We are thrilled to be awarding these incredible individuals and organizations for their support of women in the legal profession! The Ms. JD Honors awards will be presented on Thursday March 12, 2020 in Chicago, IL from 5-7pm.

Sharing Her Passion Award - To a woman who has practiced for more than ten years who is inspiring younger women lawyers through sponsorship, mentorship, and sharing her passion for the practice. Awardee: Claire Parsons

Women's Strength in Numbers Award - To two or more women who have partnered with one another to create a unique program, business, or organization. Awardee: The Coalition of Women's Initiatives in the Law

Road Less Traveled Award - To a woman who is using her J.D. in a unique, non-traditional, way to pursue an issue or cause that she is passionate about. Awardee: Haley Moss

Law School Chapter Award – To a law school organization that champions the advancement of women law students through, for example, chapter initiatives (including pre-law initiatives), programming or recruitment. Awardee: Louisiana State University, Women Law Students Association

Woman of Inspiration Award - To a woman who, regardless of her practice area or type of practice, inspires others by her commitment and passion to her work. Awardees: Carolyn Lam, Jami McKeon & Shannon Stevenson

Student of Inspiration Award – To a male or female law student who inspires others through their commitment and passion to their legal studies, extracurricular activities or to a particular cause. Awardee: Holly James

TIM Initiative Award – To a man who is an active champion for women’s advancement in the legal profession. Ms. JD launched The Incredible Men (TIM) Initiative in 2014 to celebrate men who not only value equality and diversity in the profession, but earnestly and enthusiastically support women and women’s initiatives. Awardee: J.Y. Miller

To celebrate the honorees, we are giving individuals and organizations the opportunity to congratulate one or all of the winners.

Powerpoint slides, which will display throughout the cocktail hour portion of the awards ceremony, can be purchased for $250.  The slide should be designed by your organization, may congratulate one or all of the honorees, and will appear before over 100 guests who are expected to join Ms. JD at the awards ceremony.  

Those wishing to offer a personal congratulations to an individual honoree may purchase congratulations cards. Congratulations cards will be incorporated into the décor for the event and all cards that specifically mention a particular honoree's name will be presented to her/him as a memento of their award.  Congratulations cards are $25. 

You can purchase slides, cards, and tickets to the Ms. JD Honors Reception HERE. Completed powerpoint slides and congratulation card text must be emailed to day@ms-jd.org no later than March 6, 2020.

I had the exciting opportunity to interview Ms. Natasha Pardawala, an Associate at Latham & Watkins, LLP. Natasha stands out as an associate who has already developed extensive experience early in her career. Having started to hone her advocacy skills from a young age on her high school and college mock trial and speech and debate teams, Natasha also worked as a Conflicts Assistant at Latham and interned for the Orange County Office of the Public Defender prior to attending law school at Northwestern University. During law school, she served as a Summer Associate at Latham as a rising 2L and 3L. Natasha is currently a second-year Litigation Associate at Latham’s Orange County office, specializing in Securities Litigation and White Collar Crime & Internal Investigations.

Let’s get started. Can you tell me a little more about the types of clients you handle and work you perform at Latham, and tell me a what you like most and least about what you do?

I am a second year Litigation Associate in Latham’s Securities Litigation and White Collar Crime & Internal Investigations practice groups. In these practices I have the opportunity to assist companies and prominent business people with some of their largest and most complex legal issues. My favorite part of the work is the factual investigations. I enjoy developing the evidence from a number of different sources, including witnesses with various motivations and attitudes, so that we can better understand the issues and advise clients.

You’ve been involved in diversity initiatives and affinity groups – in practical terms, what does diversity in the legal profession mean to you, and why does it matter?

To me, diversity in the legal profession means that people who come from different backgrounds have equal opportunities for work, growth, and promotion.  Diversity matters because diverse perspectives garner diverse ideas and varied ways of addressing an issue.  This results in the creative and effective solutions that our clients demand. Numerous studies have shown that having diversity on a team creates more innovative ideas, better perspective, and an opportunity to market to a greater variety of audiences. It’s good for business, good for society, and it’s morally the right thing to do.

