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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,…
Food For Thought: Great Politicians Have Certain Skills
By Dennis Hung • May 01, 2018 •Careers, Politics and Government
Discussions of leadership tend to center around the corporate world and the ways that managers can hone their leadership skills to drive efficiency and profits. Strangely though, leadership is rarely talked about through the lens of politics anymore. When the topic does come up, there's a good chance that it is being raised by political pundits who bemoan the scarcity of skilled political leaders in the modern age. However, it used to be a hotter topic. For generations, nations around the world elevated excellent leaders to the highest echelons of government. Their contributions were significant. Imagine what shape the United…
How to Become a Top Lawyer and Love Doing It
By Tsion Chudnovsky • December 13, 2017 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Internships and Clerkships, •Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Features, Myths & Truths, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
If you do good work and can promote yourself, career doors will open for you. As a new female lawyer or soon to be lawyer, there are many things to learn as you develop who you are and what you will do in your career. One key facet that has helped me at Chudnovsky Law is to learn how to promote myself at work and build a book of business. As a lawyer you will need to learn how to market yourself and communicate your expertise to clients early in your career. If you can do that effectively, you will be an…-100x100.jpg)
Join the Conversation: When Will Law Firms Drop the “Primary Caregiver” Distinction?
By Tammy Zhu • November 26, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Politics and Government, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
In April 2015, Johnson & Johnson announced that to better support “the modern-day family,” all new parents – regardless of primary caregiver status – would get eight weeks of paid parental leave. Birth mothers would receive an additional nine weeks of paid disability leave. A few months later, Netflix and Microsoft also rolled out parental leave programs that did not distinguish between “primary” and “secondary” caregivers. Netflix parents would get unlimited paid leave in the first year of their child’s birth or adoption. Microsoft parents would get twelve weeks of paid parental leave, in addition to eight weeks of paid…
Failure Turned Inside Out: Risk It All- The Anita Hill Story & Workplace Sexual Harassment
By Patricia Jjemba • November 04, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Legal Academia, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, •Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media
This kind of behavior is what makes it extremely difficult to speak out against workplace harassment and assault. To date, more than sixty women in the film and production industry have accused acclaimed Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault. At least two of these accusations have resulted in law enforcement officials and prosecutors opening criminal investigations that may lead to his indictment on rape and sexual assault charges. And while many may be interested in the salacious downfall of Weinstein for their own diabolical interests, there are those of us who appreciate the important conversations that have…
Ms. JD Pre-Law: “Table of Contents”
By Genevieve Antono • September 10, 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! Ms. JD knows that making the decision to go to law school is not easy. We also know that finding reliable information about the application process, financing law school, and what to expect from the law school experience can be difficult. Thanks for stopping by because Ms. JD can help! The Ms. JD pre-law program aims to provide prospective law students like yourself tools you can use to make an informed decision about law school. Please check out the many resources we…
Join the Conversation: Benefit of the Doubt
By Tammy Zhu • September 04, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Politics and Government, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
We all make mistakes. On a recent team I managed, everybody made mistakes – from the contract document reviewers, to the eDiscovery vendor, to the associates. Yet some people’s mistakes will become easily forgotten while others will become remembered for their mistakes. What determines whose mistakes get forgotten and whose get remembered? Could it be our race, ethnicity, and gender? I will argue that in our workplace and our community, the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t depends heavily on the way that others treat or react to our mistakes. I will argue that it is not…
What *exactly* is free speech under the 1st amendment?
By Ana Juneja • August 27, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Politics and Government, Issues, Features, Myths & Truths
Lately there's been a lot of legal buzzwords and buzz phrases thrown around in the news. Free speech, First Amendment, hate speech are just a few of these. This post will give an overview of the legal basics about free speech. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” But what does that actual…
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…