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Women Lawyers and Lawyer Couples
By Susan Smith Blakely • June 27, 2018 •Careers, Other Career Issues
Two-lawyer households: I know a little about those. My husband and I graduated two years apart from law school, and the following 40-plus years are history. Not only the history of our two careers and more than three law firms and public service for each of us, but also the history of a couple and a family --- which now includes two children, both of them lawyers. As we prepare to celebrate our 48th wedding anniversary, I think you could say that it worked for us. But, it was not easy. First, there were the years when our two careers…
Doctors v. Lawyers
By Katherine Macfarlane • June 25, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
Because of my disabilities, I spend an inordinate amount of time with doctors. It’s not unusual to have four medical appointments in one week. As frustrating as my illnesses are, the interactions I have with doctors are often more demoralizing than the conditions they treat me for. And I think that my law degree has something to do with the horrible way I feel after each doctor’s office visit. The common assumption is that because I have a law degree, doctors are more cautious with my care because they fear I will sue them. My experience has been quite the…
The Legal Side of Delivery Business
By Dennis Hung • June 22, 2018 •Careers, Other Career Issues
A delivery business is a good venture that brings good money to the table. Customers now seek third parties or other services for delivery services as they try to save time on other activities. A good example is the food delivery services which are becoming more popular in the US. The demand for vegan food delivery, aesthetic meals and fresh ingredients is on the rise. Before you get started on a delivery business, several legal factors are taken into consideration. Here are some of the legal factors: 1. Legal Decision Before any start of a business, a proprietor(s) should decide…
How to Be a Slightly Happier Lawyer
By Tracy Huang • June 22, 2018 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues
We often live our everyday lives in a blur. With smartphones, caffeine, news, and emails, we can move from our day-to-day existence without noticing what is around us. We often don’t take the time to look at people in the face or really to gaze into their eyes. I have seen this so often at the law firm where I work. One associate I observed glancing at his phone on the way to the bathroom, on the way down the elevator, out in the lobby, and into the street where we were headed to hunt for lunch. People avoid my…
LSAT Prep Has Staggering Costs for Certain Students
By Shanti Brien • June 14, 2018 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Pre-Law, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
Recently a young Native American woman and aspiring lawyer asked me if I knew any free or low cost LSAT prep courses. I had previously tried to dissuade her from law school--just as my grandfather had given me 29 Reasons Not to Go to Law School before I enrolled--but alas, she, like I, was determined. I didn’t know much about LSAT prep but soon felt the shock of the $1300 price tag. Soon thereafter, the $1300 grew much more significant when I realized the enormous negative impact of high-cost prep courses, especially on low-income people and people of color, but…
Lawyering in a Crisis: What Five Puerto Rican Women Did in the Aftermath of a Major Hurricane
By Jeanne Ortiz • June 14, 2018 •Careers, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Issues, Other Issues, Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law, •Myths & Truths
Imagine living with no power for 10 months as a result of two major hurricanes and having to prepare for a third one. Or imagine being grateful for having your power back after 6 months but still having a blue tarp for a roof. That was the reality for thousands of Puerto Ricans this week when Beryl, the first hurricane of the season, formed in the Atlantic. I think we can all attest to the gut-wrenching feeling of anticipation the day we were expecting Hurricane María last year. Gazing out the window with my sister at 5:00 am still feels like yesterday,…
Why Your Law Firm Needs Strong Cybersecurity
By Dennis Hung • June 12, 2018 •Careers, Other Career Issues
Like usual, it's a hectic workday at the office. Meanwhile, you get an email that includes an attachment. You don’t remember asking for the memo, but you download the attachment anyway. Warning! Your alarm bells go off, and it turns out to be malware. It's disrupting your computer and all the other computers in your law agency now. This was the position Jessica Mazzeo and Fran Griesing were facing during July of 2016. The computer arrangement for their humble Philadelphia law firm of 12 attorneys was affected by malware. The firm reached out to their outsourced data technology service. That…
The Barred Life: A Series of Indefinite Length - Part I
By Jannet Matthew • May 30, 2018 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues, Features, •Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
PART I A Personal Thing, but a Family Affair I’m a December graduate of Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles and took the February 2018 California Bar Exam. The month is May but I've been an emotional wreck since February. I write this post sitting two days away from knowing my fate and an alien feeling has come over me - my emotional wreckage is finally settling. The closer I’ve gotten to the result date, the more I let go of my anxiety, fear, numbness, and desire to control. This is a major breakthrough I'm profoundly proud of because I've…
From Paralegal to Associate: How to Handle Stress During the First Year as an Associate
By Nadia Ennaji • May 29, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues
It is no secret that the schedule of an attorney is a hectic one. Balancing a personal life with the pressure of billable hour is a tricky job. The typical day of an attorney starts around 8:30 am and rarely ends until 7:30 pm. Add to this the commute to and from home. And with the new technology, are you truly ever disconnected from work? All of these contribute to higher than normal stress level in the legal profession. The first year of a new associate is even more difficult, as there is the continuous pressure to adjust to the…