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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…
Stacy Papadopoulos, Gen. Counsel, American Gaming Association - On the Field: Women in Sports Law
By Tatum Wheeler • July 02, 2018 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media
I’m pleased to welcome Stacy Papadopoulos, General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Industry Services at the American Gaming Association (AGA). Stacy, a double Hoya, has been at the American Gaming Association since 2014. Prior to the AGA, Stacy worked as a partner at the Potomac Law Group, building her career working both in-house at Freddie Mac’s Corporate Governance Department and the firms of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP and King & Spalding. Welcome, Stacy! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with Ms. JD! I’d like to begin by asking about your background. When you were…
Friend or Foe? Technology in Our Everyday Lives: Drones
By Keisha M. McClellan • June 28, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Politics and Government, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Issues, Other Issues
In his Time Magazine report “Drones Are Here to Stay. Get Used to It,” Alex Fitzpatrick observes that “with any technology, there are certain inflection points when it goes from being something perpetually in the near future to being a part of everyday life.” And this inflection point of drones becoming an everyday part of life is certainly in our foreseeable future. From use in news gathering, sports and entertainment, humanitarian efforts, corporate partnerships, law enforcement, and by general hobbyists, drones present a range of complexities that garner both praise and criticism. For the legal profession, this technology demands an…
How Tech Facilitates Compliance With Regulations
By Dennis Hung • June 27, 2018 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
Regulations for businesses can be pretty tricky to navigate. In order to avoid common pitfalls and legal risks, using tech can be a huge boost for efficiency. Here is how technology helps keep everything in check: News Feed Apps Understanding what kinds of changes are taking place in a specific region is crucial. However, it can be a pain to visit government website and read through their posts. However, with news feed apps, you can aggregate this data so you can see any changes in one place. Most smartphones have a news feed app pre-installed, but there are other options…
The Barred Life: A Series of Indefinite Length - Part II
By Jannet Matthew • June 27, 2018 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Other Issues, Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
PART II Lessons and Realities from the Pass List Let’s get housekeeping out of the way. If you read my last post you know I took the California February bar exam and I was waiting for my results. So here’s the update: I didn’t pass. I sat on my living room floor with my laptop on my thighs. After navigating to the Cal Bar website, I carefully typed in my applicant number. Then my file number. I scrolled through and didn’t see my name on the pass list so I refreshed the screen. Again, I very carefully typed in my…
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…
How Can the Military’s Rules on Professionalism Help You?
By Tristany Leikem • June 15, 2018 •Ms. JD, Careers, Law School, Issues, Features
You probably know that members of the military follow certain rules, regulations, customs, and traditions, from the requirement to wear a uniform to rules on how we interact with others. You may not know, however, that you can use military rules to boost your professionalism and personal brand in your own job. As an officer in the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps, I am evaluated not only on the quality of my work product, but also less tangible characteristics like leadership and military bearing. Military bearing includes the way I walk, talk, wear my uniform, and interact with others.…