and emotional healing, all aimed at enhancing workplace productivity, engagement, and overall employee well-being.
Misty is a dynamic speaker, author, and facilitator, recognized with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in the Legal Profession. She is actively involved with the DreamFaith Foundation and The Enlightened Collective, providing mentorship and wellness training to youth and communities. Known for her authenticity, integrity, and passion, Misty combines her legal expertise with holistic wellness practices to inspire professionals to lead balanced, fulfilling lives while maximizing their potential in demanding careers.
• JD (Juris Doctor)
• Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist
• Certified Zumba Instructor
• Certified Meditation and Mindfulness Coach
• Clinical Hypnotherapist
• Reiki Practitioner
• EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Practitioner
• North Carolina Central University School of Law – Juris Doctor
• Quinnipiac University – B.A., Legal Studies
• Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, Excellence in the Legal Profession
• Dream Faith Foundation
• Enlightened Collective
• International Board of Coaches and Practitioners (IBCP)
• Complimentary Therapists Accredited Association (CTAA)
• DreamFaith Foundation – supporting inner-city youth in St. Petersburg, Florida through training, mentoring, programs, and college preparation
• The Enlightened Collective – providing free trainings, workshops, seminars, and events for wellness and spiritual enlightenment in Atlanta
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say, number one, having a strong village, including my parents, the way I was raised, and just the people that are my sister friends and my encouragers. Those good friends and good people along the way have been like, keep going, you know, you're on the right path. So I definitely owe it to the support of my family and loved ones and supporters. And honestly, I would attribute a lot of it to my Scorpio persistence and resilience. Scorpios are patiently persistent, and we definitely have the tenacity to keep going.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The most important piece of advice I've ever gotten, and I live by this as my maxim, is know yourself and stay true to yourself. I feel like we spend so much time trying to figure out the way that the world around us works, but not nearly enough time trying to figure out how we work in the world. For me, the most important thing is knowing who you are, why you're doing something, and whether your heart is really in it. You can take advice, you can listen, you can take in input, but when it comes time to move forward, moving from your heart is the most important thing.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to a young person looking to get into any profession but law in particular, definitely have your outlets, have your wellness planned out, because you are going to be stressed out. It is going to be a lot. You know, it's very intense. And so, you know, have your meditation planned out, your self-care planned out. Make sure that you take care of yourself in the middle of all of that. And just know that it won't last forever. In those moments when you're stressed out, and you're pulling all-nighters, and you've got the bar, and you got this, and you got that, just know that it's temporary. Give it your all while you have it, and know that it's going to set you up for the longer-term vision, so don't despair in those moments. Use law school and don't let law school use you.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Number one, I'm learning quickly that I need more help than I thought that I would, because as things continue to grow, you only have so much capacity as one person. So I'm looking to expand my team, and one of my challenges is finding people that are in alignment, training, and kind of getting that whole team together. My other challenge is that because I do a lot of stress relief work with people that are high-strung and stressed out with a lot of tension and anxiety, the challenge is maintaining my grounding and balance and not taking on their stuff. I've got to find a way to not stress myself with them, making sure that I take care of myself to decompress from working with people that are highly stressed.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Number one, I would say authenticity. It's always been very important for me to be self-defined and to be who I am, to be clear on who I am and to be who I am unapologetically. My second value is integrity, living by principles and not being swayed by outside forces, with everything firing in alignment with each other. And honestly, I would say passion is my last one. Like, if I'm not passionate about it, my heart isn't in it, I'm kind of like, meh, you know? But if I'm fired up, I can light up the world with it.