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Ms. JD Pre-Law: Interview with Christina Nguyen, Career Placement Committee Co-Chair, AABANY
By Genevieve Antono • May 20, 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
Today’s Ms. JD Pre-Law interview is with Christina Marie Nguyen. Christina serves as Co-Chair of the Career Placement Committee at the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY). She previously served as a Co-Chair of the Student Outreach Committee at AABANY, Social Media Coordinator for the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY), and Assistant Editor for the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA)’s NYLitigator Journal. Christina graduated with her JD from St. John’s University School of Law and was recently admitted to the NY bar. She was also featured on St. John's Law 2016 commencement article,…
The Bulldog Ballerina: 4 Tips for Success in an Alternative JD Career
By Seaira Christian-Daniels • May 17, 2017 •Ms. JD, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Law School, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Features, •Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
Avery Blank strategizes with individuals and organizations worldwide to help them attain their business, leadership, career, and policy goals. She has worked in the public sector at all levels of government including experience at the Executive Office of the President of the United States, the private sector at Johnson & Johnson, and non-profit consulting with the University of Maryland Center for Health & Homeland Security. Blank graduated as a Rose Zetzer Fellow with a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law and holds a B.A. in English and Spanish from Colgate University. Avery Blank presented her first case in the seventh grade. She…
How to Define Your Personal Brand
By Linda Tancs • May 16, 2017 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are undoubtedly aware of how trendy the concept “personal branding” has become. And there are as many definitions of the term “as Carter’s has pills” (to borrow one of grandfather’s favorite expressions). So what exactly does it mean to have a personal brand? Simply put, personal branding is the story of you. Think of it as a journalistic dive into your own who, what, when, where and how. First, name the qualities that are distinct to you as an individual. That’s your who. Are you intellectually curious, uncompromising, articulate, flexible? How do…
Comparison of the EU and USA Laws - Protecting Jobs When Pregnant
By ilise feitshans • May 14, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Other Issues, Features, Myths & Truths, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
One striking difference between Europe and the USA is their election laws. Many nations in Europe are still ruled by a Royal family: Netherlands, Belgium, Monaco, Sweden, Denmark and Spain just to name a few. This alters the perspective regarding national elections: electing members of a Parliament and local officials is relatively close to the wishes and desires of the local electorate because in the big picture the larger governing structure remains overall the same. And, the pan-European election system for the members of the European Union government in Brussels and Strasbourg and the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers in…
A Strong Message about Leadership for Women Lawyers
By Susan Smith Blakely • May 10, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
Today I write to you about effective leadership, recognizing that yesterday effective leadership intersected with politics in the American experience. However, there should be nothing of partisan politics in seeing that experience for what it was: Killing the messenger. When I speak to audiences of attorneys and law students about effective leadership, as addressed in my book, Best Friends at the Bar: Top-Down Leadership for Women Lawyers, one of the concepts that I stress is taking responsibility for your own actions and not killing the messenger. It is a fundamental theme of effective leadership, as recognized by the most well-respected global…
Creating Work-Life Balance in the Legal Field
By Brenda L. George • May 09, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Curriculum and Classroom Dynamics, Internships and Clerkships, •Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Other Issues
I had the pleasure of speaking with attorney and mother, Elise Buie, last month about achieving balance between work and life while maintaining a law career. Of the many things that Elise brought to light for me, I think the thing that stuck with me the most is the fact that in terms of providing appropriate accommodations for pregnant or nursing women, we have come so far. I have nursed and pumped in some pretty awful, dirty places. The ferry bathroom is at the top of my list (both in the terminal and on the ferry). But, I have also nursed…
Fueling the Career Fire: Networking Events as Motivation
By Nicole Moriniere • May 06, 2017 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Features, First Women
Even if you have your dream job, there are some days or weeks when your motivation can falter. Maybe you're distracted with other things going on in your personal life or you have to complete certain tasks that day or week that aren't the tasks you enjoy the most in your job. During these times, I find it helpful to find motivation and inspiration outside of myself and my work. I find one really good way to get inspired again is to attend events on a work-related or work-adjacent topic that I'm interested in, and that will also attract a…
Drive Your Journey: The Unexpected Redirection
By Delania Barbee • May 06, 2017 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues
While changes in one’s life can be intentional, there are times when the unplanned may occur. For example, you may have your heart set on practicing in a certain area of the law and not get hired in the positions to which you initially apply. You may focus on applying to positions in a certain city but get a fitting offer in another city. This may redirect your journey, but the key is to remember that you are on a journey. It does not have to be your final destination and likely will not be. First, remember to embrace where…
A Chat with Erin Shinneman - Global Adventurer, Writer, Startup Lawyer
By Alexis Lamb • May 04, 2017 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
Erin Shinneman sits on a strip of sand, preparing for her dives later that day with her ocean conservation group. For the past six weeks, she’s been living on an Indonesian island with a population of 170. The WiFi is spotty – she’s about as far east as one can go in Indonesia – but she’s able to log on enough to communicate with her clients effectively. Shinneman, a startup lawyer and writer who started her career at the law firms of Chadbourne & Parke and Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP., has worked from Barcelona cafes, desert…