cdc2001's Recent Blog Posts

A Day Off...Literally While Waiting For Bar Results

Submitted by cdc2001

*Dedicated to my bar mentee, Rachel – a soon to be lawyer

With the fall come cool breezes, the changing of the leaves, and…bar exam results. The closer the day gets to when your respective state releases its results those cool breezes get a little chillier. I experienced that anxiety less than a year ago and I can still remember those sleepless nights leading up to October 29, the day Georgia released its Bar exam results and my name was listed among hundreds of others. I was able to exhale in that moment and now that friends and colleagues are anxiously awaiting the results I hope they will be able to breathe a little before and after finding out their Bar results. The title of my column could not be more relevant to the time when you are waiting for your Bar results. Here are a few of my tips to take that sentiment to heart.

Stop psyching yourself out. The hard part is over; you’ve given up this past summer to studying and completed the “dreaded” Bar. Worrying about your results or having nightmares about the day of their release is not going to change the actual results. Stop wondering about that last essay or the MBE question you may have missed; most importantly, do not discuss the test with fellow Bar takers. The Bar is history and worrying never works.

A Day Off: Playing the Part

Submitted by cdc2001

In my first article as one of Ms. JD’s Writers In Residence, I posed the question of “why do/why did you want to become a lawyer?” based upon an idea that one’s first introduction to being a member of the legal profession is from popular culture. For those of you, like myself, who were not introduced to the legal profession firsthand by relation or otherwise, there may some truth to that notion. Unfortunately, as it sometimes is in the real world, the representation of women in the legal profession on TV and in movies can be scarce and inaccurate. Often, the fictional character attributes are focused on the masculine personality traits of aggressiveness, competitiveness, ambition, and dominance that are associated with attorneys in general. Even in entertainment, these interpretations do shed some light on some real aspects of women in the legal profession. In anticipation of one of my favorite primetime shows, CBS’s The Good Wife, returning to the small screen this fall, I wanted to highlight some of my personal favorite interpretations of female lawyers on the small screen.

A Day Off: I am Woman, Hear Me Lawyer

Submitted by cdc2001

I’ve heard of breaking the glass ceiling but the glass staircase is a new one. In a recent article, an Ohio judge warned women in skirts to not use the glass staircase in the courthouse used to sentence sex offenders. While this article is not lawyer-specific, the idea of women and their attire in a professional setting is still a hotly debated topic. The discussion of women in the law and fashion has been discussed over and over again (for some interesting commentary on Ms. JD click here, here, and here) so why are we still talking about it? Well one reason is that it is still relevant. Each year, women comprise nearly 50% of law school enrollment since 1993 and each year, women ask the same questions about what to wear on a job interview, in the courtroom, and at the law firm. This begs the question – is it that professional women i.e., lawyers cannot get the professional dress code “right” or is it society’s stagnant view of women’s professional dress does not take into account the changes in professional women’s fashion and evolving work environments?

A Day Off: The Love/Hate Relationship of a Public Figure

Submitted by cdc2001

With the recent resignation of Representative Anthony Weiner following his sexting scandal, one of the recurring comments I’ve heard during water cooler conversations is “What does his personal life have to do with his professional life?” The public places such huge emphasis on the image of a public figure that when their personal lives do not align with that public image, we are left to question the credibility of their professional accomplishments, talents, and works. For example, in the entertainment world, artists such as Alicia Keys, R. Kelly, and, most notably, Michael Jackson, have been hailed as musical geniuses, creating work that is adored by the masses. And then there is a story that Alicia Keys may have broken up a marriage; R. Kelly allegedly participated in child pornography; Michael Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse and there is backlash against their artistry. In Weiner’s case and so many others where the law may become involved, how does that public image become a gift and…a curse?

A Day Off: What's Your Legal Sign?

Submitted by cdc2001

For the most part “what’s your sign?” has the negative connotation of being one of the worst pick-up lines ever. I don’t give much thought to my sign or horoscope coinciding with my sign purporting to lunarly determine what this month will be like for an Aries, however, with the recent suggested changes in zodiac signs and April being my birthday month, I thought it would be interesting to research what my sign says about me as an attorney.

A Day Off: Follow Your Dreams

Submitted by cdc2001

Now that I’ve graduated from law school, conquered the Bar, and become an attorney, I’ve been thinking what else do I want to accomplish? The drive I used to become an attorney is now waiting for the next new dream to catch. However, I realized in the midst of beginning my professional career and navigating the legal landscape I haven’t given myself time to take the first step onto the next journey. And how could I do anything else now that I am an attorney?

