Browse Topics
5 Things Busy Lawyers Can Do to Find the Time to Exercise
By Claire Parsons • August 22, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
Late last year, I started exercising regularly again after a long period of doing hardly anything at all. It wasn’t until this happened that I realized how much I missed physical activity. Law practice, after all, is not something that lends itself well to movement or even sensory stimulation. Instead, lawyers often spend long hours cooped up in an office and huddled over a computer or stacks of documents. We also tend to keep long hours, have little control over our schedules, and may feel at the end of the day like we have little else to give.…
Five Small Ways You Can Combat the Motherhood Penalty
By Amanda Norris Ames • August 20, 2018 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
The ABA recently released research from its inquiry into why women leave the law. The study revealed issues all too familiar to many practicing female attorneys--discrimination, salary dissatisfaction, caregiving responsibilities that are incompatible with the pace of practice. And while the ABA’s efforts are ongoing, I was surprised to see a lack of focus on what numerous other studies have dubbed the “motherhood penalty”--or the earnings (and corresponding promotion) gap between mothers and non-parents in the workplace. Research shows a significant decline in a woman's earnings after the birth of her first child, with that disparity continuing throughout her career.…
5 Ways To Bond With Your Law Firm Coworkers
By Dennis Hung • August 15, 2018 •Careers, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
Whether finding a new job or being moved through an acquisition, the process of starting anew is always met with some anxiety and anticipation. There are new people to meet, different workflows to learn, and a new work environment to get accustomed to. To help ease this transition, here are five ways to bond with your coworkers. 1. Talk New employees often make the mistake of laying low and keeping quiet for the first few months. The desire to go unnoticed and blend-in is strong when starting a new job. Whether it’s a fear of confrontation or making a…
Obtaining Accommodations at Your New Law Job
By Katherine Macfarlane • July 29, 2018 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
Now that the bar is over, many of you will soon head off to your first post-law school job. Congratulations! You’ll be making choices about healthcare, retirement savings and life insurance. If you’re disabled, it’s never too soon to start thinking about the accommodations you’ll need to work efficiently. What follows are some tips to help ensure that your accommodations are in place as soon as you need them. Don’t Wait to Ask for Accommodations To qualify for reasonable accommodations at a new workplace, you’ll often be required to fill out a stack of paperwork and obtain medical documentation of…
8 Potential Barriers to Women Taking the Bar Exam
By Megan Kelley • July 26, 2018 •Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
8 Potential Barriers to Women Taking the Bar Exam By: Megan Kelley Women. We can do it all. Apparently, we have to nowadays. From bringing home the bacon, to being the perfect spouse, the perfect mom, the perfect parent, the perfect supportive friend. With all of these responsibilities and obligations, things we do for ourselves often get pushed aside. Our dreams often get put on hold to plan for the future of our families. You have a dream of going to law school and becoming a successful attorney. In order to do this, one test stands between you and your…
From Paralegal to Associate: How to Maintain your Enthusiasm
By Nadia Ennaji • July 02, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues
The first few months into the legal profession are a whirlwind of emotions. You are thrilled to have passed the BAR. You are finally an attorney. The pressure of doing a great job are mixed with the enthusiasm you feel for finally doing what took a few years to accomplish. Then the months pass, and slowly be surely, the rush you get in those first few months dissipate. The long hours are getting to you. The mundanity of some of the tasks are getting you bored out of your mind. How does one stay motivated and enthusiast? How do you…
Doctors v. Lawyers
By Katherine Macfarlane • June 25, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
Because of my disabilities, I spend an inordinate amount of time with doctors. It’s not unusual to have four medical appointments in one week. As frustrating as my illnesses are, the interactions I have with doctors are often more demoralizing than the conditions they treat me for. And I think that my law degree has something to do with the horrible way I feel after each doctor’s office visit. The common assumption is that because I have a law degree, doctors are more cautious with my care because they fear I will sue them. My experience has been quite the…
How to Be a Slightly Happier Lawyer
By Tracy Huang • June 22, 2018 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues
We often live our everyday lives in a blur. With smartphones, caffeine, news, and emails, we can move from our day-to-day existence without noticing what is around us. We often don’t take the time to look at people in the face or really to gaze into their eyes. I have seen this so often at the law firm where I work. One associate I observed glancing at his phone on the way to the bathroom, on the way down the elevator, out in the lobby, and into the street where we were headed to hunt for lunch. People avoid my…
An Ode to the Martys: A Father’s Day Reflection on RBG and Work Life Balance for Women Lawyers
By Claire Parsons • June 17, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
RBG, a documentary about the life of Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is a surprise hit of the summer. If you haven’t seen it yet, the movie does not only focus on RBG’s “notorious” legal career, but also delves deeply into Ginsburg’s marriage to her husband, Marty. After seeing it twice, I’d argue that RBG is a love story and, in my opinion, a love story many women lawyers really need because it shows us a great example of how two professionally successful people made their careers and their marriage fit together. If you…