Do you feel that being South Asian has affected the way you are perceived by clients or your peers or superiors at your firm? Did you feel you had to account for or respond to those perceptions in any way?

Although I am too junior to have much interaction with clients, I do feel like in every other aspect – in working with people in my firm, in law school, with co-counsel, it impacts how people see me. I feel the need to prove myself a little more than others.

What does working harder to prove yourself mean in practical terms? How does what you just described manifest itself?

Sometimes I have less self-confidence, and other times it motivates me to be extra prepared and on top of things. That’s not always easy – especially when you have a million things on your plate. I also think that it helps to find people who face the same obstacles and insecurities that I do. I would not be able to do this job without the supportive and inspirational women around me. I think it’s important for South Asian women and diverse women in the law to continue to mentor and seek out people who are like us so that one day we don’t feel the need to constantly prove that we deserve to be here.

Thinking back to law school, can you think of either a skill you developed, an experience you had, or an activity that you did in law school, that set you up for success in your role now?

One of the things I really appreciated in law school was taking small classes on areas of the law that were interesting to me, but didn’t necessarily apply to my career. For example, I took a fair housing class in law school – I’m not doing anything related to that in my career, but it was around a five-person class with an accomplished adjunct professor who worked for [the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development]. I learned so much from discourse with a small group of intelligent people about a topic that was interesting and had no bearing on my career. If you’re able to apply parts of the law that are not [precisely related to] what you’re doing, [those concepts can] give you more perspective in your work, and help you develop the same analytical skills that you’ll be able to apply to whichever area of law you do end up practicing.

I also think doing Mock Trial and Trial Team helped me develop my communication skills. I’ve been doing that since high school, not just in law school, and I definitely credit that a lot for my ability to communicate efficiently and speak up for myself.

Can you tell me about a mentor you’ve had at Latham, and a lesson they taught you that you would pass on to others?

I had a mentor who taught me that I don’t need to feel pressured to be like everyone else. What matters is that you are really good at your job, not that you are the person that fits in the best and is friends with the most people.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Can you tell me a little bit about your goal-setting process and how you keep yourself accountable for your goals?

I haven’t fully decided where I see myself in five years. If I continue to enjoy my work at the firm, continue to feel challenged, and can manage having a family and being an attorney in Big Law, I could see myself spending several more years at Latham. But one of my long term goals has always been to work in government. I would love to be an [Assistant United States Attorney] one day.

I think it’s hard to set goals that far out anymore. I have always lived my entire life with goals – I have to go to a good college, I have to go to a good law school, I have to get a good job. Now I’ve gotten to a point in my life where the next thing is not so obvious for the first time. So it’s kind of just a matter of reassessing every year or two and thinking about where I’m at, what I’m enjoying, what I’m not [enjoying], and what could be better.

For most, that means it’s the month of love. I filled my home with convenience store hearts and baked cookies filled with icing (if you haven’t read my last post on group fitness, you might understand my incentive a little more now). But most importantly, February brought me a time to reflect on those who care for me and whom I care for. Lady lawyers building an empire understand the hustle. We understand getting up to prepare for that deposition, calling that client, or crafting a persuasive brief. I know that I at least sometimes forget to value small moments of connection with those around me. Here are some of my tips to celebrate love in any month:

Date Night. Sure, you’ve heard it works wonders for your relationship. But have you ever thought about date hour? Date twenty minutes? When life gets particularly hectic, date night may be a little difficult to schedule. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Try making a deliberate decision to put away all phones, work and personal, and spend twenty minutes with your significant other. Have you ever noticed how frequently we have full conversations with others and never make eye contact? Phones down. Gaze up. Heart full.

Gal Night. I know any Parks and Recreation fan knows the charm behind Galentine’s day. The show’s main character tenaciously schedules a meal in which she celebrates the lovely ladies around her. So why not do the same? I have dutifully written down “Call So-and-So for brunch” on about seven different variations of my to-do list. What did I do last month? I scheduled a call. Yes, like a client meeting. We couldn’t partake in mimosas, but we were at least able to catch up. And that was all that mattered.

