The Future of Law: The Legal Workforce of the Future
By SALLY KANE • March 23, 2020
When most people think about the people who work in law firms and legal departments, they think of lawyers, paralegals and secretaries. However, increasing competition, new technology and a heightened focus on the business of law has fueled the growth of non-lawyer roles in the legal industry. In his work, in Tomorrow’s Lawyers, legal futurist Richard Susskind predicted a fracturing and disruption of the legal industry along with a proliferation of new roles within the legal industry. A recent Robert Half survey found that nearly 60% of lawyers surveyed reported that their law firm or company plans to fill non-lawyer…
The Influencers: The All-Woman Texas Supreme Court
By Carron Nicks • March 30, 2020 •Writers in Residence
Being a Texan (non-native, but proud nevertheless), I love tales of interesting episodes in Texas history. There are many, but one of my favorites tells of what may be the most unusual state supreme court ever. The events in our story occurred almost a hundred years ago. At that time, the Supreme Court of Texas consisted of a chief justice and two associate justices. You will be forgiven if you assume that in 1924 and 1925 all three sitting justices were male. This fact would come to pose a problem for the governor and the court. At the time, fraternal organizations were…
Combating Anxiety and Depression During COVID-19
By Brandy Simpson • March 24, 2020 •Issues, Other Issues
Social distancing is in full effect, numerous counties and states have implemented stay home orders, schools and daycares across the U.S. have been closed, and you’re still trying to work and maybe even homeschool your children at the same time. Sound familiar? The struggle is real folks. Admittedly, I’m generally a realist rather than an optimist. However, I must be intentional during this time with my work schedule, socialization and mindset, or I’ll inevitably become anxious about the hundreds of things I can’t control during this global pandemic. Like many of you, as a litigation attorney, I spend much of…-100x100.jpg)
Practice Pointers – Finding Your Tribe
By Natasha Alladina • March 29, 2020 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
March 2020 has been… rough. Uncertainty abounds, and Tiger King reigns supreme. Zoom is no longer just something my dog does when she’s got way too much energy. Life’s surreal right now. Very surreal. I’ve been doing my best to get through each day without a mental breakdown, and some days have been especially tough with incessant fears and tears. But this isn’t a post about my anxiety. It’s about what’s been helping me navigate this upside-down world we’re living in: the people in my life. In the past, I’ve rolled my eyes at all the “find your tribe and…
Everything Nobody Ever Told Me: How To Deal with a Perfectionist
By Paula M Jones • March 26, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Mentoring and Networking, •Other Issues
“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor.” – Anne Lamott Have you ever encountered the kind of people who expect the impossible from others? They view anything less than perfection as a failure. They hyper-focus on your mistakes and they never seem to notice all the things that you do right. You, my friend, have encountered a perfectionist. While at first blush this term may seem like a compliment, the reality is that it is not. Perfectionists should really be called “imperfectionists” because they don’t look for the perfection in others - they look for their imperfections. There is a…
Space Debris- Never Friend Always Foe
By Alexandra Dolce • March 29, 2020 •Writers in Residence
According to NASA space debris is non-operational man-made objects in outer space. They include but are not limited to non-functional space crafts, abandoned launch vehicle stages, mission related debris and fragmentation debris. Why is space debris a problem? Space debris is considered problematic because it can cause damage in outer space and on the ground upon Earth re-entry. It can cause damage to space crafts and in some cases even space crew if the impact of the collision is pronounced enough. Last, but not least, space debris causes space pollution. Currently there are more than 500,000 pieces of debris in…
Ms. JD Virtual Toolkit: Maximizing Opportunities, Maintaining Productivity & Exercising Good Judgment in Challenging Times (4/21)
By Ms. JD Editor • April 01, 2020 •Ms. JD, Careers, Issues
Ms. JD Virtual Toolkit Webinar Series "Maximizing Opportunities, Maintaining Productivity & Exercising Good Judgment in Challenging Times" with Debbie Epstein Henry, Founder of DEH Consulting, Speaking, Writing & Executive Consultant of Axiom Register today at https://bit.ly/msjdvirtualtoolkit6
Got some time on your hands? Why not learn something?
By Katalin Tarjan • March 29, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
These uncertain times got us all under pressure, whether we worry about our loved ones’ health or our own, we have to adapt to new ways of working, have to organize our kids’ home schooling or take care of the whole family being at home, let alone all of these at once. I am convinced that learning is the single most important skill these days, and I thought that even before we had these new situations to adapt to on a daily basis. As I am a huge believer in lifelong learning, I was planning a post about this topic…
Connection in the Time of Corona
By Sarah Valdes • March 30, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
Sunday at 11:59pm. Do you remember the days when your professor would make important assignments due at this time? If you were anything like me, you acted like it was a requirement to be making the final edits at 11:58pm. I, admittingly, debated beginning this blog post thirty minutes before it was due. Why? Because for about three weeks I’ve had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach about writing about connection in the era of physical distancing. I chose the topic of writing on the importance of connection and community for the well-being of the female lawyer, because…