SuperwomenJDs and What you Can Learn From Them: Featuring Erika Pedersen of Chicago

Erika Pedersen has extensive litigation experience in a full range of employment discrimination matters, including Title VII, the Equal Pay Act, Section 1981, the ADA, the ADEA, the FMLA, and various state laws and local ordinances. Ms. Pedersen's full bio appears at the end of this interview.

1.    How has being a woman affected your career or legal education?
I really don’t think it’s had much effect one way or another, although my experience may be a little unusual.  When I started at DePaul University College of Law, I was actually in the first class to have more female students then male students.  Also, my first job as an attorney was working with two female partners and now I have a law firm with another female attorney.  In hindsight, maybe being a woman has actually enhanced my career and made me feel more empowered because I’ve often been in the presence of other strong female lawyers.

2.    Being a first year attorney anywhere is tough.  How do you think young attorneys can really hone their skills in their first few years? 
Do whatever you can in the firm you’re at, but also look outside your firm for other learning opportunities.  For example, join an organization affiliated with your area of practice.

Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them: Featuring Tanya Jachimiak of Illinois

Tanya L. Jachimiak received her Juris Doctor in 1998 from DePaul University College of Law.  She practiced employment law, including class action litigation, for over ten years.  Tanya left the private sector for the public, currently holding the position of Associate Director of the Office for Access and Equity, University of Illinois at Chicago.

1. How has being a woman affected your career or legal education?
Because it is such a male dominated field, I often find myself trying harder and doing more to outperform my male counterparts.  On many occasions, male firm partners have excluded me from outings with my male peers (e.g., golfing events, basketball).   

2.What advice do you wish someone had given you when you first started practicing law? 
Understand and follow the Doctrine of Completed Staff Work (http://www.dolan-heitlinger.com/Quote/StafWork.htm) .  Also, I would have benefited greatly from advice on how to navigate the often conflicting demands of multiple partners.  It took some time to figure out that when accepting an assignment, I needed to be very clear about when I would be able to complete the new assignment in light of a deadline set by another partner.  Just saying “yes” doesn’t work in the long run.  Quality is more important than quantity.   

3. What do you think the legal profession can do to increase the number of senior level females?
Current senior level females should reach out to younger associates more frequently and be willing to mentor female associates.  In my experience, senior level females did not reach out to junior level female attorneys.   Until I became involved with NAWL, I knew very few senior level females who were willing to mentor and show junior level females the ropes, so to speak.

After the jump, the best reading for new attorneys, the truth about finding mentors in a male-dominated environment, and some thoughtful advice about how to prioritize work opportunities ...

Rjon Robins- Who Helps Start and Save Law Practices- Shares Some Much Needed Advice in Today's Economy

Today attorney Rjon Robins is Founder of three popular websites: HowToManageASmallLawFirm.com, HowToMarketASmallLawFirm.com, and HowToStartALawPractice.com. He became an expert in these areas after helping thousands of lawyers with virtually every conceivable practice management & marketing challenge imaginable when he was a Law Practice Management Advisor with The Florida Bar's world-famous Law Office Management Assistance Service (LOMAS).

But before all of that, Rjon tells us despite graduating from lawschool, passing the Bar Exam with a very impressive score on his first try and then interning for a federal bankruptcy judge, when he first started his own law firm he fell flat on his face. Because "...after all they teach us how to practice law, not how to run a law firm in law school." "What grade did YOU get in YOUR law practice management & marketing class back in lawschool?" he asked me rhetorically to make the point. I follow Rjon onTwitter (@rjonrobins) and I have downloaded all kinds of free law firm management & marketing samples from his websites and I asked Rjon if he would be willing to share some of his thoughts regarding several topics I know I see a lot of lawyers talking about these days.

Do you think a bad economy is a good time or a bad time for a solo practitioner?

