My Top 3 Takeaways from the Ms. JD 2019 NWLSO Leadership Academy
By Angelica Frink Walker • November 25, 2019 •Ms. JD
I had the honor of attending the Ms. JD 2019 NWLSO Leadership Academy, hosted in Cambridge, MA at Harvard Law School, November 22-23, 2019. I was elated for the opportunity to connect with other law students, attorneys, and business professionals, who share the same passion of wanting to see women in the legal field flourish and achieve a playing field equal to their male counterparts. 1. Failure is an Important Reflection Point Upon my arrival to Boston I was greeted with an e-mail from the Air Force JAG Recruitment Chief – informing me that I had not been selected for the November 2019…
Meet Ms. JD’s 2019 Fellows
By Ms. JD Editor • August 19, 2019 •Ms. JD, Law School
Ms. JD is proud to announce this year’s outstanding class of 2019 Fellows! This year’s fellows are from schools from coast to coast and present a broad spectrum of experience and legal interests. The 2019 Ms. JD Fellowship Winners are: Maia Bartee, University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law Aubre Dean, Syracuse University College of Law Idia Egonmwan, Howard University School of Law Cristina Gil, American University Washington College of Law Alana Glover, University of Baltimore School of Law Candace Goldman, Southern University Law Center Nina Neff, University of Wisconsin Law School Rima Sawhney, California Western School of Law …
What Women-Owned Firms Do Differently
By Amy Nouri • November 21, 2019 •Careers
Women-owned firms are modernizing office culture to better align with their needs and values. Citing an ABA study on the differences in levels of career satisfaction between men and women lawyers, this Law Practice Today article outlines common actions taken by women who started their own firms. What are women lawyers doing differently when they design their own workplace? These firms are: Prioritizing collaboration and cooperative teamwork. According to the article these women leaders also “pay more attention to the well-being and development of their subordinates.” Creating cultures conducive to the demands of women’s personal lives. By offering perks including flextime, relaxed dress codes and…
Bringing Blue-Collar Roots to the Legal Profession - An Interview with Jennifer Frankola Crawford
By Molly Timko • December 02, 2019 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Internships and Clerkships, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
For this month's post, I am thrilled to feature my fellow CUNY Law alum, Jennifer Frankola Crawford. Jennifer is an experienced attorney, arbitrator, and human rights advocate with blue-collar/working-class roots. As an arbitrator, Jennifer hears cases and renders decisions based upon New York State’s Insurance Law. In addition, Jennifer maintains an active practice in education law, representing families of children with learning disabilities and developmental delays. Further, Jennifer engages in pro bono work involving human rights issues, including handling immigration/deportation cases, and she collaborates with other lawyers to design and host CLEs. In this interview, Jennifer describes how her family's history, including her parents' immigration to the United States, influenced her career trajectory. She also offers excellent advice to first-generation…
Giving Tuesday
By Ms. JD Editor • December 01, 2019
This Giving Tuesday, please consider a donation to Ms. JD. We are a 501(c)3 dedicated to women in law school and the legal profession.-100x100.png)
Thanksgiving, with a side of gratitude.
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • November 22, 2019 •Writers in Residence
We don’t care how cliché this might sound, but this November, we’re focusing on gratitude. Yes, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and while the holiday is often an occasion for thinking of things we are grateful for in our personal lives, we’re trying to incorporate this opportunity into our professional lives as well. Why do this, you may ask? Well, our day to day lives as lawyers or law students or other professionals are hectic and stressful and it’s far too easy to only focus on the problem or situation that’s stressing us out and fail to appreciate the…
10 Ways to Become Indispensable at Work
By SALLY KANE • November 19, 2019 •Careers, Other Career Issues
The best piece of career advice I ever received was dispensed to me by my mentor during my summer clerkship in 2001: “The key to getting ahead is to make yourself indispensable,” he advised on my first day on the job. That summer clerkship was full of fun outings, partner luncheons and firm-wide get-togethers designed for the firm to get better acquainted with its ten summer law clerks. Many of my fellow clerks did not realize that the fun-filled summer was really a series of mini-interviews to determine if we were a good fit for the firm. Beyond all of the…
What is the number one piece of career advice that you have received?
By Crystal Elaine Ellison • November 17, 2019 •Writers in Residence
In the wake of social media, it’s easy to get bogged down with someone else’s success making one feel inadequate, ineffective, under-accomplished or even unworthy. A successful woman once told me, never compare your success or lack thereof with someone else’s because the key to contentment is self-awareness of one’s own abilities. I believe this holds true not only in the legal profession, but with any profession. Whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or the like, scrolling through others stories, post or pictures can place you in a state of depression. Often times, people post innumerable content on social media…
How I Got Over My Fear of Asking for Things for Me: I Treated Myself Like My Own Client
By Claire E. Parsons • September 18, 2018 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues
Editor's Note: This post was previously published on September 18, 2018; however, this advice is quite helpful in ending 2019 on a successful note. In my practice, I routinely ask for—nay demand—things on behalf of my clients without a second thought: produce the documents, dismiss the complaint, find in my client’s favor, etc. But, when it was time for me to take a step forward in my own career, I was startled to see how hard it was to ask for things for me. To be honest, it felt downright unnatural. This had always been a problem for me. I…