Browse Topics
An Interview with Jessie Kornberg—First Female CEO of Bet Tzedek
By Megan Boyd • November 21, 2014 •Careers, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law, First Women
Jessie Kornberg, who previously served as Ms. JD’s executive director, recently was named the first female CEO of legal services nonprofit Bet Tzedek. Ms. Kornberg will leave her position with Los Angeles-based firm Bird Marella in December 2014 to begin her tenure at Bet Tzedek. I recently spoke with Ms. Kornberg about her new position, what drives her pro bono service, and what advice she’d give to law students and young lawyers. You don’t come from a family of lawyers. What inspired you to attend law school? I started thinking I would go to law school in the 5th grade when…
Tips for How Women Lawyers Can Chart a Different Course - #2
By Kimberly Rice • October 21, 2014 •Ms. JD, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Legal Academia, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Issues, •Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Women and Law in the Media, Features, First Women, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
Though the road may be paved with bumps and hiccups, women lawyers can absolutely chart their course, a different course by implementing proven strategies to create the career of their dreams. Below are critical habits along that path to a fulfilling and prosperous career. Become a masterful time manager. Yep, as women, we often wear too many hats. To stay focused and invest the requisite time to create the professional experience you crave, you must assess and evaluate on an ongoing basis, “is this worth my time”. Often, we can outsource some of the tedious tasks of existence such as…
3 Essential Tips for Women Embarking upon their Law School Journeys
By Anonymous • May 23, 2014 •Careers, Politics and Government, Law School, Pre-Law, Issues, Mentoring and Networking, Other Issues, Features, •Myths & Truths, First Women
FIND MENTORS OUTSIDE OF YOUR LAW SCHOOL EARLY ON As a woman, and especially as a woman of color, it is sometimes difficult to trust women within your law school who may be competing for the same opportunities. You may begin to doubt if such women have your best interests at heart, and peer mentoring can at times seem disingenuous. Moreover, 2Ls and 3Ls who may have not been accepted to the firm of their choice or may not have gotten onto the journal of their dreams may unconsciously discourage you from applying to certain opportunities. Since they could not…
Through the Looking Glass—Observations from Five Years Out: Leadership
By Kendra Beckwith • May 12, 2014 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Features, First Women
The pressure of being the first to do something different or new creates high expectations on the person going “first.” Whether intentional or not, the first person to succeed often becomes a leader. For me, successfully embracing a new leadership role depended on finding inspiration in the achievements of another leader, Colorado Supreme Court Justice Monica Márquez. Making “It” Work In September 2011, my husband and I learned we were pregnant. I was elated, yet anxious. I was then a third-year associate and had seen many women leave private practice because they could not make “it” work. I wanted to…
Woman of Inspiration Award: The Nominees
By Ms. JD • February 19, 2014 •First Women
For the first time in Ms. JD history, Ms. JD will be honoring exceptional women in connection with our annual conference, Passion Forward, which will take place February 21-22nd, 2014 in Austin, Texas. The Passion Forward Awards will celebrate women who have demonstrated passion for their careers and shared that passion with other men and women. Over the next few weeks, Ms. JD will be introducing all the nominees. To read about the recipients of the 2014 Passion Forward Awards, click here. The Woman of Inspiration Award was designed to go to a woman who, regardless of her practice area or type of practice,…
Road Less Traveled: The Nominees
By Ms. JD • February 18, 2014 •First Women
For the first time in Ms. JD history, Ms. JD will be honoring exceptional women in connection with our annual conference, Passion Forward, which will take place February 21-22nd, 2014 in Austin, Texas. The Passion Forward Awards will celebrate women who have demonstrated passion for their careers and shared that passion with other men and women. Over the next few weeks, Ms. JD will be introducing all the nominees. To read about the recipients of the 2014 Passion Forward Awards, click here. To purchase a ticket to attend the awards, please click here.The Road Less Traveled Award goes to a woman who is using her…
No Longer Extraordinary: Where are we, and how did we get here?
By Valerie L'Herrou • January 05, 2014 •Writers in Residence, Features, First Women
Women have been practicing law in the United States since the late 19th century, and have made tremendous strides in the legal profession since then—but even today face challenges entering the legal field, and throughout their careers. Although it is “no longer extraordinary” (as Ruth Bader Ginsburg put it) for a woman to be in “a place of importance,” women are still under-represented as attorneys, in the judiciary, in our legislatures, and as partners in law firms. And, women are still paid less than men. In this blog we will explore some of the challenges women face in the legal jobs…
A Matter of Simple Justice: Unchained
By Kellie Campbell • February 03, 2013 •Writers in Residence, First Women
It always fascinates me to step back in history to a time when women had to fight, argue, scrap and plead for the right to practice law. Historians recount the many stories of women who worked every respectable angle they could think of in an effort to become a practicing attorney. Myra Bradwell was one of those women. Bradwell was an editor with a Chicago legal publication and her husband was an attorney, so she was no stranger to the law. When she decided to study for the bar and apply for a law license in 1872, she was turned…
Best Friends at the Bar: Historical Perspectives About Women in the Law
By Susan Smith Blakely • March 17, 2012 •First Women
Editor's Note: This post originally appeared on the Best Friends at the Bar blog on September 29, 2011.I know, I know. You young women do not like to hear us “older women” dwell on the hardships of life “in the day”. That seems to be particularly true of young women lawyers, and I think some of that attitude may result from the fact that “seasoned” women lawyers can get preachy and judgmental when delivering the message. That is their bad, and they should temper their presentation if they want to be heard.However, you should not disregard the message just because you do…