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Practice Pointers - Knowing When to Consider a Lateral Move
By Natasha Alladina • September 27, 2020 •Writers in Residence, Careers
Most lawyers (indeed, most professionals) won’t stay at their first job forever. Kudos to those “lifers” who find their perfect fit from the get-go (or decide to stick it out at their first gig), but the rest of us will likely contemplate a lateral move at some point in our careers. And if you fall into the latter category, how do you know when to consider making a move? The answer, of course, will vary depending on the individual lawyer and situation. From personal experience and now, as a legal recruiter, I’ve found that the following are good reasons to…
Everything Nobody Every Told Me: Visioning Really Works
By Paula M Jones • September 30, 2020 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues
As I was approaching thirty years of working full-time, I began much more flexibility in my daily schedule. My dream was to be able to set my own schedule instead of adhering to the schedule of others. Unfortunately, I could not see any viable way to make that happen, since I was working in a big firm where time seemed to be the master of us all. Over time, my frustration began to build. Whenever I became frustrated, I began to write out what I wanted my daily life to look like. Dreams – even those that seem impossible –…
What Ruth Taught Me
By Diana LaMorie • October 01, 2020 •Features, First Women, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
"I'm sorry about RBG, I know how much she meant to you," said my husband, who was first to read the news. My mind went blank. I may have blurted out "that's okay." My mind could not fathom the enormity of this sad occasion at the instant moment. It's obviously not okay. The introvert in me needed to do some deep thinking before I could process my thoughts and feelings. But the man knows me best, so of course he was right. While I didn't know her personally, like so many others my life and career have been touched by Ruth Bader Ginsburg's…
The Prosecution Rests
By Diane Wells • September 28, 2020
I am telling the story of my criminal prosecution regarding being charged for managing a venture capital fund with others. This blog is a summary of the prosecution’s witnesses. Per their charges, the prosecution was supposed to prove that I was in a conspiracy to launder money. Money laundering is defined as the concealment of the origins of illegally obtained money, typically by means of transfers involving foreign banks or legitimate businesses. A conspiracy is a secret plan by one or more people to do something unlawful and they take some action towards that plan. We started the trial with the unexpected…
Desi Advocacy: Spotlight on Aparna Shewakramani, Attorney and Cast Member of “Indian Matchmaking”
By Prianka Misra • September 22, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Aparna Shewakramani, General Counsel and star of Netflix's "Indian Matchmaking," a reality television show about South Asian dating and relationships. Aparna's outspoken remarks and confident outlook led her to become an international sensation. Although the show did not focus on her career, it briefly touched on Aparna's views about being an attorney. After watching "Indian Matchmaking," I interviewed Aparna to delve deeper into her perspective on being a lawyer, career advice for young women, and opinion about her portrayal in the series. You mentioned in the show that you wanted to be a lawyer since you…
Techlegality: A Moment to Reflect. Thanks, RBG.
By Victoria Willingham • October 01, 2020
This year has been filled with so many remarkable moments, which makes it difficult not to acknowledge their impact on our lives when they happen. As a result, I thought it would be a good idea to use this month’s column to appreciate the life and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In expressing my appreciation, it is not my intention to even attempt to capture the countless contributions she made to enhance the lives of women and marginalized groups in this country. Instead, I took some moments to reflect and honor the fact that many of the…
Help Me Build My Space Colony….
By Alexandra Dolce • September 30, 2020 •Writers in Residence
Let’s have some fun this month. What would MY perfect space colony look like…? Here goes… First and foremost, I think it should be located on a safe but very exotic planet. Use your imagination when it comes to exotic. All people, whether indigenous, or migrated are from the jump start considered EQUAL and will not be separated based on race, color, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Equal means Equal. The form of government would most likely be a democracy or a hybrid of such, but it is important that citizens refer to the previous mistakes made by democracies and…
Clean Air, Clean Water, and Losing a Trailblazer
By Desiree Goff • September 25, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
In a month filled with fires and hurricanes, and in homage to a pioneering woman lawyer and Supreme Court justice, we are taking a look at what a career in environmental law entails and how Ruth Bader Ginsburg approached her decision making process when confronted with environmental law cases. A fighter for equality and for justice, RBG forged the path for countless women lawyers to come behind her. In her years on the bench, many influential cases came before her. Justice Ginsburg’s opinions ranged from regulating greenhouse gas emissions to expressing support for a more expansive definition of jurisdictional waters…
Everything is Reproductive Justice—Reading Reproductive Justice in 2020
By Leigh Creighton Bond • September 23, 2020 •Writers in Residence
One of the most optimistic leaders I worked with once said something along the lines of, “sometimes, having a book, even if you can’t finish it or haven’t started reading it, can be useful because you are aware of the idea simply by having the book.” With that quote, I urge you to consider the following books if you or someone you know is beginning to explore reproductive justice in 2020. 1. Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts “Ms. Wooten ... stated that detained women expressed to her that they didn’t fully understand why they had…