Election Victories for Women Lawyers

Contested seats go to women in Wake's district court:

Three women -- Jacqueline Brewer, Christine Walczyk and Anna E. Worley -- earned spots on Wake County's District Court benches, beating out their male opponents in Tuesday's election.

The three races at the District Court level were the only contested ones in the Wake County Courthouse, with most of the 11 District Court judges running unopposed for re-election.

Michelle Obama: Lawyer and First Lady

Michelle Obama, lawyer and wife of President-Elect Barack Obama, is now about to assume the role of first lady.  In honor of this event, Ms. JD offers this brief biography of Michelle Obama:

Michelle Obama was born on the South Side of Chicago, and graduated with her undergraduate degree from Princeton University.  She then attended Harvard Law School.  While there, she participated in political demonstrations, especially advocating for the hiring of a diverse faculty.  Upon graduation, she returned to work in Chicago.

Michelle Obama worked for the law firm Sidley Austin, on the staff of the Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daley, and for the University of Chicago Hospitals.  While at Sidley Austin, she worked on marketing and intellectual property.  She has not only had a successful legal career, but will now be the first African American First Lady of the United States.  Michelle Obama is also the dedicated mother of two girls.

Power in the Ballot: Vote to Make History

I am a week behind in my reading for Con Law, my laundry is piling up, I have grocery shopping to do, I have messages to return, and emails to send.

But all this can wait while I go vote. I will cast my ballot, even if it means falling another day behind, even if it means waiting in line for hours, even if it means standing in the rain.

Julie Albrecht Royce cautions that we not take our right to vote for granted:

Your odds of an IRS audit are 175-1, of having your identity stolen 200-1, of a meteor landing on your house 182,138,880,000,000-1.

But 1-in-3 registered female voters will find a reason not to vote Tuesday.

Perhaps, on Nov. 4, you are up to your eyeballs in job and family obligations. You have every intention of voting but something -- sick baby, soccer game, board meeting, last-minute work assignment, grocery shopping, or a hard-earned headache -- might get in the way. The polling place may be several minutes from your home. The lines may be long and you have no time to spare. You are only one person; does your vote really matter?

When Nov. 5 dawns, the dirty laundry may be piled higher and the to-do list may be longer, but the odds are absolute, you will never have another chance to vote in this presidential election.