Browse Topics
The Benefits of Voluntary Bar Associations: A Q and A with Nicole Del Rio
By Sarah Valdes • July 10, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
We hear about the importance of being involved in different organizations all the time. While this column focuses on connection, I want to remind all the young lady lawyers out there that yes, it is ok to take a step back if you have to rethink how you spend your time. You will not gain anything out of participation in a voluntary bar association if you are stretched too thin. Joining a voluntary bar association can be incredibly rewarding for lady lawyers. To offer a young lady lawyer’s perspective, I’ve asked some questions from Nicole Del Rio, Staff Attorney at…
Medical Malpractice and Litigation - Being a “Phenom”
By Desiree Goff • June 30, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
We have focused on several different areas of law which intersect with science and technology. However, we haven’t spent any time discussing one of the more patently obvious areas - medical malpractice. This area of law practice relies heavily on litigation and trial work, which women are frequently steered away from. However, studies are showing that the women that do make it into the courtroom routinely outperform their male colleagues. These women are termed “phenoms” for their ability to get past the double glass ceiling. They work harder to get into the field and then fight to get into the…
It’s time to be vocal about our values
By Katalin Tarjan • June 30, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
Have you ever engaged in a conversation where things were said that went deeply against your values, yet for some reason or another you chose to stay silent? It happened to the best of us. You could hear these past weeks many times the Angela Davis quote that “it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist”. I have to admit, although I’ve never considered myself racially biased, I haven’t exactly been actively anti-racist either. And I know many of us were educated and informed enough to know that those horrible things were happening to BIPOC people, yet…
Ms. JD 2020 Public Interest Scholarship Application
By Stephanie Kerr • June 12, 2020 •Ms. JD
Upon beginning my service as a City Year AmeriCorps Member in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, I was shocked by how starkly the community contrasted the images of wealth and glamor typically associated with the city. The rates of poverty, violence, and unemployment were among the highest in the state, and the neighborhood schools further reflected the inequities long faced by the community. Crammed classrooms with limited supplies led by a slew of substitute teachers were a daily occurrence, and declining budgets significantly reduced the number of counselors available to support the thousands of students struggling from the effects…
Ms. JD Virtual Toolkit: Refining your Business Development Plan for Evolving Times (6/18)
By Ms. JD Editor • June 12, 2020 •Ms. JD
Ms. JD Virtual Toolkit Webinar Series "Refining your Business Development Plan for Evolving Times" featuring Diane Darling, Host of the Virtual Cafe, McGraw-Hill Author, Virtual Speaker, LinkedIn Aficionado, Consultant, and Coach Register today at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/4115917102409/WN_3MeZC8QLQfCneuZS54iUKg
Ms. JD Virtual Toolkit: Making This Moment Matter (6/9)
By Ms. JD Editor • June 07, 2020 •Ms. JD, Issues
"Making This Moment Matter" featuring Tara Murray, Social Justice Advocate, Human Rights Lawyer, and former Public Defender in conversation with Sarah June Benjamin, Ms. JD's Public Interest and Advocacy Director Register today at https://bit.ly/msjdwebinar2
The Influencers: Woman, African-American, Trailblazer
By Carron Nicks • June 02, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
Have you ever thought about doing something that no one had ever done before, a truly novel idea, and you had no idea how you’d make it happen? Imagine, if you will, your future as a young woman in post-Civil War Washington, D.C. Chances are good that you would complete 8th grade, but they were poor - less than 50% -- that you would go on to high school. College for women in the 1870s? If you were lucky enough to go attend a college, most likely the curriculum would be designed to train you as a teacher. Now, imagine…
Ms. JD Virtual Toolkit: Allyship in the Legal Profession (6/4 at 2 PM ET)
By Ms. JD Editor • June 02, 2020 •Ms. JD, Issues
Ms. JD Virtual Toolkit Webinar Series "Allyship in the Legal Profession" featuring Maleaha Brown, Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and Ms. JD Board Chair, in conversation with Jessie Kornberg, Co-Chair of LA Represents and Incoming President and CEO of the Skirball Cultural Center Register today at https://bit.ly/msjdwebinar1
Major Minority Inventions and Milestones
By Desiree Goff • May 30, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
I have been stunned, saddened and angered by the events this week as I am sure those reading this are. But this isn’t the first time. I question how I can help, what I can write or say or DO to change the systemic issues affecting our society. I am certain that many of our readers experience covert and overt acts of racism frequently. In our careers as lawyers, we often only ACT once the damage is done. Often the prerequisite of a case is the question of “what are the damages” or “what is this case worth?” As attorneys,…