Big Brother v. Due Diligence
By Yes, Virginia • May 08, 2007 •Women and Law in the Media
This is nothing new, but there have been several stories out there about the real life consequences of law students’ online life. There is one in the New York Lawyer, the WSJ Law Blog, and Jill Filipovic has discussed the AutoAdmit scandal here, here and here on Feministe. The upshot of all of this is that (1) employers are online, (2) they’re readin ur stuff, and (3) it matters. The New York Lawyer piece is very detached, taking the non-controversial position that is basically assumption of the risk:“Certainly, what a law student puts on the Web on his or her…
New Numbers on New Families
By jessie kornberg • May 04, 2007 •Balancing Private and Professional Life
Stress about balancing work and family--that's what professional women have to face, right? Well, some new statistics out this week from the Council on Contemporary Families report that men, both those in dual and single earner households, are more likely to be stressed about balancing personal and professional responsibilities than women. I think this is a big deal. Twenty-five years ago, when the Council first surveyed families, working men were not nearly as concerned about balancing work and family as women were then or as they are now. I think this kind of awareness is the fundamental first step towards…
Bookmark This!
By Kalo Kagathia • May 03, 2007 •Balancing Private and Professional Life
Yet again, the lovely Carolyn Elefant has brought to my attention a site formerly unknown to me: Mommy Track'd I am not a mommy so it may have been a while before I ever found this on my own, but for those of you who are moms or hope to be a mom someday - check the site out. The thing I like best is the site's light-hearted focus - simply stated as, "Our mission is to provide a helpful and entertaining resource for all the time-crunched moms managing the daily tug of war between work and family." The site…
Mommy Wars: A problem of the privileged - okay. Imaginary…nope.
By K Hernan • May 03, 2007 •Women and Law in the Media
There was an article in the Washington Post last week that boldly asserts that the "Mommy Wars" are a figment of our imagination, a creation of the media that always likes to showcase a good cat fight. The article is very well researched and propounds an interesting stance on the so-called conflict between working moms and stay at home moms ("SAHM").I completely believe that all the press coverage of the Mommy Wars is meant to "[tug] at the guilt of the privileged." After all, I put myself in the categories of privileged and guilty and feel myself getting tugged on…
“Opt -in”—The new buzz word?
By Peg Johnston • May 02, 2007 •Firms and the Private Sector
Heller Ehrman, a big San Francisco-based law firm, has a new project called "Opt-in." A very telling and optimistic statement on the project's website says, "We do not see a conflict with professionals seeking both fulfilling lives and rewarding careers, and we recognize that in helping all professionals find this balance, our industry will not only be able to recruit the best and the brightest, but also retain them."Here's my voice in response to that boldness: "Yeah! Go for it! The sooner the better! I want a life and a firm job!"The project claims to be looking for the solution…
Billables: on their way out?
By Yes, Virginia • May 02, 2007 •Firms and the Private Sector
Over at the WSJ Law Blog, they have a post up today entitled "The Billable Hour: Still the Lead Dog, But Gaining Competition" on some changes to the standard billing practice of law firms, namely the alternative practice of using fixed fees for legal services: “Cisco, a leader in the area of so-called alternative billing, now farms out 70% to 75% of its annual legal budget, estimated at $125 million, under fixed-fee arrangements.” This follows a speech on the state of technology in the law by Cisco’s General Counsel, Mark Chandler (mentioned earlier here) in which he highlighted the decrepit…
Take Back the Blog!
By Mack Tastic • April 28, 2007 •Women and Law in the Media
The Take Back the Blog! Blogswarm supports the rights of women to participate fully in all aspects of our society, including specifically online in the world of blogging but indeed everywhere and at all times, day and night, without fear of harassment, intimidation, sexual harassment, online stalking and slander, predation or violence of any sort. More information and highlights from participating blogs is available on Crablaw. For prior coverage on the topic of online harassment on Ms. JD, look here.
Women only attorney-client events
By Peg Johnston • April 26, 2007 •Firms and the Private Sector
The blog "Above the Law" has this snarky post today about a woman only attorney-client event that centered around designer shoe shopping.Okay, disclaimer #1: I love shoes. I'm addicted to designer shoes. Disclaimer #2: I like to shop for my shoes alone. I dislike having my husband or friends there and I really can't stand having my kids there. I feel like the shoe shopping process needs to be deliberate and cannot be rushed. I also understand that the process drags on for spectators, kind of like baseball does for me when I'm a spectator while it is certainly invigorating…
Must Read: Feminine Mistake by Leslie Bennetts
By jessie kornberg • April 24, 2007 •Balancing Private and Professional Life
Readers may know Leslie Bennetts from her reporting at The New York Times and Vanity Fair. Now Bennetts has a new book out, and it argues that women who opt-out of work in favor of family jeopardize their families' ultimate well-being by sacrificing their economic self-sufficiency. Now matter what you think about the "opt-out revolution" and issues of work-life balance, the factual research that supports Bennetts' work makes The Feminine Mistake a must read.