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A Galentine’s Day Reflection on the Value of Female Friendships
By Claire Parsons • February 12, 2018 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
Today is Galentine’s Day, a completely made up holiday popularized by a TV show, Parks and Recreation, that hasn’t aired in years. Unlike Valentine’s Day, this “holiday” is intended to honor female friendships rather than romantic relationships. To say the least, the episode which featured this holiday and the character who invented it, Leslie Knope, was memorable. As Malcolm Gladwell tells us, a “sticky” message from an extraordinary communicator can carry an idea far and wide. Yet, I don’t think that the show or Leslie Knope are the only reasons that Galentine’s Day caught on.…
Mentoring Hangouts Episode 1: Networking and Branding
By Nana J Adu • February 01, 2018 •Law School, Pre-Law, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
Hello Everyone, My name is Nana J. Adu, and I am a pre-law student at Rutgers University. I am also the founder and president of Rutgers NBLSA Pre-Law. I have learned throughout my time as president that networking and personal branding is a must. If i did not connect with the people I did, this organization would not have been founded. With that being said, it was a pleasure being included in the discussion of something I love to do which is networking. On January 6th, I had the amazing opportunity to join Genevieve Antono, Nikki Datta, and Katie Larkin-Wong on Google…
How to Keep Your Sanity When Writing Legal Research Papers
By Jacob Maslow • January 09, 2018 •Issues, Mentoring and Networking
Research papers are par for the course in law school. But it's easy to lose your sanity and get burnt out in the process. Use these five tips to help you stay on track and finish your paper on time. 1. Choose a Topic You're Passionate About When writing your paper, choose a topic that you're passionate about. When you care about the topic, you'll find it much easier to immerse yourself in the writing process and stay focused on the task at hand. That passion will also come through in your writing and make it more engaging. Exploring a…
Building your Brand and Network as a Pre-Law Student - #MsJDPreLaw Mentoring Hangout (Ep. 01)
By Gennie #MsJDPreLaw • December 22, 2017 •Ms. JD, Conference, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Law School, Pre-Law, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, •Issues, Mentoring and Networking
The Ms. JD Pre-Law Program is excited to launch the #MsJDPreLaw Mentoring Hangouts, a series of conversations between attorneys and pre-law students! Our first episode, on "building your brand and network as a pre-law student," will be streamed live at 12pm ET on Saturday, January 6, 2017, at tiny.cc/msjdprelawepisode1. Guest speakers are: Katie Larkin-Wong - litigation associate at Latham & Watkins, Commissioner at the ABA's Commission on Women in the Profession, and former President of Ms. JD Nikki Datta - Class of 2019 undergraduate at Columbia University, President of the Columbia University Women in Law and Politics, and 2017 Writer-in-Residence…
How to Become a Top Lawyer and Love Doing It
By Tsion Chudnovsky • December 13, 2017 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Internships and Clerkships, •Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Features, Myths & Truths, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
If you do good work and can promote yourself, career doors will open for you. As a new female lawyer or soon to be lawyer, there are many things to learn as you develop who you are and what you will do in your career. One key facet that has helped me at Chudnovsky Law is to learn how to promote myself at work and build a book of business. As a lawyer you will need to learn how to market yourself and communicate your expertise to clients early in your career. If you can do that effectively, you will be an…
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…