Volunteering…and reflecting on it. Some of you have (or can very carefully make) some time to do some non-legal community service. I guarantee some time at a soup kitchen or local elementary school will not only give you a much-needed break from deposition designations, but will put a little kindness in a world that so desperately needs it. If you just can’t bear to get away from the law, contact your local public school district. Many have pre-law programs for students ranging from elementary to high school age. I recently had the privilege of volunteering at a high school civics competition. For a brief moment I got to be the adult that told them they were seen and heard. I got to encourage them to develop the skills that will allow them to advocate for themselves. That was priceless.

These small gestures of kindness and connection combat the feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation that are unfortunately entirely too pervasive in the legal field. What do you do to show someone you care? Do you have any quick tips you can share?

By Ann Lloyd, Student Savings Guide 

Practicing law is one of the most stressful, high-pressure professions out there — especially when you’re a woman. We know it’s not all exciting courtroom drama. In fact, most of it is just the opposite: seemingly endless hours of research, reading, and writing. Just getting through law school was stressful enough. Now you’ve got clients, clerks, and demanding partners depending on you, too. 

And what about making partner, yourself? That could seem like a pie-in-the-sky dream, in light of the gender discrimination you may encounter on any given workday. Female lawyers have been mistaken for admins or court personnel and asked to do nonlegal chores “for the firm” like planning parties or scheduling meetings. And then there’s the legal work you’re actually supposed to be doing. When you add all those factors together, it’s easy to see how female attorneys can fall into career ruts, just like anyone else. The question is, how do you get out?

Facing the same obstacles day in and day out at work can be exhausting. It can certainly get boring, and it doesn’t leave much room for creativity or mental health. Too many monotonous “chores” at work can quickly drive you into a career rut, which can stall your professional growth. In fact, enduring a career rut for too long can be dangerous, both professionally and personally. Luckily, with a few tools, it’s possible to break out and reach your full potential.

Invest in Yourself

Sometimes all that it takes to break out of a career rut is to carve out the time and focus a little energy and attention on yourself. This can take many forms: You can bump up your self-care with relaxation techniques, more exercise, meditation, or just dedicating time to indulge in things you like to do. Or you can take the time to learn a new skill. 

You might consider deepening your involvement in an area related to your career. On the other hand, you might want a break from focusing on law; in this case, why not take a generalized class instead — one that helps you become a more capable, better-rounded person? 

Consider enhancing your skills with specialized instruction in areas such as CPR training or even emergency response. Or go in an artistic direction with painting, dance, or music classes. Another possibility: tackle a long-term investment in higher education. Additional classes, certifications, and degrees build your résumé and personal skill set, which could lead to promotions or new opportunities.

Find a New Routine

Legal work can become boring when you’re doing the same thing every single day. To dig yourself out of a career rut, try to mix up your routine. It can be as simple as taking a different route to work, opting for public transportation instead of driving, or packing a different lunch. Maybe walk to an unfamiliar part of town during your lunch break and try out a new restaurant in the area. If you have a workplace with open seating, try working from a new spot near a window.

If you have the freedom to do so, it can be helpful to change up the order in which you complete your duties, too. With non-sequential projects, starting at the end and working your way backward can be a fun way to wake up your brain. Or, if you have simple but rote tasks to complete, consider trading with a colleague for a day to get (and give) a new perspective; you do filing while they run reports. Switching up elements of your routine throughout the day can bring that lost element of discovery back into the workplace.

Update Your Online Profiles

In today’s world, nearly all important aspects of life have migrated online. Our personal lives, relationships, and adventures are now easily shared throughout the world via social media. And résumés are no different. Most professionals have a dedicated LinkedIn page, since potential employers and recruiters of many types often recruit via LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster and other recruiting sites. For more industry-focused connections, try legal sites like LawJobs, LawMatch, or Above the Law. 

