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In Praise of Independent Women Lawyers
By Susan Smith Blakely • July 06, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
Happy Independence Day! Yes, it is about small town parades, fireworks and sparklers, burgers on the grill, mountains of ice cream, and being together with family and friends. It only comes once a year, so knock yourself out! But, during the festivities, do not forget about the "independence" part. I am not just talking about the Declaration of Independence or what it has meant to the evolution of this country where we all enjoy freedoms and independence unparalleled in the world. That is the focus, but it goes much further than that. It is about national independence and also about…
Failure Turned Inside Out: Pay It Forward
By Patricia Jjemba • July 05, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking
Name: Kimberly Amrine Professional Title: Director of Diversity & Inclusion for Frost Brown Todd, LLC Sector: Private Law School: George Washington University Law School Things eventually came to a head. Like many recent college graduates, Kim did not know what she was going to do after she graduated from Northwestern University. After all, she did not particularly love school. So, she packed up her little Honda Civic and moved to Washington D.C. Her interest in politics eventually led her to apply for jobs on Capitol Hill. But most of the jobs on the Hill were unpaid and she needed to…
Monthly Mantra: Finding Health and Wellness in the Law
By Dierdra Howard • July 05, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Other Issues
Mantra: I possess the internal fire to manifest my desires. Summer has finally arrived. In this month of fireworks and rising temperatures, are you stoking your internal fire to manifest your desires and intentions? You have to stay the course. Manifesting the desires of your heart requires work. You must have a clear vision of your goals and do everything feasible on your end to bring them to fruition. Once that’s done, the real work begins. You have to release control of your desires to the universe and allow them to manifest at the right time and in the right…
Summer & A Sigh of Relief
By Jacqueline Leung • July 05, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
The past month and a half has been a difficult time for me. We have had illnesses (my children, my partner, and I), sadness, stress, and transition difficulties. In addition, the number of work hours from my current job dropped, and I am working less than part-time. After several agonizing weeks, and consultation with several individuals, I made an important, yet difficult decision to postpone taking the bar. It came down to finances and personal health issues impacting my family and I -- I chose my family. The decision was not easy to make. I still feel slightly disappointed. Yet,…
Ms. JD Pre-Law: “Table of Contents”
By Genevieve Antono • July 02, 2017 •Ms. JD, Conference, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Legal Academia, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, •Other Career Issues, Law School, Pre-Law, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Curriculum and Classroom Dynamics, Internships and Clerkships, Other Law School Issues, Issues, •Mentoring and Networking
Are you a pre-law student or professional? Read this post first! Hello and welcome to Ms. JD Pre-Law! Our goal is to serve as a resource to, and build a supportive community of, pre-law women around the country. Whether you're a college freshman just starting to develop an interest in the legal profession, or if you already know that you're going to law school this Fall—we have something for you! In addition to organizing in-person events, we also regularly post interviews and other articles on the wider Ms. JD blog. The list below serves as a helpful index to many…
#MsJDPreLaw: “What type of law are you interested in?”
By Genevieve Antono • July 02, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Law School, Pre-Law, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, •Internships and Clerkships, Other Law School Issues
Although we (obviously) haven't gone to law school yet, people LOVE asking pre-law students this question. A few years ago, my pre-law self would have smiled politely and shrugged in response. ("I think I like law......??") It took me a lot of research and introspection to come to my (current) answer, which is: "I'm generally interested in corporate transactional work. I find Funds very interesting, although at some point I also want to explore deal/M&A work." So what can a pre-law student do to come to a more concrete answer about his/her legal interests? Research, research, research! (1) Google, (2)…
Career Profiles: Janine Sickmeyer, NextChapter
By Nicole Moriniere • June 13, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Mentoring and Networking, Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law, First Women, •Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
This month I had the opportunity to have an exchange with one of the ABA's 2017 Women of Legal, Janine Sickmeyer, the CEO & Founder of NextChapter, a web application for attorneys to prepare, manage and file bankruptcy cases online. As a business leader and entrepreneur, Janine provides strategic vision and direction for NextChapter and is particularly fascinated in the intersection between law and technology in the bankruptcy market. In addition to being selected as one of ABA's Legal Tech Resource Center's Women of Legal Tech 2017, Janine is also a Pledge 1% Women Who Lead of 2017. I had a few questions for…
The State of Mandatory Parental Leave Continuances
By Brittany O'Neil • June 12, 2017 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Other Issues
At a minimum, attorneys must zealously represent clients. Likely driven by a genuine desire to ensure exceptional legal representation or simply today’s competitive legal market, striving to provide the best services possible often means going beyond the minimum requirement of zealous representation. To exceed this standard, attorneys are regularly on call or engaging in some type of work after hours. We often put aside our personal needs, such as physical health, and the personal needs of our family with the intention of helping our clients. However, the birth of a child is one example for which an attorney cannot ignore…
Failure Turned Inside Out: Practice Makes Perfect
By Patricia Jjemba • June 09, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Issues, •Mentoring and Networking
Name: Tamara J. Titre Professional Title: Assistant City Attorney, City of Bridgeport, Connecticut; Managing Attorney, Law Office of Tamara J. Titre, LLC Law School: Michigan State University College of Law Years Practicing Law: 3 Sector: Government and Private Practice Specialization: Freedom of Information Compliance, Family Law, Probate, Estate/Trusts "I do not believe people fail. I believe they are put in positions that challenge them to reinvent or redirect themselves.” You never really know where life can take you. Early on Tamara Titre knew that she wanted to be a voice for others. Her desire to obtain a law degree grew stronger as she became more involved in…