Browse Topics
The High Price of Over-Parenting for Millennial Lawyers
By Susan Smith Blakely • May 14, 2019 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector
I have written extensively about millennials and millennial lawyers, including about how members of the Millennial Generation were shaped by societal influences as they grew to adulthood. Those societal influences have limited their abilities to fit into traditional workplaces and, in some cases, have lead to anxiety and depression. Those societal influences include: rapid advances in technology, including social media; the impact of the 2008 recession, which resulted in insecurity and risk aversion; and helicopter parenting that sheltered children from disappointment, interfered with decision making, and put pressure on coaches and teachers to improve outcomes for their children. These influences have taken a…
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…
Time Management Tips for Women Lawyers from Harmony Planners Creator Kellie Beach Sims, Esq.
By Roberta O. Roberts, Esq. of Grace for the Grind™ • May 10, 2019 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law
A survey of 146 female lawyers revealed the “constant need to be the best” as the “single greatest obstacle to juggling career and family,” and that more than half of the female lawyers surveyed “reported difficulty delegating responsibility (compared with about 38 percent of the overall sample).” But the average woman lawyer probably doesn’t need a survey to validate these facts: many of us feel stressed getting it all done in our demanding careers while also being present and showing up in our family and personal lives. As women, we often want to “have it all” and may feel like…
The Intersection of Motherhood and Partnership
By Susan Smith Blakely • May 06, 2019 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector
A recent edition of in the London-based Financial Times included a very thought-provoking article that is a must read for all women lawyers and those who lead them. The sources are both UK and US based and there is no single geographic focus. This is not just the "same old same old" you have read in the past. Yes, the statistics will be recognizable because the percentage of women equity partners in law firms has not changed in recent history. But there is much beyond those statistics for you to chew on and some new approaches that you may or may not agree with.…
I Asked For A Raise
By Gissell Rodriguez • May 05, 2019 •Careers, Nonprofits and the Public Interest
Hi Ms. JD! Have you ever had to ask your boss for a raise? I found myself in that situation during my second year of work. As is customary in our office, I met with my boss for my year end evaluation. I was told I had done an excellent job and was given an end of year bonus. I was excited but forgot to inquire about an hourly raise. I followed up with my office manager and was told I would not be receiving an hourly raise because I had been given a year-end bonus. I was grateful for…
The Happy Lawyer: A Year-Long Experiment
By Kate Miceli • May 05, 2019 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, •Mentoring and Networking, Other Issues
My last year of law school, I took a seminar class called “The Happy Lawyer”. The concept was simple; ten law students, one dean, and one professor read six books about happiness and discuss them over dinner throughout the school year. Full disclosure, I took this class because it was at the dean’s house (who doesn’t want to see their law school dean’s house?) and was taught by one of my favorite professors. The happiness and mindfulness aspect of the class was secondary at best. Over the course of the year, we read six books including; Happiness: A Very…
Speak Up! Doing It For Yourself is Doing It For Others: My Pre-Law Career as a New Nurse Manager
By Christine Chasse MSN, RN • May 04, 2019 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
I was excited for my first nurse manager position. Unit 51 was a 20-bed medicine unit with the lowest patient scores in the hospital. I was ready to make it my project. On my second day of work, my new boss, “Kitty” gave me the sister unit, Unit 52. I was now doing a job that for the previous sixty years took two people to do. This led to the first time I stood up to her. I reminded her that we agreed that I would only manage Unit 51, and at a pay cut from my previous position. She…
The Pros and Cons of Employment Law
By Jacob Maslow • May 01, 2019 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector
Employment law is a complex practice area focused on the rights of employees and employers. Some cases deal with discrimination, including claims of race, gender, disability or age bias. Other cases may be focused on wages, trade secrets or the enforcement of non-competition agreements. But the average employment lawyer will spend a large chunk of time counseling clients on how to reduce the risk of litigation. Employment law is never dull, but just like any other practice area, it does have its downsides. The Good Employment law typically involves complex human relationships. In fact, it’s this human aspect that attracts…
Something Blue: Have no shame in your networking game
By Molly Timko • April 29, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
Back home in Niagara Falls, I learned that it was somewhat shameful to get a job or any other advancement opportunity due to “having connections.” Perhaps this is due to some deeply rooted “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality mythology that seems to exist in my hometown. Nevertheless, I have since come to accept that this is simply not true. Networking is integral to achieving career success in virtually any field, and this is especially true in law school and the legal profession. Believe me, I understand that networking events can be awkward and downright painful, even for individuals from…