A down economy is always good for a smart solo practitioner. First of all let’s remember that there is still a lot of money in the economy. The Fed can reduce the money supply but your bank balance is still your bank balance. So the money didn’t “disappear”. It’s just that not as much of it is being spent nowadays so it’s less conspicuously-present. But it’s out there. And it’s in the hands of people who WILL spend it. They’re just being more thoughtful about how and why they spend it.

This is good for solos including many of my own Members who a few years ago wouldn’t have been seriously considered by some great clients who were “committed” to the big or medium firms or the clients who might have even had a long-standing relationship with another solo lawyer. But now the clients are reconsidering all their expenditures. And so many of my solo members are having a field day picking up business they might never have been considered for before the pencil started getting sharpened in a lot of board rooms and homes. That’s not to say we’re seeing less profitable work coming out of those clients. They’re just open to learning about their options. It’s not like those clients just suddenly stopped having to find solutions to their problems, ways to protect themselves and/or take advantage of opportunities. All of that’s still happening.

Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them: Featuring Andrea Evans of Washington, DC

Bio for this week's Superwoman JD Andrea Evans:  Andrea Hence Evans, Esq. launched the intellectual property law practice, The Law Firm of Andrea Hence Evans, LLC.  Attorney Evans' career path is unique since she worked at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for 5 years as both a patent examiner and a trademark examining attorney after graduating from law school.  Ed. note: a more comprehensive bio for Andrea Evans is available at the end of this post.  

1. How has being a woman affected your career or legal education?
Intellectual property (IP) law is male dominated. This is primarily because you have to have an engineering or science degree to become a patent lawyer and the engineering/science industry is male dominated. However, I don’t think that being a woman has negatively affected my career. I am aware that barriers exist even though I have not been directly affected by them yet. Opportunities in intellectual property law are out there and it is just a matter of time before women seize them! I’m encouraged that there are more female IP partners and I’m excited to see more women in senior level positions at the USPTO. I’m proud to be a woman and I’m proud of my intellectual property practice!

Statistics show that by the third grade children have lost their interest in math and science. I’m challenging myself to do more to attract women into the math and science industry. I’ve helped to develop a math and science elementary enrichment program to improve students’ interest and skills in these fields so that they can have the opportunity to pursue careers in science and math fields, including IP law.

2. What advice do you wish someone had given you when you first started practicing law?
I have no regrets. The challenges I’ve faced have made me a stronger lawyer. I established several mentors in law school. These individuals include my classmates and peers, junior and senior level attorneys and judges. My advice to new attorneys is to establish mentors and use them as a resource. Law school gives you the skills you need to be a great lawyer. However, mentors can provide you with invaluable information you need to advance in your career. Have confidence and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Superwomen JDs Interviews the Law School Industry Czar

Since 1990 Ron Fox has: provided individual guidance to lawyers in transition seeking positions consistent with their personal values and their professional goals through Career Planning for Lawyers; posted on his Lawyer Satisfaction Blog ; consulted to over 25 law schools, including Cornell, Boston College, Notre Dame and Northwestern; presented workshops for the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Lawyers in Transition; created and facilitated the ABA Public Service Division's "Town Meeting" for the six Washington D.C. law schools; authored Lawful Pursuit Careers in Public Interest Law published by the ABA Law Student Division; and is the Career Resource on Solo Practice University.
 
Ron graduated from Harvard Law School in 1963 and practiced law in a variety of settings for 20 years including two law firms he founded. In 1974 he was one of the first providers of divorce mediation and was active in developing that field until 1990.  Working with bar associations, he designed and created numerous lawyer referral and other programs aimed at the delivery of legal services to low and middle income individuals.  From 1983-1989 Ron worked at Harvard Law School providing career planning services to law students pursuing careers serving the legal needs of the public and also co-founded the Public Interest Committee of NALP.

1) If you were to accept a deanship at a law school right now, what would your top three priorities be?