Once you’ve chosen your sites (or created a presence on all of them), be sure to regularly update your profiles with accurate and relevant information about yourself and your career. Remember to add the skills you’re augmenting, associations you belong to, and any honors you’ve received. Even sharing interesting articles can keep your profile fresh in the public eye.

Get Organized Digitally

Just as physical clutter throughout the home or workspace can make you feel disorganized and overwhelmed, digital clutter can do the same on your devices. For attorneys, it’s enough of a burden to research new material; you don’t want to waste time digging through your notes because you’ve forgotten where you’ve put a crucial piece of information. Disorganized files and documents on your computer can create a distracted, defeated, and disorganized mindset. So take time to organize your digital life. 

Clean up your computer first. Make sure you have appropriate updates installed, and add any software you’ve been putting off installing. Then tackle organizing your files, deleting outdated information and categorizing files by client, project, date, or whatever criteria are most helpful. The cloud can help tremendously in this process. Cloud computing is an easy way to store all your documents securely in one place, making them easily accessible with a simple internet connection.

Take On a Challenging Project

If you’re a woman practicing law, chances are you’re making less than your male counterparts. Even though 1 in 3 lawyers is a woman, a female lawyer working full time makes a median salary of just 76% of what a male attorney does. Despite the irony of this injustice, this fact makes it even more important to step out and stand out. 

Taking on a big project that challenges you might be the perfect way to enliven an otherwise uninspired career trajectory. Not only will a new project give you something fresh and exciting to work toward, but it can help propel your career to new heights. Tackling a big project can show your supervisors that you’re ready for the next step in your career. Plus, many projects are collaborative, so you might just end up making new friends or professional allies along the way.

Clean Up Your Finances

When personal finances are weighing you down, it can negatively impact your work life. (With a load of law school debt you’re likely carrying, this can come as no surprise.) Not only can money worries leave you with a sense of being personally out of control, they can also make you feel like you’re forced to stay at a certain job or workplace, simply to make ends meet. Taking control of your personal finances can help galvanize you personally and professionally. 

So take the time to create a budget, setting aside amounts for living expenses, savings, and a bit extra for fun. Learn ways to track and build your credit score over time. The benefits derived by taking control of your personal life often will trickle into the workplace, improving your mindset and performance. And sometimes clarifying things with a personal budget can help you realize you’re freer than you’d imagined to accept a new opportunity or position.

Emphasize Networking

Not only is networking a great way to meet new people, but it also can be a perfect way to identify new opportunities. Try to connect with co-workers involved in other specialties and different cases. Learning about new departments and opportunities within your workplace can lead to promotions or opportunities to take on a different role. 

A change of scenery with new tasks and duties can be enough to reignite a career. Or you can broaden your scope by networking with people outside your firm but within the legal field. You never know when a new opportunity will arise. Having friends and colleagues throughout the industry can be beneficial at any time — and especially when you need change and inspiration.

A career rut can be demoralizing if you’re stuck in one for too long. It can not only stall your life professionally, but it can weigh on you personally. Monotonous tasks and repetitive obstacles can make any workplace boring, but luckily, there are ways to break free. By following these tips, you can break out of your career rut and realize your full potential.  

While it isn’t possible to become a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office without a technical background, there are several ways attorneys can work in intellectual property and patent litigation WITHOUT scientific or technological training. Below is a non-exhaustive list of common areas in which an attorney can work in science-adjacent fields even without specific technological training:

• Trademarks
• Copyrights
• Trade Secrets
• Patent Litigation
• Medical Malpractice
• Technology Counsel
• Space Law

In general, if you are interested in intellectual property but you don’t have a scientific background, you won’t want to draft patent applications including detailed specifications and claims differentiating a new product from prior art. Music licensing, standards of copyright protecting, determining fair use applications, and litigating trademark and copyright infringements will be far preferable in terms of comfort level and jargon acumen. 

