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Multi-Tasking Self-Care and Professional Development: Podcasts
By Jenny Patten • October 31, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
Like most working professionals, I spend a significant part of my morning and late afternoon commuting to and from the office. My 30-45 minutes to and from daycare drop-off and the office often are the only time that I have truly to myself, and for a number of years, I’ve spent that time listening to music, participating in work-related conference calls, or using the time to call a friend or family member to catch up. However, as work and family duties and responsibilities have gradually eroded the time I used to spend for myself, I realized that my commute may…
Taking Care of Your Future Self During an 80-Hour Week
By Marisa Tashman • October 23, 2019 •Ms. JD, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues, Features, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
Like many young ambitious women in the wake of Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” movement, I often have to make choices between two options that are both necessary: “sleep or work out?” “meditate or call my mom?” Beginning my career as a litigator at a large law firm in Los Angeles, I’ve been forced to make these choices all too often, eventually transforming into a thought-cycle of not being balanced enough, which inevitably transforms into being hopelessly imbalanced. Layer on psychosomatic GI issues, migraines, and an unexpected back injury, I turned to a wellness “industry” filled with preachers on becoming perfectly…
How to Get A Handle on Student Loans
By Joshua Holt • October 14, 2019 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues
It's that time of the year again. Fall is in the air and thousands of newly-minted lawyers across the country are walking into their first jobs after having passed the bar exam (we hope!). While the flush of starting a career is a lot of fun, there's usually a monster hiding in the background that many lawyers would prefer to avoid: staggering student loan debt. Luckily, paying off your student loans is a problem that you're well-equipped to handle, assuming you decide to take a proactive approach rather than burying your head in the sand. Get your arms around your…
Healing Hurt With High Heels: How One Aspiring Law Student Helps Others Heal from Domestic Violence
By Roberta O. Roberts, Esq. of Grace for the Grind™ • October 12, 2019 •Law School, Pre-Law, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Other Issues, Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, [1] so this article shares the story of a pre-law student who started her own nonprofit organization for survivors of domestic violence after surviving domestic violence herself. I am honored to share this conversational interview I had with Ronshanda “Nikki” Chaney about how she found purpose from her pain and in turn helps others heal through her novels and organization, Heel My Heart. --- Nikki, thank you so much for taking time to answer questions for me as the October member spotlight for Grace for the Grind™ Career Mastermind! Let’s start off with…
Women’s Rights On The Work Desk
By Alex Newman • September 25, 2019 •Issues, Women and Law in the Media
Editor's Note: All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. The world is talking about equality and taking measures to ensure the same and corporates are now channelizing towards building a workforce based on talent and not gender. Even in this era, there are instances reported where women are discriminated at their workplace and not given due credits of their work. WHAT COUNTS AS DISCRIMINATION? For some, it’s about not being taken seriously while others have felt it by way of unequal compensation at the time of initial hiring and, not being given due promotions later on. There…
5 Practical Tips for New Lawyers to Avoid Depression
By Anonymous • September 03, 2019 •Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
A survey from the ABA Young Lawyers Division found that 41% of female attorneys were unhappy with their jobs. A highly cited study from Johns Hopkins University of more than 100 occupations found that lawyers had the highest incidence of depression. While these figures are alarming, it’s not surprising that many lawyers are depressed. After all, the practice of law is inherently stressful. It’s a demanding career, and some days, it feels as if the work will never be done. For new lawyers, the first few years can be especially stressful. Here are five practical tips to help prevent depression.…
Five Tips to Maximize Your Efficiency When In-House
By Jenny Patten • September 01, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Other Issues
When someone asks what in-house practice is like, I often reply that it is like drinking from a firehose. The legal department is the starting and ending point for a lot of projects and issues, and tackling everything that hits your desk without a game plan can feel daunting. While everyone takes a different approach to managing their workload, I’ve outlined a few tips that I’ve initiated during my in-house practice that help me maximize efficiency while in the office. 1. Keep Organized. Staying on top of your various task lists, emails, meeting invites, updates and follow-ups can feel like…
Something Blue: Bringing Blue-Collar Roots to the Legal Profession – On Foie Gras & Food Faux Pas
By Molly Timko • August 30, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Other Issues
As I mentioned in my first blog post, I experienced heightened self-awareness about my blue-collar roots once I entered the legal profession. For this month’s blog post, I wanted to share some of my awkward workplace encounters involving food. I am fully aware that these awkward food encounters are trivial in comparison to larger socioeconomic issues such as structural inequality. However, I think it’s important for us first-generation lawyers to share our personal experiences, frustrations, and lessons learned. As a newly minted lawyer, I found that the majority of my coworkers appeared to possess sophisticated palates and expansive culinary vocabularies. Casual lunchtime conversations typically revolved around food (in addition to work…
Understanding Your Duty of Care as a New Lawyer
By Anonymous • August 21, 2019 •Issues, Other Issues
As a new lawyer, you have a certain responsibility to your clients. Failing in that duty could leave you open to claims of professional negligence. It’s important to understand what professional negligence is, how it differs from ordinary negligence and what it means to you as a lawyer. Understanding Professional Negligence Professional negligence occurs when professionals fail to take proper care when working with their clients. In terms of your working relationships, clients expect you to keep them from financial, physical and/or emotional harm. If you fail to do this, you may be accused of breaching your duty of care.…