Browse Topics
Ms. Pre-JD: Learning the Value of Authenticity in 2017
By Nikki Datta • December 05, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Law School, Pre-Law, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
After reading the application requirements for the 2018 Writers-in-Residence program, I was reminded of career advice I received this past Summer that permanently changed my path: “You have to be really good at what you do and you have to look for opportunities to expand what you do.” A simple answer from Esta Stecher, in response to someone asking the million-dollar question: “How can we become as successful as you have been? Any tips?” The answer was so simple that you could hear the eye-rolls from people around me, as they remarked on how obvious the advice was. For me,…
Failure Turned Inside Out: Asking for a Friend
By Patricia Jjemba • December 01, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Legal Academia, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Other Career Issues, Law School, •Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
Sometimes the desire to help others is not enough. Before ending this column, I thought it was important to share my own story with my readers. It was a bit odd being the interviewee, but I pushed myself to answer some of the same questions I have been asking other women during this past year so this journey with you all could come full circle. For me, becoming a lawyer has always been a means to an end. I knew very early on that it would be the first step to evolving into a diplomat or politician championing the civil…
Get Curious and Take the Call - The Best Career Advice I Ever Received
By Michele Moorman, Esq. • November 20, 2017 •Issues, Mentoring and Networking
The best career advice I received came from a mentor and fellow attorney when I was a midlevel associate trying to figure out my next role. We were discussing a new position she recently accepted at her company, and I remarked how she always seemed to find such novel and interesting things to do with her law degree. She then paused and told me to keep my eyes and ears open. “I’ve learned the hard way, Michele, that opportunities rarely come in a beautiful package, tied up with a bow, at the perfect time, with your ideal team and an almost…
The Advice that Saved and Helped Make My Career: Stop Thinking and Start Doing
By Claire Parsons • November 17, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
The best career advice I ever received was so simple but so fundamental: stop thinking and start doing. Like many lawyers, one of my prized assets is my analytical mind. Personal strengths, as many of us discover, can often double as areas of challenge. Early in my practice and as a new mom, I regularly worried about what the future might hold, and how I could achieve equity partnership and balance the other demands in my life. I focused on the odds and stark realities instead of developing a plan and planting the seeds that would be necessary to reach…
15 Top Legal Defenses to Criminal Charges: Tips for New Lawyers
By Tsion Chudnovsky • November 11, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Curriculum and Classroom Dynamics, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Mentoring and Networking, Other Issues, Features, •Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
There are many ways to fight criminal charges and win. Here are some of the most successful legal defenses we use at Chudnovsky Law when defending our clients. The defenses are presented from the perspective of a crime charged under California law, but the same defenses apply in most states. 1) Mistaken Identity Incorrect witness identification is a major source for incorrect accusations. This can happen if a person’s description is similar to a criminal perpetrator or if a witness assumes someone committed a crime due to circumstances or they are trying to cover for a crime they committed. 2) Accident Most California…
Failure Turned Inside Out: Risk It All- The Anita Hill Story & Workplace Sexual Harassment
By Patricia Jjemba • November 04, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Legal Academia, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, •Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media
This kind of behavior is what makes it extremely difficult to speak out against workplace harassment and assault. To date, more than sixty women in the film and production industry have accused acclaimed Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault. At least two of these accusations have resulted in law enforcement officials and prosecutors opening criminal investigations that may lead to his indictment on rape and sexual assault charges. And while many may be interested in the salacious downfall of Weinstein for their own diabolical interests, there are those of us who appreciate the important conversations that have…
Want Career Advice? Look Within First
By Ani Torossian • October 11, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Legal Academia, Other Career Issues, Law School, Pre-Law, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, •Curriculum and Classroom Dynamics, Internships and Clerkships, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
Most likely, we are all familiar with Robert Frost’s famous opening stanza: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth.” And most likely, we have been confronted by analysis paralysis at one point or another in our lives. It oftentimes casts a shadow on the plethora of career advice received from various sources – fellow students, professors, seasoned attorneys, mentors who…
Failure Turned Inside Out: I Don’t Scare Easy
By Patricia Jjemba • October 05, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Pre-Law, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Other Law School Issues, •Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking
Name: Joy Harper Professional Title: Vice President Capital Markets Tax Sector: Asset Management Law School: Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State Specialization: International Tax and Taxation of Financial Instruments and Products Trusted Advisor “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” Any Godfather fan knows that Don Vito Corleone was, frighteningly, a man of his word, but it was his trusted advisor who ensured that Corleone escaped legal reprimand for his chilling antics. Joy Harper became enamored with the advisor’s innate ability to problem solve as a means to effectively advocate for his boss Corleone. Mix that along with her…
Too Afraid To Ask
By Alyson Martinez • September 22, 2017 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
I asked for a promotion last Monday. A coworker submitted his two-weeks notice, and I walked into my boss's office, full of nerves and anxiety, and asked her to move me to his spot. Well, there's more to that, let me clarify: I work as an Assistant Public Defender and I am currently assigned to handle misdemeanor criminal cases of indigent defendants. On November 30, I will have completed two years in the office. I am the longest-serving attorney at my level, and I have built a solid reputation through my work. Well, at least that's what my coworkers tell…