If you do want to work closely in patents but you don’t have the technical background necessary, litigation can be an excellent way to accomplish this. Patent litigators can work closely with a trained scientist to handle technical points, but lead in the litigation itself. For example, in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, 569 U.S. 576, 133 S. Ct. 2107 (2013) in which the Supreme Court held that a naturally occurring DNA segment is not patent eligible merely because it has been isolated, but synthetic complimentary DNA (cDNA) is patent eligible because it is not naturally occurring, the lead litigators, Sandra Park and Chris Hansen, were not patent attorneys. While they utilized a trained scientist for the technical understanding, they led in the litigation. 

Outside of litigating patent issues, attorneys can also draft licensing and technology transfer agreements and work on patent policy. As a caveat, I consider it a best practice pointer to have a patent attorney or trained scientist review or oversee such agreements to ensure that no technical considerations are lost in the course of negotiations and drafting. Through careful research on up-to-date policies and technology changes, any attorney can work and excel in these areas.

So there you have it - Don’t let a lack of undergraduate scientific training prevent you from finding a niche in patent litigation, intellectual property or other science-based law!

*Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay 
 

“That I am a national figure because I was the first person in 192 years to be at once a congressman, black, and a woman proves...that our society is not yet either just or free.” 

     16 Black women including retired, Shirley Chisholm got together in the summer of 1989 and signed “We Remember,” a brochure and first-of-its-kind collective statement supporting abortion access. The brochure offered a definition for “reproductive freedom,” including: the right to choose to have a child, the right to choose not to have a child, and the right to reproductive health and to make reproductive choices. In 1994, the same year of the coining of the term “reproductive justice,” the “We Remember” brochure was republished and included more signatures of Black women. The next year, Chisholm became a founding member of the African American Women for Reproductive Freedom. 

     In 1969, as a Congresswoman, she gave a statement about her views on abortion in front of the Republican Task Force on Earth Resources and Population. Her statement addressed maternal mortality and the economic plight of low income families unable to financially support their children. In her statement, Chisholm also emphasized her belief that abortion should be an individual choice not controlled by the state; this is a belief she later shares in her autobiography, Unbought and Unbossed.

“[I]t seems to me clearly wrong to pass laws regulating [abortion].”

1969 is also the year Chisholm became an honorary co-president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, then known as the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws.

     In addition to supporting abortion access through membership in organizations and speaking out, Chisholm's passion for the economic plight of her constituents led to a significant role in the passage of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) legislation. Indeed, without access to food for oneself and those in one's care, a person cannot exercise their right to choose to have a child; therefore, Chisholm's work to address those in need of food is yet another contribution she made for reproductive justice.

        Chisholm's life and career is a continuing inspiration for reproductive justice and since she is known for saying that she wanted to be remembered for having guts, she can best be honored by having the guts to speak out on diverse issues and seeking progressive change.

As I reflect on my own career journey, I recognize that there will always be a formula to approaching legal issues. With the dramatic shift of the overall workforce over the course of the past decade, however, legal professionals have been required to take great strides to accommodate the status quo. Working in tech, particularly, demands a unique combination of legal acuity, endurance, and innovation. Not only are legal professionals being faced with the usual complexities that companies endure, but they are also faced with unprecedented challenges that range in scope.

So, what is it like to actually work in tech or in startup environments? Like any industry it can vary between teams, roles, and companies. There is, however, a combination of aspects that make the work experience unique.

Here are some common themes that are fairly consistent across the board. 

• There is no escaping the fast pace. As companies grow rapidly in new spaces, there is often a constant “all hands on deck” atmosphere that can be the perfect combination of fascinating and challenging.
• Collaboration is key. Due to the pace and typically collegial environments, companies tend to take a cross-functional approach to solving problems at a high rate.
• Creativity is welcomed and encouraged. Built on the premise of innovation, startup environments often expect team members from all departments to think outside of the box and maintain an entrepreneurial spirit throughout all their work.
• Everyone is constantly learning. Whether it’s changing regulations or the constant emergence of new ideas, tech spaces inherently foster consistent learning and development.
• It’s fun! If you enjoy being on the brink of innovation while simultaneously learning or shaping new areas of law, then you will likely find that in a tech environment.