I would think about it as a lawyer school as opposed to a law school.  We need to combat the fact that law schools have been a place of self-interest for a long time working on behalf of law school personnel and the partners at big law firms.  We are going to make them work for the public.  I would focus on the four fundamental values of the legal profession compiled in the MacCrate Report- authored by prominent judges, lawyers and professors.  Everyone should read this, especially those thinking about going to law school.  We are going to try to integrate those four values into the curriculum. 

One is to be committed to providing zealous representation. You have to learn to practice law.  I would not rely on the LSAT anymore. We would not even going to look at those numbers.  I would put together a group that would develop a range of criteria including creativity, integrity, and honesty.

Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them: Featuring Kate Anderson of Los Angeles, CA

Bio for this week's superwoman JD: Kate Anderson is an associate in the litigation department of the Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP.

Shortly after her arrival at the Firm, Ms. Anderson was part of a team of lawyers involved in preparing and trying a legal malpractice case.  The verdict was a complete victory for the client.  In addition to her trial experience, Ms. Anderson’s practice includes general business litigation.

Prior to joining MTO, Ms. Anderson served as Counsel to the democratic staff of the Committee on Government Reform of the United States House of Representatives.  Her work encompassed a wide array of legislative and investigative matters, including developing and drafting major bipartisan legislation to fundamentally reform the United States Postal Service.  Ms. Anderson also led a team investigating voting disparities in the 2000 election and produced a widely-covered report on the issue.  She also conducted oversight of government entities including the Postal Service’s response to the anthrax attacks.

Ms. Anderson received her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1996 where she served as Student Body President.  She graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 1999 with high honors.  She was a member of the University of Chicago Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.  Ms. Anderson served as law clerk to the Honorable Harry T. Edwards, U.S. Circuit Judge for the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit during the 1999-2000 term.

1. How has being a woman affected your career or legal education?
Being a woman has had a huge impact on my legal career especially after becoming a mother.  People in the workplace do not treat fathers the same as they treat mothers.  The work-life balance issue hits me as a mother more than I think it does many fathers, though in an ideal world there wouldn’t be a difference

Was it scheduling?
As a mom there were certainly scheduling conflicts.

Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them: Featuring Andrea Chavez of San Francisco CA

Bio for this week's Superwoman JD: Andrea Chavez is an Executive Partner and a co-founder of VLP. Andrea has spent her entire professional career negotiating and closing large technology transactions in the semiconductor, networking, software and digital media areas. For over ten years, she has represented both early stage and established companies in licensing, joint ventures, technology transfers, outsourcing, intellectual property acquisitions and other commercial and strategic pursuits in the United States and abroad. After completing an AB cum laude in Philosophy at Harvard and a JD and MS in Computer Science at Stanford, Andrea started her legal career at Venture Law Group. She subsequently co-founded and ran all sales, business development and legal initiatives at Mediabolic, the leading provider of embedded software for next generation consumer electronic products. At Mediabolic, Andrea sourced and closed deals with semiconductor, manufacturing, codec, content and consumer electronics partners in the United States, Europe, Japan, China and Taiwan, resulting in the deployment of Mediabolic software in millions of consumer electronics products across the globe, including DVD players, media adapters, computers, personal video recorders, and AV systems. After the sale of Mediabolic to Macrovision, Andrea co-founded Lion Tech Law, a boutique law firm based in San Francisco, prior to co-founding VLP. Andrea is a member of the State Bar of California.  

1.    How has being a woman affected your career or legal education?  I don’t think it’s affected my education much.  I was appalled by some of the killer instincts/nastiness some of my classmates demonstrated in law school, but that behavior emanated from men and women alike.  I can’t say the same thing about my career, unfortunately.  I worked as a business development/sales executive, and experienced blatant discrimination and misogyny on multiple occasions.  I responded how I always do – by working harder and accomplishing more than the next person, and letting my record speak for itself.

Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them: Featuring Dana Brody-Brown of Lewis and Roca LLP

Bio for this week's superwoman JD: Ms. Brody-Brown is a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property practice group. Her work is focused in the areas of trademark counseling and prosecution, including trademark audits, portfolio analysis and strategic counseling, selection and searching of trademarks, domestic and worldwide registration and enforcement, domain name issues, and licensing.

