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Join Ms. JD as our Social Media Coordinator!
By Katie Day • September 10, 2019 •Ms. JD, Careers, Law School, Pre-Law, Features
Do you have crazy social media skills? Is your smart phone always ready to Tweet, Pin, and Post? Do you have a passion for women helping women? If you answered yes to these questions, you might be just the person we are looking for! Ms. JD is seeking a part-time Social Media Coordinator to join us as an independent contractor to help build and manage our social media outreach strategies. As an independent contractor, the Social Media Coordinator will exercise her or his own independent judgment and discretion to support Ms. JD’s online presence. What will you be doing? As…
Navigating Interstate and International Marijuana Sales
By Stephanie Carr • September 04, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
My home state of Kentucky, proud to be known as the birthplace of bourbon, crafts 95 percent of the world’s supply of America's only native spirit. Kentucky products dominate the market because they’re formulated with the perfect mix of climate, conditions, and the pure limestone water necessary for creating a high-quality bourbon. Interstate and international exports of bourbon are multimillion-dollar industries that are surging in our state. With the evolution of marijuana legalization, attorneys looking to grow a cannabis practice could create opportunities for clients to similarly capitalize on interstate and international marijuana sales. Like Kentucky and bourbon, certain states…
How High: Calculating Marijuana Taxes
By Stephanie Carr • September 04, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
Notorious Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone reportedly bragged, “They can’t collect legal taxes from illegal money.” Capone learned the hard way that this isn’t true when he was sentenced to prison for tax evasion. Relatedly, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level but revenue from marijuana sales are taxable. Cannabis businesses that fail to understand and plan for these taxes are at high risk for an IRS audit, a massive tax bill, or even tax evasion charges for failure to report. Tax attorneys interested in cannabis law are needed to help these entities understand, plan and prepare for taxation. The following…
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…
Meet Ms. JD’s 2019 Fellows
By Ms. JD Editor • August 19, 2019 •Ms. JD, Law School
Ms. JD is proud to announce this year’s outstanding class of 2019 Fellows! This year’s fellows are from schools from coast to coast and present a broad spectrum of experience and legal interests. The 2019 Ms. JD Fellowship Winners are: Maia Bartee, University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law Aubre Dean, Syracuse University College of Law Idia Egonmwan, Howard University School of Law Cristina Gil, American University Washington College of Law Alana Glover, University of Baltimore School of Law Candace Goldman, Southern University Law Center Nina Neff, University of Wisconsin Law School Rima Sawhney, California Western School of Law …
Problems to Solve, or Tensions to Manage?
By Jenny Patten • August 11, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
A few days ago, I ran into a colleague that I hadn’t seen in a few weeks at our company café. As we caught up while standing in line to order our lunches, he commented on the fact that I carry two phones with me and asked why. I explained that I try to keep my personal and work communications separate, and this allows me to “put away” my work texts and emails when I’m spending time with my kids by physically placing my work phone in my purse for a few hours. I admitted that while this tactic had…
Something Blue: Bringing Blue-Collar Roots to the Legal Profession - Finding Purpose and Giving Back
By Molly Timko • July 29, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Nonprofits and the Public Interest
As I continue to move forward in my career and slowly chip away at my student debt, I feel more compelled to pay it forward. I often wonder whether us “Straddlers” and first generation lawyers have a greater propensity to engage in volunteer work, perhaps as a way to reconcile the duality of gratitude (for how far we have come) and guilt (for what we may have left behind). I attended a pro bono training several years ago, sponsored by an area bar association. At the time, I had been feeling a little uninspired by the daily grind of my work in healthcare…
Interview with Deborah E. Johnson, Entertainment & Sports Lawyer - On the Field: Women in Sports Law
By Tatum Wheeler • July 24, 2019 •Ms. JD, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Women and Law in the Media
Please welcome Ms. Deborah E. Johnson, an entertainment and sports lawyer from the Dallas area and Texas A&M University School of Law graduate. A solo practitioner for over five years specializing in entertainment and sports law, Ms. Johnson runs her own company, teaches government at a local college, and serves as in-house counsel of a construction company. Ms. Johnson has experience in diverse practice areas including compliance, education, juvenile representation, in-house practice, and transactional law. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me! Let’s get started. I enjoyed your post, How to Survive Law School, in which…