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The Truth About Pregnancy
By Brenda L. George • August 17, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Pre-Law, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, •Other Issues
This post is really late. Almost two weeks late. That is mostly because the topic I chose to write about is a tough one. Admittedly, I was on vacation as well, but I think that is why I was so reluctant to simply sit down and crank out a blog post. In fact, I may have had too much time to sit and reflect on what I am about to write below. As I sit down to write this, it is 5:00 a.m. and it took a bout of pregnancy induced insomnia (I woke up at 2:00 a.m., tripped over…
A Busy Schedule is No Excuse for Ignoring Your Health
By Anna Johansson • August 08, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
As a young woman in an industry that’s largely controlled by older men, it can feel like you have to work twice as hard just to keep up. In fact, research shows that women at law firms are still paid less than men, regardless of whether they put in more hours or have more years of experience. Data from Sky Analytics, which analyzed more than $3.4 billion in invoices from 3,000-plus law firms, found that women tend to earn 10 percent less than men per hour. Furthermore, Bryce Covert points out that, “While 2 percent of men at top tier…
If Nowhere Is Your Office, Is Everywhere Your Office? 5 Ways to Curb Telecommuter Burnout
By Alexis Lamb • August 07, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues
More and more lawyers are opting out of a traditional corporate path, which, for many, includes architecting a career that they can perform from anywhere with a laptop and an internet connection. Similarly, more and more law firms are jumping onto the telecommuting bandwagon, structuring programs that will allow select attorneys the option to telecommute during the workweek. Morgan Lewis & Bockius, for example, launched a flexible work program on May 1, 2017, which provides associates with the opportunity to telecommute up to two days a week starting in their third year. At least 100 associates have signed up with…_(1)-100x100.jpg)
Skirting the Ceiling: Standing Up to Gender Steretypes
By Sydney Reed • August 05, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Other Issues
This summer we’ve talked a lot about standing up to sexism in the workplace. As summer winds down, I have one last story to share. Not too long ago, I observed a trial in which the male defense attorney made the following remarks to the young victim on the stand, “Your least favorite subject is math, correct? I’ve always found that females, such as yourself, aren’t as good at math and are better at subjects like English. I know I was always better at math.” He then paused and waited for the victim’s response. Seated in the gallery, my jaw…
Women Lawyers Need Balance
By Susan Smith Blakely • August 04, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
Every year at this time, I put Best Friends at the Bar on hold to spend time with family and friends. It is a month-long hiatus that I know is enviable but that I feel entitled to after all these years. And I LOVE it. I will be at the Massachusetts shore with friends and at the Maine shore with family, and I can't wait for the games to begin! It is not that my work is over or that my desk is clear. That is not the case at all. I am completing the manuscript for a new book, on deadline…
Failure Turned Inside Out: The Not So Gentle Ladies of the United States Congress
By Patricia Jjemba • July 31, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Issues, •Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Women and Law in the Media, Other Issues
The women that serve daily on behalf of the American people are fierce trailblazers in their own right. As a means to seemingly promote gender equality, there is a new term that has been floating around the United States Congress. You see, as of late congressional members have been referring to their female House representatives and Senate members as “gentle-ladies.” (Example: The gentle lady from California will now address the House.) Now whatever your personal opinion is on the alluring appeal (or lack there of) of the term itself, there is one thing I think that we can all come…
Women Lawyers Should Avoid the Heat
By Susan Smith Blakely • July 18, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
Yes, it is very hot this summer in most parts of America, but this is not the kind of heat I mean. The heat I am talking about occurs when boys and girls start fooling around on the job. There is no place for this in the law profession, and I hope you know it. I made it clear to you in my first book, Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know about a Career in the Law (Aspen Publishers 2009). Presenting yourself as a professional to avoid mixed or wrong sexual/relationship messages is serious business and needs…
To be a More Zealous Advocate, See Yourself in Your Clients
By Madhavi Seth • July 17, 2017 •Careers, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Other Career Issues, Law School, Internships and Clerkships, Issues, Other Issues
I have been blessed to have my parents, siblings, teachers, and friends as my lifelong advocates. These people have helped shape my beliefs through good conversation and have shown me how important it is to approach all challenges with optimism and grace. However, the attorney who enabled my family to immigrate to the United States from India was also my advocate. Without his work, I would not have had the opportunity to grow personally and professionally here. His advocacy inspired me to become an attorney and pursue externship experiences which would enable me to use my skills to serve and…
Washington State Family-Leave
By Brenda L. George • July 07, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, •Women and Law in the Media
The Seattle Times recently reported on a "revolutionary" law, one-decade in the making. Washington State is joining California, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington D.C. in mandating employers pay workers' salaries while they take time off for the birth of a child. The Washington State law allows 12 weeks of leave at 90% of income (higher than any other state mandating the pay). This law, which has technically been on the books since 2007, is funded by weekly paycheck contributions from the employee and the employer and will take effect in 2020. I'm sure you can imagine how…