Chicken or the Egg: Why Can’t We Retain Our Female and Minority Lawyers?
By Kim Tran • March 31, 2019 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector
I went to a conference recently and sat at a table with a group of male partners, and the topic of our conversation turned to this question. They lamented the loss of diverse talent in their firms, and they simply could not understand why. Their firms have internal networks for female and/or minority lawyers. They host diversity workshops. Some of them even have an in-house diversity and inclusion specialist. They told me they personally assign female and minority lawyers in their offices to their cases and actively mentor and sponsor them when they can. They sounded genuine. They sounded like…
The Role Client Company Culture Plays in Your Legal Practice
By Jenny Patten • March 29, 2019 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues
Over the next few months, my column will explore the role that company culture plays in a successful legal practice. I know…culture. Before your eyes glaze over, though, hear me out. An entire body of literature and best practices exist on the powerful role culture can play in business. Here, we’ll focus on exactly what company culture can mean to you, as counsel, and how focusing on this aspect of your company or client organizations can reap great benefits for your practice. Chances are, if you are in-house, you may have come across your company’s mission, vision and values, or a quixotic set of…
Interview with Krista Hiner, Esports Attorney & Bar Officer - On the Field: Women in Sports Law
By Tatum Wheeler • March 22, 2019 •Ms. JD, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media
Please welcome Ms. Krista Hiner, Esports Attorney at ESG Law and Officer of the Esports Bar Association. A graduate of William Mitchell College of Law, Ms. Hiner formerly was a Partner at Peterson Logren, & Kilbury, P.A., an employment law firm, before joining ESG Law in 2017. Ms. Hiner has served as a contributor to ESPN, spoken at esports conferences across the country, and is an avid gamer. Thank you so much for taking the time to connect with me, Ms. Hiner. What drew you to the world of esports? What aspects of your work most excite you? Ms. Hiner: I…
5 Easy Ways to be a Giver When Networking
By Stephanie Hanna • March 28, 2019 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues
One of the most common mindset mistakes when networking is approaching relationships as a “taker” -meaning, you are solely focused on your goals and what you can receive from a relationship, instead of thinking about the value that you can add. When I work with clients on this mindset shift, a very common question is “But what do I have that is of value that I can offer when networking?” Here are 5 easy ways you can be a giver (and add real value) when networking. Keep a list of helpful articles. Start compiling a list of good articles on…
Something Blue: Exposing my Blue-Collar Roots on a Blog
By Molly Timko • March 28, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers
I have wanted to share my thoughts about bringing blue-collar roots to the legal profession for over 10 years, but conversations about class are difficult and uncomfortable. Moreover, revealing some aspects of my personal life on a public forum is pretty scary. Let me start by saying that I did not grow up in poverty. I am also keenly aware of the privilege I have by virtue of being white. I know there are many stories out there about extraordinary people who overcame tremendous obstacles to escape poverty and achieve success. My story is much more ordinary. Nevertheless, I still struggle to maintain…
Considering a Career Switch into the Legal Industry?
By Vanessa Stephens • March 26, 2019 •Law School, Pre-Law
One of the most challenging and rewarding decisions I made in my career was enrolling in law school after working for several years. At the time, I reached a point in my career where I started to build credibility and expertise in my field, but I found myself increasingly interested in the laws impacting the healthcare industry. I also knew getting back into “school-mode” would be an adjustment. But because I didn’t have family or close friends that were attorneys, I had to learn what attorneys did and what I would learn in law school. To those of you reading…-100x100.png)
Why, hello there!
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • March 27, 2019 •Writers in Residence
As the 2019 Writers in Residence program kicks off, we here at Millennial Women are thrilled to kick off our column and welcome you, our readers. As we start blogging, we thought the first question we needed to address is: why are we here? Meaning, why are we creating a blog post monthly, and why should you read our posts? Well, aside for our brilliant writing and cool blog title name (at this point both Elise and Melanie have rolled their eyes at me)… but in all seriousness, we want to discuss issues affecting diversity in the legal profession. And…
Women in the Law: In Conversation with Shanell Parrish-Brown
By Janae Cummings • March 27, 2019
Shanell Parrish-Brown, Esq. is a dynamic legal practitioner with over twenty years of diverse legal and corporate management experience including eight years as a corporate strategic manager and the last sixteen years as a Labor and Employment legal practitioner. I sat down with Shanell to ask about her career path, challenges and triumphs as a corporate attorney for Viacom. Tell us about your role at Viacom. I have been with the company for eleven years. As Vice President, Employment Counsel with Viacom Media Networks, I provide advice and counsel which centers around risk assessment on employment issues. I address…
Preparing for Law School? Check out these do’s and don’ts.
By Paige Marie Robinson Greene • March 25, 2019 •Law School, Pre-Law
This post was written by Mackenzie Koppenhofer, a 2019 Ms. JD Fellow. The year before beginning law school is a difficult one: you have a lot of fears and doubts based on rumors and articles about the difficulties of law school, you don’t quite know what to expect, and trying to juggle the application process alongside your other responsibilities can be overwhelming. All of these things definitely bogged me down during my application process: I was working full time as a restaurant manager, had just graduated from undergrad, and no one in my family had ever gone to law school.…