Something Blue: Bringing Blue-Collar Roots to the Legal Profession - An Interview with Melissa Green
By Molly Timko • May 29, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers
For this month's post, I am thrilled to feature an interview with Melissa Green, an energetic, enthusiastic, and compassionate attorney who specializes in Social Security Disability law. Melissa is the daughter of blue-collar workers and the first person in her family to attend and graduate from both college and law school. Could you tell Ms. JD blog readers about your background and what prompted you to apply to law school? I grew up in rural Maine and was the first person in my family to attend college. After college I became a high school teacher for about six years, then applied to law…
Essential First Year Of Law School Tips
By Arpita Arya • June 04, 2019 •Law School, Other Law School Issues
The first year of law school is challenging, and you know well how vital the first year is. Your journey determines the job you get. You earn a great achievement if you prove eligible for scholarships and if you can do all the competitive and clerkships that come with doing well in your first year of law school. A right law school comes up with massive resources to be incurred, so here are few great tips for embarking the first year with great success. Leave Your Comfort Zone From The Begining While creating a network, don’t expect anyone for your…-100x100.png)
The Importance of Community Involvement
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • May 29, 2019 •Writers in Residence
As millennials, we are more interconnected than ever—with a variety of social media platforms and constantly evolving technology at our fingertips. It’s easy to connect with someone on LinkedIn, or follow them on Twitter, but this month, we wanted to highlight something else—beyond online connectivity—that’s important to a lot of millennials for both personal and professional reasons: in-person, community involvement. Community involvement can take several different forms, and any activity that helps you get plugged into your community and meet people is time well spent. We’ve reflected on some of the community activities and involvement that we’ve been a part…
5 Ways Women Attorneys Try to Reduce Stress…That Actually Increase Stress
By Amy Wood • May 14, 2019 •Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
As a professional coach to ambitious attorneys, I regularly meet with women lawyers who are beyond stressed out. And it’s not like these women aren’t trying to dial down stress. To the contrary, most of them seek me out as a last resort because, despite having applied all sorts of supposed “expert” advice to feel calm and in charge, they are evermore sinking under the weight of these issues: Nearly impossible billable hours quotas Difficult clients Snowballing workload Insufficient personal time Elusive sense of satisfaction The problem, I’ve come to realize, with successful attorneys who want to lighten their load…-100x100.png)
Book Review and Q&A with Lauren Stiller Rikleen, Author of The Shield of Silence
By Katie Day • May 30, 2019
I had the distinct pleasure of getting an early copy of Lauren Stiller Rikleen’s new book The Shield of Silence: How Power Perpetuates a Culture of Harassment and Bullying in the Workplace. This book is truly a must read for anyone in the workforce! The research Lauren shares is surprising and compelling and her tips for both employees and companies are spot on. Although I was not expecting to, I found myself personally relating to the experiences and behaviors studied by this book. It goes far beyond the typical sexual harassment discussion and dives into many other prevalent and problematic…
Summer Associate Advice Good for a Lifetime: Solicit, Receive, and Materialize Constructive Feedback
By Vanessa Stephens • May 31, 2019 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, •Mentoring and Networking
Many leaders succeed in their fields because they request continuous feedback, process it, and adjust their course. As a law students, I attended panel discussions centered on soliciting feedback very frequently, so it seems like a hot-button topic for young associates. The legal field is incredibly challenging; the learning curve is steep and the workplace dynamics are intricate. I want to make continuous and open dialogue about my learning opportunities a regular part of my legal process, so I talked to my mentors about how to request and receive actionable constructive feedback. Here are a few tips that I picked…
So You Are Thinking About Law School?
By Caambridge Horton • May 30, 2019 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Pre-Law
If you browse the internet, you will find many sources providing information on topics from “things you should know before going to law school” to “things I wish I knew before law school” and many of these articles seem to all have a common theme where they stress the importance of doing your research. While there are many sources including entertaining YouTube videos where you can follow a law student in “A Day in their Life,” I thought I’d provide you with one more informative article on what you should know if you are thinking about attending law school. 1.…
Webinar: What You Need to Know About Going Solo or Starting Your Own Firm
By Katie Day • May 28, 2019 •Careers, Other Career Issues
On May 22, 2019, Ms. JD board member, Katie Day hosted a webinar featuring Nicole Galli, founder of The Law Offices of N.D. Galli and President and Founder of Women Owned Law. The webinar focused on tips and tricks for lawyers who are considering going solo or starting their own firm. Check out the full webinar below to hear Nicole's advice and get some great resources! About Nicole Galli: Nicole D. Galli is the founder and Managing Partner of the Law Offices of N.D. Galli LLC, a litigation and intellectual property law firm headquartered in Philadelphia, with an office in…
Millennial Women: Estate Planning is for You Too!
By Iffy Ibekwe • May 10, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues, Features, •Myths & Truths
Millennial Lawyers are Powerful. I can say that because I too am a millennial lawyer. We are highly educated (sometimes in the school of hard knocks), talented, committed, innovative and ready to take on any challenge head-on. Watch out! The world is changing for women and millennials are leading the way for future generations: Around 72% of millennial women are in the workforce. [i] Although a gender pay gap still exists but is narrowing. [ii] More than 28% of millennial women start a business because they see an opportunity. [iii] Millennial women are more likely to have bachelor degrees than their male…