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Bar Exam is Like a Hocus-Focus Game
By BarExam Insider • August 05, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup, Law School, Curriculum and Classroom Dynamics, Features, Bar Exam
One of the reasons why people fail the bar exam is because they do not READ CAREFULLY. Henry Boltinoff was a cartoonist who drew Hocus-Focus puzzles involving two similar panels with six differences between them. The bar exam is like a Hocus-Focus game. Reading for the bar exam requires attention to detail, concentration, and observational skills. To improve in identifying the differences between the two panels in Hocus-Focus, a player has to split the photos into smaller parts, such as drawing a cross to turn the photos into four squares, and then comparing the differences between each of the corners,…
Ms. JD Weekly Roundup: Week ending July 31, 2015
By Ms. JD Weekly Roundup • July 28, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup
This week Jen Welter became the first female NFL coach. Welter will join the Arizona Cardinals as a training camp preseason intern coach. Welter joins Sarah Thomas, who was hired by the NFL earlier this year and is the first female full-time game official. While we still have a long way to go in the boardroom, nearly 30% of new board members appointed in the last year were women. Unconscious bias isn't just something that men need to be aware of. A new Harvard study reveals that women and girls are guilty of letting unconscious bias affect their opinions of…
Ms. JD Weekly Roundup: Week ending June 19, 2015
By Ms. JD Weekly Roundup • June 18, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup
As usual, women and minority inequality in law firms continues to be a topic of conversation. However, McKinsey & Company reveals that companies with the highest levels of racial diversity are 35% more likely to financially out-perform the industry median and companies with the lowest levels of diversity are less likely to perform above average. Meanwhile, Rachel Dolezal, the NAACP chapter president resigned after being accused of lying about her race. Harvard Law School’s Center on the Legal Profession recently released the preliminary findings of a survey of past graduating classes; interesting findings from the study include that of the HLS alumni who…
Ms. JD Weekly Roundup: Week ending June 12, 2015
By Ms. JD Weekly Roundup • June 11, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup
The lack of diversity of equity partners in law firms has received a lot of attention lately. Law firms are not alone in lacking diversity. Google's latest workplace demographics report shows it still has a long way to go. Equality was recognized as a priority at the G7 meeting with the leaders pledging to reduce the workplace gender gap in their countries by 25% by 2025. Stepping up to a new role can be exciting but also brings challenges. There are steps you can take to prepare for these new challenges and make a successful transition. Do traditional performance reviews…
Ms. JD Weekly Roundup: Week ending May 15, 2015
By Ms. JD Weekly Roundup • May 13, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup
Ms. JD sponsor Munger, Tolles & Olson is taking a new approach to increasing diversity in the legal profession. Their fellowship program targets people of diverse socio-economic, racial and gender backgrounds and provides them with the tools they need to apply to and succeed in law school. Sadly, the first comprehensive survey of Native American lawyers found that Native American lawyers often feel invisible in the workplace with diversity programs that have proven successful for other minority groups leaving Native Americans behind. Are you faking an 80-hour work week? With Millennial parents working more, not less, after they have kids, solutions to…
Meet Kelsey Finch, Policy Counsel at a DC think tank
By Esther Goldschlager • April 14, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup
Recently I had the opportunity to meet Kelsey Finch to discuss her career path and her work at the Future of Privacy Forum. Kelsey serves as Policy Counsel for this DC think tank. I enjoyed learning about Kelsey’s groundbreaking research. Could you provide a brief summary of your professional background? I studied law at Yeshiva University (Cardozo) School of Law in New York City. I chose to attend Cardozo because of their intellectual property law program. While in law school, I ended up enrolling in privacy courses. I also authored articles about the privacy field. After law school, I obtained…
It’s Been Years Since I’ve Posted - Things are Better!
By Karen Hummel • March 09, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
My first and only post to Ms. JD was years ago, while I was still in law school. (Previous post here: http://ms-jd.org/blog/article/family-vs-law-school) It's six years later - I finished law school, passed the bar exam, and began working as an attorney. Nine months ago, I left the law firm where I was an associate and opened my own practice. It has not always been easy, but my husband and I got through it together and we will be celebrating our 17th anniversary this fall. I painted a pretty negative picture of my husband, which isn't fair. Yes, he had moments where he…
Ms. JD Weekly Roundup: Week ending February 27, 2015
By Ms. JD Weekly Roundup • February 17, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup
Congratulations to Marci Eisenstein! Ms. Eisenstein has been appointed managing partner at Schiff Hardin, making her the first woman managing partner in Schiff Hardin's 150-year history. If you're hoping to follow in Ms. Eisenstein's footsteps, it might be worth moving to Denver, Detroit, San Francisco, or Seattle. While if you're struggling to take those steps you know will set you on the path to partner, consider these tips for shattering your internal glass ceiling. In a world first, female Irish solicitors now outnumber male solicitors practising in Ireland. Going email-free for a whole day may not be possible, but there are…
Ms. JD Weekly Roundup: Week ending February 13, 2015
By Ms. JD Weekly Roundup • February 11, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup
This week we learned that the pay gap is closing -- for women bringing in over $6 million in business. Do you find yourself doing the bulk of the office housework? You aren't alone. When drafting, it is tempting to include every fact, argument, and idea that could possibly help your client. Here's why you should always keep in mind that No One Wants to Read Your Legal Writing. On the topic of drafting, finding just the right way to phrase an email can be tricky, check out these scripts from The Muse for those tough work emails. Is there a class…