I must admit I fell into the trap that once you choose to become a member of the legal profession there is no room for the other talents and passion you may possess. The first time I visited Cake Love with a few law school buddies I was surprised to learn the founder was a former attorney. Studying and practicing the law is so time consuming it may seem that when you choose law you must give up your other interests. In actuality, possessing the training and skill of an attorney can help propel your other passions and interests. The new USA Network TV show Fairly Legal focuses on an attorney who leaves her law practice to become a mediator. Having such an image (albeit fictional) for the masses to see is a great example of how you can do anything-including practice law-that you choose to do.

I have heard many stories of formers practitioners and law students who decided to pursue their passions for example, Warren Brown of Cake Love; international wedding photographer Jasmine Star; author John Grisham; and actor and author Hill Harper. The first thing many may say is “[Insert new career] has nothing to do with the law?” or “All that education was a waste of money”. While at the most basic foundations, baking a cupcake or being in front of or behind a camera has nothing to do with the law; however, when you dig a little deeper, studying or practicing the law can have a significant impact on seemingly disconnected interests.

A Day Off: The Friendship Contract

Submitted by cdc2001

Being in law school and, eventually, becoming an attorney can have a unique effect on your personal life. Long hours, little sleep, career pressures all while dealing with sensitive and affecting legal issues on a daily basis can create a challenge to having an equally fulfilling personal life to balance out your professional life. Reports indicate attorneys increasingly suffer from depression and alcohol abuse. As such, it is extremely important to have supportive relationships with family and friends. Although the latter may be the trickier of the two when it comes to attorneys (as the saying goes, you can’t choose your family). Truth is, you may not always have the time to cultivate your friendships and those not in the law may not understand what you are going through. As a prospective law student over four years ago during a tour of one of the law schools I planned to apply to, the guide (a current student) jokingly suggested we take inventory of those in our lives that have been there the most when we needed them-and then after graduation, take inventory again to see who managed to complete the journey with us. Of course, I laughed never giving any real thought to actually losing friends just because I would be studying to become a lawyer. I didn’t actually think about what the guide said again until four years later while watching an episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

The Real Housewives of… franchise (aired on the cable network Bravo) is a reality television format that follows the lives of a select group of affluent women in some of the country’s largest or economically affluent cities. During a recent episode of Atlanta one of the cast members presented another cast member with a friendship contract to smooth over a recent disagreement between the two. While the contract was not legally binding and the cast member presented it humorously to get back into the other’s good graces it made me think about the weight we put into friendships.

A Day Off: Chasing Perry Mason

Submitted by cdc2001

A Day Off: "You are an attorney from the moment you step out of the door in the morning." The first time I heard this in law school, I was scared-did that now mean I couldn't sing along with the dirty words in a hip-hop song; wear a miniskirt to a party; or have an opinion about the latest celebrity reality show? In hindsight, I understand what being an attorney means (especially after taking a course in Professional Responsibility) but that does not mean I have given up every original aspect of myself just because I am an attorney. While I grapple with this fact, I find myself noticing the legal aspect of EVERYTHING in my Law and Order: SVU episodes to the assaults on "The Bad Girls Club" (I really love reality shows). The law affects every aspect of our lives and this column will focus on the every day things we love and enjoy from news and politics to music and fashion and how those things are merged in the law. Occasionally, this column will feature guest interviews with practicing attorneys on particular issues. Through this column, readers will be able to discuss the things they love outside of the law while still learning a little about the profession that will become/or is a part of their lives because (I've heard) as an attorney, you never get a day off.

After spending nearly four years of my life totally devoted to legal education and everything associated with it (taking the LSAT, completing and passing the Bar exam, etc.) you would think the last thing I want to see, hear, or read in any form of personal entertainment is the law. However, it seems there is no way of getting away from it. This spring two new legal-based television shows (NBC’s Harry’s Law and USA’s Fairly Legal) will join the bevy of wildly popular shows featuring aspects of the legal profession such as The Good Wife and the Law and Order franchise. Since attorneys, technically, never get a day off from being a member of the profession they have worked so hard to be a part of, I thought it only fitting my first article get to the root of our personal attraction to the law and the rest of the population’s fascination with the legal profession.