Do You Really Want to Be a Leader? Find Your Motivate to Lead and Unleash It

Leading is “difficult and dangerous work” according to Ronald Heifetz, Marty Linsky, and Alexander Grashow, authors of The Practices of Adaptive Leadership. It’s taking charge of making a difference, to paraphrase the recent television ads for American Express. But, making a difference in what, with whom, to what end, and through which actions? Leaders constantly rely upon their motivation to lead. The clearer the motivating forces are to the leader, the easier it will be for her to use her motivation to drive her leadership initiatives forward.

If you want to find your motivation to lead, start by answering these questions:

1. What is the current context in which you are trying to lead? By “context,” I mean what is happening in your external environment (economics, client needs and wants) and internal environment (law firm, practice group, self), which, through your leadership, you will attempt to change?

2. Who are you trying to lead (self, other individuals, group)?

3. Where do you want to lead them?

Ms. JD & Columbia Law Women present: Jay Sullivan's "Communication Skills All Young Associates and Students Should Learn

Sullivan will lead an interactive workshop that focuses on crucial communication skills for summer and young associates. Following this valuable skills building session, students and Ms. JD-affiliated firm associates will mingle and network over drinks at a local watering hole, thanks to the generous support of Sullivan & Cromwell.

I mention this because it's a great example of how student groups can leverage their membership in NWLSO. Columbia Law Women are organizing this event, using Ms. JD contacts to recruit speakers and local firm attorneys and creating an opportunity to learn and network. Awesome job ladies!

• When: Tuesday March 23, 6-7:30 pm
• Where: Columbia Law School, Jerome Greene Hall, Rm 101
• What: "Communication Skills All Young Associates and Students Should Learn" presentation by Jay Sullivan, Exec/Comm

If you are a Columbia student or Ms. JD affiliated attorney and you'd like to attend this event please email davis@ms-jd.org asap. To start planning your own event email kornberg@ms-jd.org.

Announcing the National Law Review Writing Contest

The National Law Review (NLR) is accepting submissions for the NLR 2010 Law Student Writing Competition. This competition offers law students the opportunity to submit articles for publication consideration on the NLR Web site.

Winning articles will initially be published online in April, May, and June 2010. In each of these months, the top two articles chosen will be featured in the NLR
monthly magazine prominently displayed on the NLR home page. Up to 25 runner-up articles will also be posted in the NLR searchable database each of these months.  Winning articles will be published alongside those written by respected attorneys from AMLAW 200 firms and other prominent firms and will remain in the NLR online database for up to two years, easily accessed by potential employers.

For complete rules and deadlines, please contact bmcdermand@NatLawReview.com. 

Ms. JD & CWIL Re-Launch the Library!

Ms. JD and the Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas School of Law are thrilled to announced the update of Ms. JD's Library. The Library includes more than 500 abstracts for books, articles, reports, and best practice recommendations on topics ranging from work/life balance and retention issues to stereotyping and gender bias in evaluation and compensation systems.

We hope you'll check out the library and let us know if there are resources we should add to keep it up to date!

Ask Ms. JD: Long-distance law school marriage?

Welcome to the first post in the “Ask Ms. JD” series! The question we are answering this month is:

 My boyfriend wants us to get married before I’m in law school, but because of the nature of his job, it is likely we will be living apart—possibly in different states—during the time I pursue the JD. What do you suggest we do? 

More Great Programming from William & Mary Women's Law Society

The Ms. JD liaisons and dedicated students at William & Mary's Women's Law Society continue to do outstanding work on behalf of their members.  I hope their example will inspire similar efforts at other chapters as well as similar updates on progress!

We've already heard about W&M's lunch with Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.  Now come updates on three other great events:

A panel discussion on Women in the Workplace earlier in the school year

A panel on Work/Life Balance with Professors, Partners, and Judges

Tips on starting a Non-Profit from Lorianne Updike-Toler

Keep up the good work ladies!

Law Students: Apply for ABA Law Student Division Leadership Positions

1Ls and 2Ls: As you start the spring semester, consider applying for a leadership position with the ABA Law Student Division. There are over 100+ elected and appointed positions available. This is an amazing opportunity to gain leadership experience on regional and national levels by representing more than 50,000 law students.

We've put the major deadlines on our Ms. JD calendar to help you out. The first deadline is January 15, so start working on those applications!

Click here for a flyer about the elections and here for more information on the requirements for each position.

Calling All Writers: Ms. JD's WIR & NAWL's Selma Moidel Smith Competition

Don't forget that this week is the last week to apply to be one of Ms. JD's monthly Writers in Residence. As soon as that's over there's another great opportunity for law student writers: The National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) has established the annual Selma Moidel Smith Law Student Writing Competition to encourage and reward original law student writing on issues concerning women and the law.

TOPIC: Entrants should submit a paper on an issue concerning women’s rights or the status of women in the law.

AWARD: The author of the first-place essay will receive a cash prize of $500. The winning essay will be published in the NAWL Women Lawyers Journal in Summer 2010.

NWLSO at UCLA: 2008-2009 Event Recap

Since March 2008, chapters of Ms. JD's National Women Law Students' Organization have been meeting on campuses accross the country. At UCLA Robin Shofner and Hilda Montes de Oca have been responsible for leading a particularly vibrant chapter. To learn more about how to start a NWLSO chapter of your own get started here. What follows is a series of examples of events you might put together collected from UCLA's 2008-2009 event announcements:

WOMEN IN THE MILITARY: Fighting Sexual Assault in the Military – Angie’s Story

A Documentary followed by a Discussion of the Issue and the Military Policies and Legislative Proposals Seeking to Combat the Problem

“Army Sergeant Angela Peacock joined the military in February 1998.  She wanted to travel, serve her country and gain some life experience.  In 2001, while deployed in South Korea, Sergeant Peacock was raped by a fellow soldier.  She was encouraged by her command not to tell, so she held it in, and in 2003 she took it to Iraq with her.  She led her unit courageously, but silently struggled until she couldn't stay quiet any longer. Out of Iraq and back at home, Sergeant Peacock decided to take control of her PTSD - a result of both her military sexual trauma and combat stress - and take her life back.”

Sergeant Peacock will speak in public for the first time on January 26, 2009 at UCLA School of Law.  Following a screening of the brief documentary that tells her story, Sergeant Peacock will be joined by a panel of speakers who will discuss the issue of sexual assault in the military, including current military policies and legislative proposals to address the problem.

So You Failed The Bar?

It’s not the end of the world. Trust me on this. And yes, I know you’ve all heard stories about successful attorneys that failed the bar the first time around. Hey, If JFK jr couldn’t pass………but it doesn’t make you feel any better. I know. So, take a day or two to wallow. You have my permission. Turn on silly movies, grab the Ben and Jerry’s, and curl up on the couch.

But then stop. And realize this is not the worst thing that could ever happen to you. And realize that there are PLENTY of people in the same boat as you, and ALL of you will do just fine.

I know this because most of the students that come to me for private tutoring are repeat takers. And those students end up passing the bar. And they end up getting jobs, and then no one cares that they failed, or how many times they failed. You just have to pull yourself up by your boot straps, realize that you need to do something differently, and try again. I had a student take the bar 13 times, come to me for the 14th, and finally pass. Talk about dedication! If he can tough it out, so can you!

So, why did you fail and what can you do differently?