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Bringing Blue-Collar Roots to the Legal Profession - An Interview with Jennifer Frankola Crawford
By Molly Timko • December 02, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Internships and Clerkships, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
For this month's post, I am thrilled to feature my fellow CUNY Law alum, Jennifer Frankola Crawford. Jennifer is an experienced attorney, arbitrator, and human rights advocate with blue-collar/working-class roots. As an arbitrator, Jennifer hears cases and renders decisions based upon New York State’s Insurance Law. In addition, Jennifer maintains an active practice in education law, representing families of children with learning disabilities and developmental delays. Further, Jennifer engages in pro bono work involving human rights issues, including handling immigration/deportation cases, and she collaborates with other lawyers to design and host CLEs. In this interview, Jennifer describes how her family's history, including her parents' immigration to the United States, influenced her career trajectory. She also offers excellent advice to first-generation…
We are the phanthoms . we are not supposed to be here
By ilise feitshans • December 01, 2019 •Ms. JD, Conference, Careers, Legal Academia, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, •Features, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
We are the phanthoms.we are not supposed to be here by Dr ilise L Feitshans JD and ScM and DIR In the middle of the spring semester of second year law school when students have often successfully adjusted to the rigors of a difficult almost military austerity and discipline regime one professor chose to rattle the box of security his students had constructed so very carefully I don't know why I am here teaching constitutional law professor Roy Schotland proclaimed in his squeaky unsettling voice. None of you are going to argue before the Supreme Court The year was…
You’ve landed the in-house job, now what?
By Jenny Patten • November 30, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues
Landing a new in-house position can come with an initial feeling of exhilaration, but the change associated with moving to a new company, or moving in-house for the first time, can feel daunting and intimidating. I’ve moved to a few different in-house departments over my decade of practice, and while each organization has been different, I’ve learned a few core maxims that help set myself up for long term success. 1. Expect the unexpected. No matter how much research you’ve done on the company or the industry, or how many people you interviewed with prior to accepting the position, you…
The best career advice I’ve ever received
By Katalin Tarjan • November 22, 2019 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Other Issues
I recently heard someone say that the three things they were looking for in a job was to feel maximized, compensated and appreciated. Thinking about it, I found this very true for myself and you might as well too. Knowing what your expectations are about a job is crucial to be able to find the right fit for you. Also, when you start feeling unsatisfied, this way you can identify the reasons and even do something about it. These three areas seem to cover our basic needs when it comes to professional goals. Maximized means you want all your knowledge…
What Women-Owned Firms Do Differently
By Amy Nouri • November 21, 2019 •Careers
Women-owned firms are modernizing office culture to better align with their needs and values. Citing an ABA study on the differences in levels of career satisfaction between men and women lawyers, this Law Practice Today article outlines common actions taken by women who started their own firms. What are women lawyers doing differently when they design their own workplace? These firms are: Prioritizing collaboration and cooperative teamwork. According to the article these women leaders also “pay more attention to the well-being and development of their subordinates.” Creating cultures conducive to the demands of women’s personal lives. By offering perks including flextime, relaxed dress codes and…
Young Lawyers Need to Own Their Careers and Increase Their Visibility
By Susan Smith Blakely • November 20, 2019 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector
The mission of Best Friends at the Bar is to make all young lawyers succeed in practice. I speak and write to advance this mission, and, this Fall alone, I will have delivered at least five programs on the issues of most importance to that mission --- programs specific to millennial lawyers, programs specific to the success of women lawyers, and programs about the responsibility of senior lawyers to take measures to retain and advance young lawyers. One of the most popular programs I present focuses on "Owning Your Career and Reinvention." I delivered messages about your responsibilities for owning and advancing…
10 Ways to Become Indispensable at Work
By SALLY KANE • November 19, 2019 •Careers, Other Career Issues
The best piece of career advice I ever received was dispensed to me by my mentor during my summer clerkship in 2001: “The key to getting ahead is to make yourself indispensable,” he advised on my first day on the job. That summer clerkship was full of fun outings, partner luncheons and firm-wide get-togethers designed for the firm to get better acquainted with its ten summer law clerks. Many of my fellow clerks did not realize that the fun-filled summer was really a series of mini-interviews to determine if we were a good fit for the firm. Beyond all of the…
Something Blue: Bringing Blue-Collar Roots to the Legal Profession – An Interview with Devon Holmes
By Molly Timko • October 31, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Law School
For this month's blog post, I am excited to feature my interview with Devon Holmes, Esq. Devon is a first generation legal professional from Hazard, Kentucky. Devon serves as an attorney for Social Security Administration's Office of Appellate Operations and she is passionate about public interest law. In this interview, Devon explains how growing up in Appalachia helped shape her career trajectory. She also shares thoughtful advice to first generation law students. Could you tell Ms. JD blog readers about your background and what prompted you to apply to law school? I was born in Hazard, Kentucky, a town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. My parents were a…
Why Young Lawyers Need Business Plans
By Susan Smith Blakely • October 31, 2019 •Careers, Other Career Issues
As a young lawyer, a business plan may be the farthest thing from your mind. Billing hours, making your numbers, trying not to look stupid to the partner and, well, just surviving in law practice in the early years are what occupy you. I understand and remember. But, don't dismiss having a business plan as some other-worldly exercise that is not worthy of your time. It is more than worthy. I have been preaching --- yes, preaching --- to young women lawyers about the importance of career plans for over a decade, and business plans are the same thing. All…