If I was ever tasked with responding to an inquiry like the one sent so many years ago, I would make sure to iterate that we must always remember that the world is constantly evolving along with our profession. Although we all have required education, we must seek and embrace the societal shifts that may directly impact us by opening the opportunities for jobs that we never even knew would exist and making our experiences unlike anyone before us.

History tells us that lawyers have been plying their trade since the days of ancient Rome and Greece. But history also tells us that those were male lawyers. From what we know, there were no female lawyers in America until at least the 17th Century. In fact, there is some disagreement as to who the first female lawyer actually was. Let’s look at the candidates.

MARGARET BRENT

In the early 1600s, the ratio of men to women in the American Colonies is estimated to have been 6:1. The pressure for women to marry was heavy. Despite all, Margaret Brent (c. 1601 - c. 1671) and her sister Mary chose to remain single. This one factor may have contributed more to Margaret’s success in business than any other. 

In search of religious freedom, the Brent family immigrated to Maryland in 1638. Due to their family position and political affiliations, they secured large land grants and political offices. In 1639, Margaret became the first woman land owner in Maryland. Had she been married, her husband would have succeeded to her properties under the doctrine of coverture, which gave the husband the right to manage the property and make decisions for the family. As it were, as a single woman, she was allowed to own land and manage her properties in her own name. 

By all accounts shrewd in business, Brent fiercely protected her family's interests in and out of court, and was at one point named executor of the estate Leonard Calvert, Lord Baltimore, the first proprietary governor of the state. She is said to have appeared in 124 court cases over eight years and won every single one of them. She also appeared as attorney for Lord Baltimore before the Maryland General Assembly. She was, however, never given the right to vote in that body. 

About 1650 she moved with her family to property they had purchased in Virginia. There is no record of her having acted as an attorney after her move to Virginia. 

Margaret Brent is remembered every year by the American Bar Association’s award to the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement.  

ARABELLA MANSFIELD

We have no record that Ms. Brent was ever officially recognized as a lawyer, which may have prejudiced her in the running for “first female lawyer.” If we were to attach that appellation to another woman of note, you might expect her to have been practicing in one of the centers of commerce or learning in the East like New York, Philadelphia or Boston, That is not the case. 

Meet Arabella Mansfield (1946 - 1911). Arabella was born Belle Aurelia Babb near Burlington, Iowa. After graduating from Iowa Wesleyan College she taught for a year at what is now Simpson College in Des Moines. When her brother obtained his law license, she and her husband began studying law in the brother’s law office, which was an acceptable path to the profession at the time. As we learned in this column last month, women were often turned away from study in law schools due to misperceived notions that the legal profession was just too rambunctious for the delicacy of the female gender. 

Mrs. Mansfield took the bar in 1869 even though officially the Iowa bar exam was restricted to males over 21. Her examiners were impressed. They noted that her performance on the exam gave “the very best rebuke possible to the imputation that ladies cannot qualify for the practice of law.” 

At the time, the Iowa Code provided for the admission of “any white male person.” Arabella’s husband applied to be admitted at the same time as his wife, but despite the glowing recommendation of her examiners, she was not automatically admitted along with her husband. Later the same day, District Court Judge Francis Springer, an advocate of women’s rights, used that very statute against itself in a deft bit of statutory interpretation (and quick decisive legal action). He held that “the affirmative declaration that male persons may be admitted is not a denial of the right of females.” The next year, the legislature eliminated the words “white male”.

Even though it may have taken place in the Heartland, Mrs. Mansfield’s accomplishment was noted in that great commercial center of the East, New York. The New York Express wrote

As an innovation upon established custom, it has incited a deal of comment; but none of it that we have encountered contains a word against the policy of permitting females to become lawyers and to practice law upon terms of equality with men. In certain branches of legal practice, women could be quite as effective as men—perhaps more valuable as counsellors. In chamber practice, rather than as pleaders at the bar, they in many cases might excel male lawyers.

Yes, baby steps - first the law office then the court room.

