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Leaning into the Law of the Sea
By Desiree Goff • November 01, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
Continuing on in our search of leading women attorneys at the intersection of legal and scientific fields, we are looking at the practice of Admiralty or Maritime Law for this month. A somewhat obscure area of law practice, admiralty or maritime law is the body of law that governs navigation and shipping, both substantively and procedurally.* While not necessarily scientifically based, it combines ocean policy, admiralty, and maritime commerce. For example, anything from accidents due to colliding fishing vessels, discovery of sunken treasures, the employee rights of those working at sea, and environmental conflicts such as toxic waste dumps may…
What makes a good worker?
By Katalin Tarjan • October 31, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
I got my first legal job after working in several other types of jobs, and I’ve always felt that every piece of knowledge and every experience I have gained along my journey contributes to being as successful in my current job as I am. Being good work force in my opinion is equal parts professional skills and life skills, and the latter can only be acquired by, you know, living. No-one expects a 1L intern to have the same kind of life experiences as a trained attorney, but you can learn something even from what you think is the…
People have the power - to vote
By Katalin Tarjan • September 28, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
Editor's Note: In honor of Election Day today, please read this piece from Writer in Residence Katalin Tarjan, and if you are able to, vote! We’ve all learned about the electoral process and its importance in functioning democracies, yet, we might have different opinions about voting in practice. I used to have a professor at law school who was very proud that he has never voted at any elections in his entire life. Ever. Not once. He talked quite a lot about politics – teaching administrative law –, his lectures were full of political comments and opinions about…
Clean Air, Clean Water, and Losing a Trailblazer
By Desiree Goff • September 25, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
In a month filled with fires and hurricanes, and in homage to a pioneering woman lawyer and Supreme Court justice, we are taking a look at what a career in environmental law entails and how Ruth Bader Ginsburg approached her decision making process when confronted with environmental law cases. A fighter for equality and for justice, RBG forged the path for countless women lawyers to come behind her. In her years on the bench, many influential cases came before her. Justice Ginsburg’s opinions ranged from regulating greenhouse gas emissions to expressing support for a more expansive definition of jurisdictional waters…
Desi Advocacy: Spotlight on Aparna Shewakramani, Attorney and Cast Member of “Indian Matchmaking”
By Prianka Misra • September 22, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Aparna Shewakramani, General Counsel and star of Netflix's "Indian Matchmaking," a reality television show about South Asian dating and relationships. Aparna's outspoken remarks and confident outlook led her to become an international sensation. Although the show did not focus on her career, it briefly touched on Aparna's views about being an attorney. After watching "Indian Matchmaking," I interviewed Aparna to delve deeper into her perspective on being a lawyer, career advice for young women, and opinion about her portrayal in the series. You mentioned in the show that you wanted to be a lawyer since you…
Remembering RBG
By Ms. JD Editor • September 21, 2020 •Ms. JD, Issues, Women and Law in the Media
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, affectionately nicknamed the Notorious RBG, passed away on Friday, September 18, at the age of eighty-seven. The second woman to serve on the Supreme Court, and first Jewish female justice, Justice Ginsburg is remembered fondly for her continued effort to advance rights through her progressive court opinions, and even steamier dissents, as well as her own work as a lawyer and professor in serving as a champion of equality between the sexes. When asked for one word to describe Justice Ginsburg, Ms. JD community members used words like “inspirational,” “iconic,” “trailblazer,” and “visionary.” In celebrating her accomplishments, it is important to…
Connecting with Your Community Through Service
By Sarah Valdes • September 05, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues
Can you truly be selfless when you’re doing something good for others? Is there such a thing as a selfless good deed? For those of you of who were philosophy majors, maybe you spent entire semesters debating the morality of your actions. For me, I attribute most of my philosophical musings on whether you can truly be completely selfless to some couch conversations while watching “The Good Place.” Even though I probably didn’t start thinking about how a good deed made me feel until Chidi started teaching us all a little bit more about philosophy, I have always thought about…
Suiting Up for Space Law
By Desiree Goff • August 30, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
Between the launch of NASA astronauts in test flight for SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft earlier this summer, the addition of Space Force on Netflix, and NASA’s recent announcement of Jeanette Epps to launch aboard Boeing’s new CST-100 Starliner spaceship in 2021, the topic of space law is timely. Considered the body of law governing space-related activities, I reached out to my law school negotiating partner and friend, Elsbeth Magilton, to learn more regarding this area of law. As the current Executive Director for Technology, Security, and Space Law initiatives for the University of Nebraska College of Law, she oversees development,…
Three of the weirdest job interview results in my legal career
By Katalin Tarjan • August 28, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
Over the course of my career I have been through countless job interviews. Some were pretty regular and normal, but I feel I could fill a whole book with some wild examples too. You know those articles that promise to prepare you for the typical job interview and list the most typical interview questions? I am not saying they aren’t helpful, just that there are so many factors in your job application process that you cannot prepare for. As far as interviews go, I’ve seen so many things over the years, from the interviewer falling asleep while listening to me, through…