Ms. Brody-Brown handles trademark disputes, including domain name issues and opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent & Trademark Office. She has counseled a wide array of clients ranging from start-ups to well-known and established companies in varied industries including consumer electronics, semiconductors, software, banking, fashion, music and entertainment. She also has experience and a particular interest in the areas of advertising and marketing law and counsels clients regarding trademark and consumer issues raised by advertising and marketing and how those issues can be addressed.

Prior to joining Lewis and Roca, Ms. Brody-Brown practiced at White & Case LLP. Before entering the private sector, she worked for the National Association for Public Interest Law in Washington, DC.

1. How has being a woman affected your career or legal education? I’m not sure that being a woman has affected my career significantly, but I can say that being a mom has (and I suppose they are related).

Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them: Featuring Michelle Campbell of AlixPartners

Bio for this week's Superwoman JD: Michelle Campbell leads the strategic communications practice at AlixPartners, LLP, a global firm of senior business and consulting professionals that specializes in improving corporate financial and operational performance, executing corporate turnarounds and providing litigation consulting and forensic accounting services when it really matters – in urgent, high-impact situations.     

She consults with clients to strategically plan communications campaigns in investigations, restructurings, chapter 11’s, mergers and acquisitions and crisis situations.  Michelle works closely with management, corporate communications and media groups, lawyers, and financial advisors to develop and launch tailored public relations and communications programs for employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders and the media.  Michelle is effective with her PR initiatives based upon her ability to relate to diverse audiences, including the most sophisticated CEO’s down to rank and file employees who need to understand basic information about how corporate actions will affect their jobs and lives. 

Before joining AlixPartners and starting her practice, Michelle practiced restructuring law at a global law firm.  Before leaving the practice of law, Michelle was selected by Turnarounds and Workouts Magazine as one of the nation’s 14 Outstanding Young Restructuring Lawyers.  Michelle is a member of the Texas and California State Bars, and serves on the Board of Women in E-Discovery as the National Women’s Initiative Coordinator.  Michelle has even been gracious enough to provide her contact information for follow ups and questions: mcampbell@alixpartners.com

1. What advice do you wish someone had given you when you first started practicing law?
I’m so fortunate to have had some great mentors over time who gave me a lot of advice.

SuperWomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them: Featuring Kelly Hoey of New York City

Bio for this week's Superwoman JD: Kelly Hoey is currently the manager of alumni programs at White & Case.  In that position, Ms. Hoey works closely with the Firm's leadership (as well as alumni) in the development of alumni relations strategy, social networking initiatives and programming for the benefit of alumni.  Her primary areas of focus include enhancing the firm's web-based alumni community, increasing alumni community activities, developing and implementing internal and external alumni network communications, and enhancing the alumni transition process.  Prior to taking on this role, Ms. Hoey was the Firm's Manager of Professional Development, Americas where, in addition to her responsibilities for associate career development and advancement, she managed the Firm's Women's Initiative.  Ms. Hoey is a corporate attorney, having practiced with Sidley Austin in New York and Osler Hoskin in Toronto.  She holds a B.A. from the University of Victoria, and a L.L.B. from the University of British of Columbia.

1. How has being a woman affected your career or legal education?

It’s an advantage – when you’re in a room with equally smart, motivated people, you’re the one who stands out because you look different.

2. What advice do you wish someone had given you when you first started practicing law? 

I received great advice and guidance from a mentor (senior male partner) when I was a junior attorney, so I feel very fortunate in how my legal career started.  What I do wish I had earlier in my career was awareness of my internal motivators and personal strengths (what responsibilities, professional challenges and relationships matter to me) as I would have made an earlier start on building my career around those traits.

3. What do you think the legal profession can do to increase the number of senior level females?

The profession needs to understand the ebb and flow of professional lives (let’s be honest, the linear career path to partnership is the exception) and to support attorneys during all transition points in their careers.