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Webinar: Speak Up: Finding Your Voice and Taking Charge of Your Career
By Katie Day • March 08, 2019 •Ms. JD, Conference, Careers, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Internships and Clerkships, Issues, Features
On March 6, 2019, Ms. JD Board Member Katie Day sat down with Jodi Flynn, Executive Coach and Founder of Women Taking the Lead for a webinar on speaking up. In this webinar, Jodi shares three stumbling blocks to speaking up and provides practical solutions. Want to learn more about speaking up? Join Ms. JD on March 14-15 at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law for "Speak Up" our 11th Annual Conference on Women in the Law. Have questions about the stumbling blocks Jodi discusses? Want to pick her brain? Shoot her an email at jodi@womentakingthelead.com. About Jodi Jodi Flynn of…
3 Things To Consider Before You Hire A Criminal Lawyer
By Anonymous • March 02, 2019 •Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law
If you are looking for an excellent criminal lawyer out there, you should always focus on some basic things that would help you in the right way. Do ensure that you’re always paying close attention to these 3 things when you are about to hire a professional criminal lawyer. Incase you’ve never hired any criminal lawyer before now, then you should start your research and check out multiple choices available out there. There are numerous vital factors that you will have to keep in mind when you are about to select the best criminal lawyer. Most of the time, people…
Announcing the 2019 Ms. JD Honors Recipients!
By Ms. JD Editor • February 19, 2019 •Ms. JD, Conference, Features
We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2019 Ms. JD Honors Awards! Sharing Her Passion Award - To a woman who has practiced for more than ten years who is inspiring younger women lawyers through sponsorship, mentorship, and sharing her passion for the practice. Awardee: Fran Griesing Women's Strength in Numbers Award - To two or more women who have partnered with one another to create a unique program, business, or organization. Awardees: Women Owned Law Road Less Traveled Award - To a woman who is using her J.D. in a unique, non-traditional, way to pursue an issue…
Dear Future Lawyer: Advice for Minority Women Law Students From Author Neena R. Speer, Esq.
By Roberta O. Roberts, Esq. of Grace for the Grind™ • January 17, 2019 •Careers, Law School, Pre-Law, Issues, Mentoring and Networking, Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law
In 2018, the American Bar Association reported that less than 40% of lawyers in the United States are women, and that less than 20% of lawyers in the United States are people of color. As the statistics make clear, women of color are overwhelmingly outnumbered in the legal profession. Having experienced this isolation herself, lawyer, author, speaker, and nonprofit founder Neena R. Speer, Esq. seeks to help provide solace for this underrepresented population by sharing her experience with other women of color on their journeys to becoming lawyers. As a minority woman lawyer myself, I am happy to share this…
Tips for Passing the Bar Exam in an Additional Jurisdiction (CA & NY)
By Diana Stern • December 28, 2018 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
First of all, be damn sure there's no other way for you to get admitted to the second jurisdiction without taking the bar exam. It's not exactly a blast to spend summer days seeking out a seat in the public library (although I did see some interesting sights, including a security guard tasked with waking people up with an umbrella. And no, I did not learn that first hand, I'm proud to say.) I didn't find a way around taking the entire bar again in NY (people still tell me I missed a workaround). A good strategy employed by a colleague of…
Tips to Prepare for Your Law Exams
By Dennis Hung • December 07, 2018 •Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
Of course, stress level often builds up and keeping calm becomes almost impossible when a law student is about to sit for their exam. The field of law is competitive, and students have to prepare well to ensure they pass their bar exam. Exams are also an opportunity for law students to demonstrate the knowledge they have acquired over their study course. While this may seem daunting, practice and proper preparation can make a significant difference. The following are incredible tips to help prepare for a law exam. Sharpen Your Writing Skills Writing skills are crucial to first-year law students.…
Starting from the Bottom Up to Create a Killer Personal Brand
By Jacob Maslow • October 05, 2018 •Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law
A digital presence is a must for every law firm, and there’s both professional and personal branding. When a founder is the face of a company, they’ll have to start creating a personal brand that potential clients will know and trust. Branding is one of the most powerful tools in marketing, and it all starts with reputation. Supervisors often sit new or aspiring lawyers down to express how important reputation is in the law field. Building a good reputation is the start of personal branding, so you might need to help others, work extra hours. The goal is to create…
Owning Up to My Reality: I’m Disabled, and I Always Will Be
By Katherine Macfarlane • August 27, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Features, Myths & Truths
I struggle with calling myself disabled. It’s much easier to write “I’m disabled” than it is to say it out loud. I use an endless list of euphemisms instead. “I need to sit down.” “I need extra time to board.” “I’m just not feeling up to it.” "It's going to be hard for me to make that walk." I’m not sure I’ve ever said the words “I’m disabled.” I’ve had countless conversations about my need for reasonable accommodations, and my volatile health, but generally avoid claiming my status. Which is ridiculous. I've spoken at legislative hearings about the tremendous impact…
Women in the Legal Field & the #MeToo Conversation
By Jennifer Hemmer • August 14, 2018 •Ms. JD, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Other Issues, Features, Myths & Truths
Regardless of a woman’s age, race, location, career or economic status, most have either experienced sexual harassment first-hand or know of someone who has. With the numerous allegations made in the past year against Harvey Weinstein and dozens of other powerful figures in Hollywood, the media and politics, and the explosion of the #MeToo movement, the prevalence of sexual harassment in American society has never been more exposed than it is right now. There has not been a formal study conducted on sexual harassment specifically in the legal field, until now. Lauren Stiller Rikleen, founder and President of the Rikleen Institute for…