An active suffragette and passionate educator, Mansfield chose to continue teaching rather than practice law, and she achieved several top administrative positions at Iowa Wesleyan College and DePauw University before her death in 1911.  

The Iowa Organization of Women Attorneys awards the Arabella Mansfield Award, which honors an outstanding woman in the profession for her promotion and nurturing of women in the legal profession. 

MYRA BRADWELL

Just to muddy the competitive waters a bit, another woman who submitted her application to the bar in 1869 deserves to be considered for the title “America’s First Woman Lawyer”. 

You might think that a woman who wrote legislation to allow women to control their earnings and property and who founded and published the Chicago Legal News in 1868 would have no trouble being admitted to the Illinois Bar. Unfortunately, not true. 

Mrs. Bradwell studied law under the tutelage of her lawyer husband. After two years, in 1869 a federal appellate judge and the state’s attorney pronounced her fit to practice and recommended to the Illinois Supreme Court that she be admitted to the bar. Her application was summarily denied. The Illinois court reasoned that as a married woman, she could not enter into contracts on her own as would be required during the course of practicing law. Upon denying her second application, the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court pronounced that “God designed the sexes to occupy different spheres of action.” There is no indication on what evidence of God’s intent the lllinois chief justice relied. 

Myra was not to be deterred.* She took her case to the United States Supreme Court. In what is probably the first sex discrimination case to come before the high court, her attorney argued that the Illinois Supreme Court violated the 14th amendment when it refused to admit her. The US Supreme Court was not persuaded. In its opinion issued in 1873, Justice Joseph Bradley summed up the Court's reasoning.

The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occuplations of civil life. . . [T]he paramount destiny and mission of woman are to fulfill the noble and benign offices of wife and mother. This is the law of the Creator.

Again, there is no indication on what evidence of God’s intent Justice Bradley relied.  

Finally, some 16 years later, in 1890, Bradwell received her law license when the Illinois Supreme Court, acting on its own motion, approved her original application, which she submitted in 1869, the same year Mararet Brent was admitted in Iowa, and one year after Myra Bradwell Elementary School was named in her honor. 

Each year, the Minnesota Women Lawyers presents the Myra Bradwell Award to an outstanding woman in the profession. 

Picking one of these three woman for the title of America’s First Woman Lawyer is a feat for which your columnist is not qualified. Each was uncompromising and deserving in her own right. Shall we salute these three brave women, Margaret Brent, Arabella Mansfield, and Myra Bradwell, equally, and trust that God no longer intends that women be denied their place before the bar. 

*Myra was no stranger to self-advocacy. Before she could publish the Chicago Legal News she had to obtain permission from the Illinois legislature. 

Sounds like a lot, right? I can truly say, I’ve probably heard majority of these things in one work day. What do I do with all of this information? Where do I start? Do I first digest the victories of those clients that are super satisfied with my services? You know, digest them to give me that sense of gratification I so desperately need. What about the client who told me, “[i]f you can’t get me a signature bond, [i]’ll just pled today”? I continued his case for one week because he was adamant about needing to get back to his family - for valid reasons. Should I start reading his lengthy discovery, that also includes dash cam video and an interrogation video? That doesn’t include actually investigating the case. I’m also scheduled to be in a jury trial. I can’t forget about the bond motion that I need to file for the client who needs to get out of jail because he’s the sole provider for his family. He received a call from his wife that his social security checks have just sat on the table, and their electricity will be getting cut off soon. I’ve never been in this situation but I’m guessing once his electricity gets cut off, there’s a reconnect fee, a late fee, and the actual bill that must be paid. This is a client who receives social security: every penny counts. “Our job is such, that you have to go around and put out whatever fire is burning the hottest at that time.” Walter Stockley, District Defender for the Children’s Team in Jackson County, MO.

While my job is incredibly demanding, it truly takes gifted persons to be able to deal with the pressure, high demands and accountability that comes with this job. You must be self-less. You must be dedicated. You must be compassionate. You must be a hard worker. You must be fearless. You must be educated. You must be firm. You must be ethical. You must be unintimidated. You must be strategic. On the other-hand, you must be healthy.

