We Need YOU to Protect the Vote This Election
Help protect voting rights this November by volunteering as a poll monitor or election protection volunteer and supporting voters at every stage.
The Loneliness of Being Ambitious
Ambition can open doors while also creating isolation. Explore the pressures of law school, changing relationships, and finding community along the way.
Relaxing After the Bar: A Workaholic’s Guide to Intentional Rest
Finished the bar exam and struggling to slow down? Learn how intentional rest can help new lawyers recover, reset and prepare for their first legal role.
How To Start a Career in Policy
Want to build a career in policy? Explore four practical lessons on writing, staying informed, building relationships and becoming a lifelong learner.
Path to Mastery
Explore the skills modern lawyers need to achieve mastery, from nuanced communication and emotional intelligence to relationship building and AI fluency.
Compensation - Origination Credit Policies and Beyond for the Beginning Lawyer
Learn how origination credit policies affect compensation, career growth, and pay equity so you can evaluate law firm opportunities with confidence.
Getting Clients - and Getting Credit For Them
Discover practical strategies for women lawyers to build a strong book of business, attract new clients, leverage networking and social media, and gain origination credit in the legal industry.
Wisdom for Lawyers from Ms JD’s Limitless Honorees
Celebrate the Ms. JD 2026 Limitless honorees—Desiree Ralls-Morrison, Phuong Phillips, and Sheraya Bernard—sharing inspiring career insights, resilience, and leadership lessons.
Failure is not an Option, it’s an Opportunity
To my students and to anyone hesitating on the edge of a new opportunity: don’t let fear of failure close doors for you.
Behind the Bands & Briefs with Anjeli Narine
Over the span of our legal careers, we may find ourselves at different points on the legal practice spectrum for various personal or professional reasons.
To Law or Not To Law?
After 30+ years of practicing law, I sometimes forget that I didn’t always follow a traditional professional path. A year after joining a national law firm as a first year associate , I wasn’t sure I
Breakneck Innovation and the Law
The world has been experiencing the breakneck pace of the 4th Industrial Revolution, marked by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), neurotechnology, automation, blockchain techn
The Stoic Advocate: What the Ancient Greek Philosophy Can Teach Us About Lawyering
Popular culture would have us believe that in order to live a good life, we must indulge ourselves frequently and think only good thoughts. Worried about the future? Manifestation is king: all it requ
A Man’s World?
Welcome to my third blog post! Now that we know each other a little better, I’d like to address what I think is the elephant in the room:Why do we need a Ms. JD, anyway?There aren’t any Mr. JD organiz
Beyond the Billable Hour: Embracing the Unconventional Legal Path
When I graduated from law school and started as an associate at a labor and employment firm in Washington, D.C., it felt like I was on the path. You know the one: late nights in the office, long hours
Unlock Better Learning by Evolving Your Style
Our approach to learning can shift rapidly due to us moving through different professional roles, educational levels, or cultural environments (Source). In my personal experience, I have found my appr
Of Pool Fobs and Stress Overload
This blog post is about recognizing stress overload, the deluge, being slammed, drinking from a firehose, burnout - whatever we choose to call it—and what you can do to regain focus, clarity, and control over the deadlines and obligations you’re facing.
The Art of Lawyering: Where Creativity Meets Craft
Why is it that we are so often taught to view lawyers as one-dimensional, when the practice of law demands someone who can think effectively outside of the box—not just logically, but creatively? The two are not mutually exclusive.
Polishing Your Anchored "Why"
Over the past few years, I have been contemplating how integral it is to have a strong “why” for entering and operating in the legal profession (and in our lives). For those of you wanting to develop, augment or refine your “why,” here are a few techniques, methods or considerations to explore:
Feeling “Some Kind of Way,” and Still Passing the Bar Exam
The last time I sat for the California bar exam, I felt… different.Not because I had studied smarter than ever (though I had), and not because I’d finally mastered all of the testable subjects (debata
Becoming an Authentic and Values-Driven Legal Professional
In our series so far, Jennifer Riggs and I have shared information and research about how stress impacts the brain, mindset shifts for resilience, and ways to improve your brain health. In this last p
Latinas Uprising: Nubia Willman on Bar Success, Brand Building, and Rising into Your Own Power
Nubia Willman didn’t set out to become a digital pioneer for Latinas in law, but that’s exactly what happened when she launched Latinas Uprising in 2014. At a time when social media was still finding
The Body-Brain Connection for a Healthy Legal Career
Jennifer and I are excited to continue our series on wellness in the legal profession (if you missed our first post, feel free to catch up here)! Today, we are focusing on physical strategies for stre
You Belong Here: Paulina Vera’s Journey to Becoming—and Making Space for Others in Law
Paulina Vera is a Professorial Lecturer in Law at the George Washington University Law School, where she leads the Immigration Clinic, mentoring students and representing clients in immigration court.
