Browse Topics
You’ll Pay for This: Choosing The Right Repayment Plan
By Kerriann Stout • April 18, 2018 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Pre-Law, Other Law School Issues, Issues, •Other Issues
After going to law school, I like to think that I have a pretty high threshold for the “I have no idea what I’m doing” feeling and can ultimately figure most things out with enough research. However, when it was time to figure out which repayment plan I should use to start paying back my law school loans, I was in tears of confusion in 5 minutes flat. I was immediately paralyzed by questions, such as “Why are there so many options?”, “Why do they all sound the same?”, “How do the payments range from $0 to $3,000?”, “How do…
To be a Woman and to be “Workplace Ready”
By Ava Lee • April 18, 2018 •Ms. JD, Conference, Ms. JD Book Reviews, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, •Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media, •Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law, Myths & Truths, First Women, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
For a man, the common mantra is “seize the day.” For a woman, the common mantra is “act accordingly.” Women are conditioned to believe their self-worth is based on following rules or being "good." The ideal woman projects grace, cooperation, and compliance. She tailors herself to be pleasant and acceptable. She accommodates and sidesteps her wants for the greater good. Unfortunately, this outlook can leave one professionally stagnant. Being assertive, firm, and steadfast are required to achieve personal and professional objectives. But these traits are often downplayed for fear of being rejected or worse, "unlikeable." I remember my first day…
Ms. JD seeking new Volunteer Treasurer!
By Danielle Allison • April 11, 2018 •Ms. JD
Ms. JD's Treasurer function is a part-time, volunteer, and unpaid role within the organization. Ms. JD’s Treasurer will provide assistance, as necessary, on a variety of tasks, including providing guidance relating to the preparation of tax filings, performing administrative, finance, and human resources functions, and helping to build relationships with our sponsors. Ms. JD is a national nonprofit organization with a comparable budget to other nonprofit legal organizations with similar missions of advancing women in the legal profession. Please visit www.ms-jd.org for more information on our projects and programs. Volunteer Treasurer, Ms. JD The Treasurer is a part-time, volunteer, and unpaid position. …
Ms. JD seeking new Programs Assistant!
By Danielle Allison • April 11, 2018 •Ms. JD
Ms. JD needs your help! Ms. JD is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the success of aspiring and early career women lawyers. Serving as a unique nexus between the profession and the pipeline of diverse attorneys, Ms. JD’s online community provides a forum for dialogue and networking among women lawyers and law students. Ms. JD celebrates women’s achievements, addresses remaining challenges, and facilitates continued progress by bringing legal practitioners and law students together to share in an ongoing conversation about gender issues in law school and the profession. We are looking for a Programs Assistant to join us as…
Re-Defining Success (Or Maybe DEFINING it ... for the very first time)
By Amy Impellizzeri • March 28, 2018 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Law School, Pre-Law, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Women and Law in the Media
From the beginning of time (or at least the first day of college!) I had exactly one professional goal in life – to be a lawyer. And not just any lawyer – a successful one. I wasn’t sure exactly what success would look like, but I knew this – I’d know it when I saw it. By 2009, I had been a corporate litigator for more than 13 years – nearly a decade of which had been spent at Skadden Arps. I had negotiated multi-million dollar settlements, and tried my first case before I was 30. I had won over…
Julia Wilson’s Journey from Dancer to CEO of OneJustice
By Akunna Ofodu • March 08, 2018 •Ms. JD, Conference
Julia Wilson is a Stanford Law alumna and mover and shaker in the Public Interest sector. I spoke to her about how she got her position as CEO and what the prospects are for the future in the legal aid. One experience with a lawyer and her life took a different turn. Inspired by the entire public interest sector, Julia knew there was power in the law to help others, especially persons with disabilities. Julia’s awareness of her own privileges and inequalities within the legal aid sphere was beyond refreshing to hear. Julia is confident, intelligent, dedicated and a bad…
Truths about Big Law and Finding Joy in Your Tribe: A Transparent Dialogue with Jennifer House
By Akunna Ofodu • March 07, 2018 •Ms. JD, Conference
Self-Proclaimed “Law Firm Refugee” Jennifer House spoke with me on some truths working in Big law and how her move to Netflix was one of the best decisions for her. Jen is a Harvard Law alumna, mother, wife, and attorney. In just one hour, Jen kept things very real on her experiences as a black woman working in a field that doesn’t necessarily cater to women—especially women of color. Jen, reflects with me all her experiences: the good, the bad and the ugly. It was absolutely refreshing to hear her perspective on the disparities that women who look like her…
It’s Time To Beat The Burn Out: The Importance of Well-Being In The Legal Profession
By Paige Marie Robinson Greene • March 07, 2018 •Ms. JD, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Features, •Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law, Myths & Truths
THE CURRENT CLIMATE Burnout, stress, anxiety, depression – whatever you want to call it – if you’re in the legal profession there is a chance that you’ll feel it at some point in your career. Lawyers are constantly reaching for a professional-personal life balance, and the pressure to deliver can feel enormous for even the most confident and most competent lawyers. Unsurprisingly, burnout starts in law school. A 2014 research survey on law student well-being revealed that law students might have higher rates of anxiety and depression than other graduate students. (Jerome M. Organ et al., “Suffering in Silence: The…
Studying Abroad in Law School
By Brittany Sims • March 07, 2018 •Ms. JD, Law School
Studying abroad is a wonderful opportunity for students to expand their world-view through international travel and cultural immersion. It provides more than just Instagram-worthy photos; it is a beneficial experience that can enable both personal and academic growth. For law students, studying abroad is especially advantageous since we live in such a global economy and law has become increasingly international. Additionally, exposure to foreign governments, legal systems, and jurisprudence can help American students better identify the strengths and weaknesses within our own system. As future lawyers and leaders, this perspective is critical if we wish to make positive changes within…