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Hillary Clinton, Respectability Politics, and the Crisis of Modern Feminism
By Ally Chiu • March 01, 2017 •Ms. JD, Careers, Politics and Government, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media, •Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law, First Women, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
The results of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election represented a failure on many fronts. It was a failure of the American commitment to diversity, openness, and refuge. It was a failure as a check on corporate greed, wealthy interests, and predators of the poor and vulnerable. It signified a societal sickness— with our obsession with celebrity culture and worshipping of money as status. It displayed a majoritarian callousness to the calls for equal dignity by marginalized groups – by racial and ethnic minorities, the transgender community, immigrants, religious minorities, the gay and lesbian community, the disabled community, and women –…
What Every Female Attorney Should Have in Her Wardrobe
By Jenny Park • January 27, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Women and Law in the Media, Other Issues, Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law, Myths & Truths, •First Women
Considering how busy your schedule is as an attorney, there are surely times when you face your closet, and then disappointment comes next. How many times did you open your closet and said, “I don’t have anything to wear,” to yourself? How many times have you stated that you need something “new” to wear? That means what you have is an inoperational wardrobe and seriously, you need to change that. But how will you know which ones to replace and what items you should keep? Like a simple or basic white tee, or your blue pair of jeans, or how…
Bankruptcy and The Other “Glass Ceiling” of Finance for Female Law Professionals
By Sonja Shah • December 13, 2016 •Issues, Women and Law in the Media
In 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it would be making a pivot in its focus. Rather than addressing concerns about fraud and bias in lending for post-secondary students or low income mortgage borrowers, the shift would begin to address something that many female business owners (including lawyers who have moved to set up their own firm or private practice) are infinitely aware of; gender bias in small business lending for women. An archaic argument that attempts to explain the gap between available business lending for female owned enterprises, assumes that there are more male founded start-ups. …
Advice for Single Mothers Seeking a Legal Career
By Robin Morisey • December 01, 2016 •Issues, Women and Law in the Media
If you’ve always wanted to explore the possibility of developing a legal career, you shouldn’t assume that being a single mother makes it impossible. There’s more help out there than you might expect. Recognizing that it has a problem with insufficient diversity, the legal profession is trying to change by creating opportunities for those who have found it difficult to pursue a legal career in the past. This includes women and people from socio-economically disadvantaged groups, so many of the barriers that used to exist are now no longer present. Challenges facing single mothers The two biggest barriers facing single…
What Does Donald Trump Think About Female Professionals?
By Angela Hill • November 28, 2016 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Issues, Women and Law in the Media
Like him or dislike him, there is a lot to be said about President-Elect Donald Trump. While surprising pollsters and many in the business community, there is no doubt that it has been a tumultuous election year in the United States. It is one that has polarized urban and suburban Americans, arguably contributed to some (what we hope are) misunderstandings along the lines of rights for same-sex partners, and issues of race, income, and religion. While comments from the new President-Elect have often led to inflammatory interpretations by the media, particularly along the lines of women’s rights (e.g., Planned Parenthood)…
Start Writing and Reap the Rewards!
By Michele Jochner • November 21, 2016 •Issues, Mentoring and Networking, Women and Law in the Media
Early in my career, I entered a writing contest … and won! Thus began my career-long love of writing and publishing. In mentoring many law students and young lawyers, I always suggest that writing and being published is a key to distinguishing yourself from the crowd, while also becoming a better lawyer in the process. Back in the day, publishing was done only on paper, and involved quite a bit of lag time not only between writing the article and finally seeing it in print, but also in obtaining feedback from readers. Today, in contrast, publishing via a blog on…
A Letter to Our Community
By Raychelle Tasher • November 21, 2016 •Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media, Other Issues
As an organization, Ms. JD is dedicated to the success of women in law school and the legal profession. While we do not endorse candidates for political office, Ms. JD is concerned with how the election and the messaging throughout the election cycle may impact the self-confidence, self-worth, and career goals of the female law students and lawyers we support. We do not want these challenging events to diminish the incredible drive, passion, and commitment we see within our community. You inspire us on a daily basis. We as women are no strangers to adversity. During this difficult time, we…
Life in the Law School Lane: Living Through the 2016 Election as a Female Law Student
By Lauren Nevidomsky • November 10, 2016 •Writers in Residence, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media
"This loss hurts, but please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it. It is, it is worth it. And so we need—we need you to keep up these fights now and for the rest of your lives. And to all the women, and especially the young women, who put their faith in this campaign and in me: I want you to know that nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion." - Hillary Clinton, Concession Speech, November 9, 2016 With my penultimate post as a 2016 Writer in Residence, I figured I would be wrapping up…
A Question of Empathy: Are Female Lawyers Preferred for Personal Injury Cases?
By Nicole Garcia • October 28, 2016 •Issues, Women and Law in the Media
For personal injury clients, finding the right lawyer to represent them is a high-stakes decision. Not only will the lawyer need to be proficient at representation, but the client expectation is that the counselor will truly advocate with compassion for their case. Individual preferences aside, there are many reasons for clients to prefer the choice of a female lawyer for a personal injury case. Injury Cases Involving Men: The Fear of Disclosure and the Appearance of Weakness Despite the fact that legal counsel, regardless of gender, is in place to provide quality representation for the client, there are sociocultural factors…