I believe the PD’s office has equipped me with the tools and real life experiences that will elevate me to even higher grounds. Being an APD has undoubtedly reminded me what it means to be humble. I started my career as a prosecutor and I have to say, working as an APD has changed my perspective and outlook on the legal system. I can’t tell you what my future holds or what path God will take me on next, but I thank God for being in control of my life and for continuing to develope me into a woman who’s well-rounded. If I ever step back into prosecution, or not, I will always be an advocate for more funding for the PD’s office. As a prosecutor, it wouldn’t sit well with me, knowing that my opponents are understaffed and overworked. But most importantly, I wouldn’t be OK with knowing that a defendant is not being afforded his constitutional rights, an oath I vowed to support and one that was designed to make the justice system "more just". 

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” —Booker T. Washington

Happy Black History Month!

As lawyers, we spend long days and nights advocating for and advising others. We get entrenched in minute details to provide the best representation and advice we can. But when it comes to advocating for ourselves and researching how best to do so, many of us fall short.

The type of advocacy I’m referring to is more aptly described as self-promotion or personal branding. (Although learning how to stand up for ourselves and communicate our needs is also extremely important!)

So how do we get better at and more comfortable with self-promotion? By spending some quality time creating or reinvigorating our personal brands. It’s not the sexiest of activities but doing so will help us better convey our value and stay top of mind.

A few ideas to get your creative personal branding and self-advocacy juices following:

LinkedIn

Headlines

Going back to the example above, which of the following LinkedIn headlines grabs your attention?

• Associate at XYZ Firm
• Corporate Associate XYZ Firm
• Technology Transactions Associate at XYZ Firm | I help emerging and multinational companies navigate complex technology and IP issues

The third commands the most interest because it provides the most detail. It tells us where the individual works, what their practice focus is, what types of clients they assist, and how they assist those clients. Give your audience a reason to want to learn more about you from the get-go by clearly communicating what your practice entails and how you help your clients. (Hot tip – recruiters use LinkedIn ALL the time, so the more specific your headline, the more likely you are to appear in a search and learn about a potentially career-advancing opportunity.)

Content Creation

Most people hop on LinkedIn and scroll through others’ posts, liking a few here and there. In other words, most people consume content on LinkedIn. Few create it. Apparently, only 1% of LinkedIn’s 260 million monthly users share posts. (See https://kinsta.com/blog/linkedin-statistics/).

That means there’s a huge untapped opportunity to communicate your value on LinkedIn. Whether it’s adding an insightful comment to someone else’s post or posting about a presentation you attended or gave, there are myriad ways to build a personal brand on LinkedIn. The key is personalization. That’s the difference between simply sharing an article you found interesting and sharing the article with a quick explanation of why it was interesting to you. The latter is more compelling and helps build your personal brand.

In person

Imagine you’re a Real Estate associate at a networking event and someone asks you what you do. Which of the following answers is your go-to?

• “I’m a Real Estate Associate at XYZ Firm.”
• “I’m a Real Estate Associate at XYZ Firm, and my practice spans the full commercial real estate cycle – from acquisition, development, retail leasing, and zoning to sales and structured financing. In a nutshell, I help my clients understand ever-changing market conditions, structure, and regulations so they can protect and maximize their real estate portfolios.”

For most, it’s Option 1. Perhaps because Option 2 can feel too “braggy” or “pretentious.” After all, most of us aren’t accustomed to detailing the value we bring and impact we have. But Option 2 tells your audience a story; it tells them what you do, where you do it, and why it matters.

People remember stories. The more detailed, the more memorable. So the next time you introduce yourself, don’t just say you’re a lawyer and work wherever you work. Get specific. Tell a story by telling your audience your unique what, where, and why. Doing so conveys your value in a way that simply saying your title and place of employment can’t.

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What other ways can we work on communicating our value and building a personal brand? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, I highly recommend Debby Stone’s book The Art of Self-Promotion: Tell Your Story, Transform Your Career.