Law School & Parenting: Accepting, Embracing, and Loving the Mayhem
By Hend Alhakam • January 28, 2019 •Ms. JD
“I don’t know how you do it.” That is the usual response I receive when I tell people that I am a single mom in law school. To be honest, I don’t know how I do it either. When I zoom out and look down on my life, it looks exhausting (and it’s MY life). I am a single mom to a 5 year old boy. I am also a first year law student. Crazy, right? (Yes. It’s crazy). While I am still fuzzy on how I manage to survive on a day to day basis, I do know one…
Interview with Jacques Anderson, Counsel at The Players’ Tribune - On the Field: Women in Sports Law
By Tatum Wheeler • December 31, 2018 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media
I’m excited to introduce Jacques Anderson, Legal Counsel at The Players’ Tribune. A graduate of Harvard Law and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne, Jacques Anderson worked as a Mergers and Acquisition Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates prior to joining The Players’ Tribune in 2018. Welcome, Jacques! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. I was hoping you could share with me your path to The Players’ Tribune. Did you have an interest in sports during your undergraduate and law school education? Jacques: At a high-level, entering the…
Testing Accommodations are not a Gift of Extra Time
By Katherine Macfarlane • January 10, 2019 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
Late last year, a University of Michigan Law student sent an email about testing accommodations to a public listserv. The subject: “People using ‘extra’ time.” In the email’s body, the student wrote: “I see you messing up the curve for me thanks.” Michigan Law’s Assistant Dean for Student Life issued a compassionate response affirming the law school’s commitment to diversity and its disabled students. Above the Law condemned the student’s complaints in a late-December column. Still, the idea that testing accommodations are a gift which might unfairly ruin another student’s grades persists. I want to debunk this myth. Accommodations are…
Dear Future Lawyer: Advice for Minority Women Law Students From Author Neena R. Speer, Esq.
By Roberta O. Roberts, Esq. of Grace for the Grind™ • January 17, 2019 •Careers, Law School, Pre-Law, Issues, Mentoring and Networking, Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law
In 2018, the American Bar Association reported that less than 40% of lawyers in the United States are women, and that less than 20% of lawyers in the United States are people of color. As the statistics make clear, women of color are overwhelmingly outnumbered in the legal profession. Having experienced this isolation herself, lawyer, author, speaker, and nonprofit founder Neena R. Speer, Esq. seeks to help provide solace for this underrepresented population by sharing her experience with other women of color on their journeys to becoming lawyers. As a minority woman lawyer myself, I am happy to share this…
Business Etiquette: Readers’ Top 3 FAQ
By Tori Keith • December 28, 2018 •Writers in Residence
I have really enjoyed blogging each month on an aspect of business etiquette and exploring some of the social nuances and modern interpretations of classic etiquette expectations in a business setting. I hope these blogs have helped you gain more confidence in your professional interactions and improved your professional relationships. I have received many questions and suggested topics along the way, so this month I thought it would be beneficial to collect a few of the most frequently asked questions to address. Here are the top 3 business etiquette questions I received: Question 1: What is the best way…
Making A Choice: Is Law School Right for You?
By Dennis Hung • January 07, 2019 •Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
Going to law school is a popular decision among those looking for a prestigious career path. Motivated by what they've seen on television and the movies, many go to law school only to quickly find out that the reality of practicing law is much different than what they've seen in fiction. If you are considering law school, you'll want to ask yourself the questions below before you send in your application. Do You Want to Go to Law School? The most important question to ask yourself is if you really want to go to law school. Don't go because you…
What is the number one piece of career advice you have received?
By Molly Timko • December 22, 2018 •Ms. JD
I received invaluable career advice back in the early 2000s, which was before I even thought about going to law school and when people still “snail mailed” resumes. Although I have changed professions since that time and technology has drastically evolved, I continue to benefit from this advice today. As a graduate student in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration at Canisius College, my professor, who was also the director of the program, taught me about the importance of membership in professional associations. In fact, part of the curriculum included attendance at a national student affairs professional development conference. I learned how membership in…
5 Reasons Why Mentoring Is Good for Mentors
By Claire Parsons • December 21, 2018 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
Lack of mentorship for female attorneys is often cited as one of the reasons that women still have not achieved parity in the legal profession. Most of the time when people talk about mentoring, however, the focus is on the benefits that such a relationship offers to the mentee. As a new partner, I certainly appreciate this since I know that, without good mentors, I never would have made it. Still, I have been struck over the last year how much relationships with younger lawyers have benefitted me in positive way. I have always believed in the idea…
How to Develop Stronger Client Relationships
By Anna Johansson • January 10, 2019 •Careers
As an attorney, you’re only as good as your relationships. If you have the right relationships with the right people, you’ll always have business coming your way. And with that being said, one of the best things you can do for your business is develop a strategy for maintaining healthy client relationships. 4 Tips and Tricks for Better Client Relationships It’s been said that the client is often the most neglected party in civil or criminal litigation. As attorneys, we spend so much time focusing on strategy, communicating with other lawyers, reviewing paperwork, and interacting with the court that we…