Mindsets for Stress Resilience
I met Jennifer Riggs, JD, PCC, through LinkedIn when she reached out after reading one of my previous posts on Wellness in the Legal Profession. When I read through her biography, I was instantly draw
The Inner Critic: Quieting Imposter Syndrome
The content of this article is strictly editorial and personal opinion, not to be construed as medical advice. When you are the most vulnerable, I am the voice that whispers in your ear, “You will nev
Work Smarter, Lawyer Happier: Erin Walker on AI and Women Rewriting the Rules of Legal Careers
Technology is rapidly reshaping the legal profession, and for early-career attorneys, that can feel both exciting and slightly terrifying. Not only are you climbing the steep learning curve of lawyer
Best Practices for Interviewing
Dear Friends,In my prior post, we discussed some job search tools and strategies. Identifying those potential opportunities can be challenging, especially amidst the preparation for exams, deadlines,
Your Hero’s Moment Is Now: Letting Go After the Bar Exam and Learning to Trust Yourself
If you’ve recently taken the bar exam, you might be feeling the unmistakable weight of post-bar-exam regret, which is that fun mix of anxiety, self-doubt, and obsessive second-guessing that sneaks in
The Ethics of Gratitude
Ethics is “the disciplined concern with what is morally good and bad and morally right and wrong” (source). Ethics are a guiding star in a legal career; you take courses related to ethics and professi
Fundamentals of Job Searching
Dear Friends,I often think about you, my readers, and what might be currently going on in your life. Maybe you’re a 1L and are navigating the opportunities surrounding a summer internship. Perhaps you
No Más! How I Finally Laid Down the Law on Setting Boundaries (and How You Can Too)
Hard-Earned LessonsYou know how life loves to keep throwing the same lesson at us until we finally get it? For me, that lesson was around setting personal boundaries and let’s just say I was a slow le
Nervous System Regulation for Professional Success
In this next post of the Wellness in the Legal Profession series, I discuss nervous system regulation for professional success. Although this may seem like an unusual topic for a blog post...
Making Networking Work for You
You may have heard the expression “your network is your net worth.” This really epitomizes the importance of networking as legal professionals. Networking is an essential fabric that you are weaving into the tapestry of your professional journey.
From Goal Ghosting to Goal Crushing: A Millennial’s Step-by-Step Plan for Creating and Achieving Your Goals
How are your goals going so far this year? If you’re crushing it, kudos to you, go-getter! But if January has felt like one big Monday and you’ve already stumbled, you’re not alone. By the second week
Fundamentals of Branding
With a new year comes the opportunity to make goals, refresh priorities, and begin anew. Our topic today is professional branding and I find it to be extremely fitting. After reading this, you may want to think how YOUR brand can be introduced (or re-introduced) for 2025!
Design Your Best Year Yet: A Transformative Guide to Setting New Years Goals Your Future Self Will Thank You For
In less than two weeks, we’ll be ringing in 2025– the first quarter of the 21st century. That’s right, we’re going to be 25% into the new millennium. Are you ready to step into the new year with your
Self-Determination Theory and Well-Being in the Legal Profession
The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is “a theory of human motivation and personality that suggests that people can become self-determined when their needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy are fulfilled”. To feel motivated to accomplish a goal or task, humans need all three elements.
Elevating Your Elevator Pitch
Dear Friends,From my lens, I see the academic term both ramping up and settling down. Students are wrapping up classes, presentations are concluding, and winter break will be here before we know it. H
Understanding the Status of Latinas in Law: Dr. Jill Lynch Cruz on Navigating Barriers and Building Careers
As an elite executive coach and distinguished scholar, Dr. Jill Lynch Cruz has devoted her career to empowering diverse attorneys—particularly Latinas— as they navigate the challenges they face within the legal profession.
Career Counseling
Greetings All!Today’s topic is all about career counseling. As we round out our discussion on career exploration (personal & professional inventory, crafting a career plan, and informational interview
What To Do If You Failed the Bar Exam: A Game Plan For Regaining Momentum
After surviving law school’s endless case briefs and class cold calls, I thought graduation meant I had finally “made it.” I was a bona fide lawyer! Or so I believed. Six months later, that dream was shattered when I read: “The name above does not appear on the pass list."
Introduction to Wellness in the Legal Profession
In this first of a series of posts on Wellness in the Legal Profession, you will be introduced to the concept of wellness as it applies specifically to pre-law students, law students, and attorneys. You'll also get tips to help support your well-being, now and how to develop a foundation to support your well-being in the future.
Informational Interviews
An informational interview is an opportunity to network and build a professional relationship by connecting directly with an individual in an area of interest to you. While not a job interview, it’s an opportunity to speak with a professional who has expertise in an arena of interest for you and to learn from their real-life experiences.
The Secret to Unshakable Self-Confidence for Women of Color in Law
What makes a truly remarkable lawyer? Think of your role model in the legal field, whether it’s a trusted mentor or even a fictional icon like Elle Woods. What’s the one trait that makes them not only highly effective but also genuinely likable? More often than not, it’s their self-confidence.
Crafting a Career Plan of Action
Hello Colleagues! I am pleased to be back to share more advice for your journey toward a career in law. Today we’re going to talk about creating a plan of action for your career.
The New Growth Mindset for Women of Color: Essential Skills for Success and Wellbeing in Law
On my first day as a 1L, I walked into law school with confidence, determined to embody the change-agent I had portrayed in my admissions essay. Law school wasn’t just my plan since college; it was a