An Incredible Man (and the Making of a Champion): TIM Initiative featuring Matthew O’Leary
By Janet Wallace • June 15, 2017 •Issues, Other Issues
Seven years ago, when Matthew O’Leary and I were still fresh out of law school, wide-eyed and swimming with big sharks, we ran into each other at a wine festival. Two brand new lawyers talking shop in the summer sun. Somehow the discussion turned to women in the law and Matthew informed me that “women in the law are now equal--just look at law school enrollment!--and they just need to catch up in the partner ranks.” Full stop. Whaaaaa? I vowed NEVER to do business with him. Two months ago, Matt and I opened O’Leary Wallace LLP. I’m going…
Resolved: Ms. JD Board and Staff Members’ New Year’s Resolutions
By Janet Wallace • January 26, 2017 •Ms. JD
Happy 2017! As I've mentioned, New Year's Resolutions are one of my favorite things. There's something about a fresh start, a new beginning, the first page on a new calendar, and all the promise that a new year holds. I asked the Ms. JD Board and Staff to share their resolutions for 2017. Here's what they had to say: Michele Perrin: My New Years' resolution is to be a better friend. This includes remembering birthdays and kids' birthdays. So I purchased a calendar. And I wrote down all my friends' birthdays, all their kids' birthdays, and most of their wedding…
Less Apologies, More Gratitude
By Janet Wallace • May 28, 2016
By now, you should know that it's time to stop apologizing. If you are still profusely apologizing for things that you have no need to be sorry for, please take a moment to go read these fantastic posts. So, yes, it's time to stop saying sorry. Now, what are you going to do with all the space, time, and words you save by eliminating the constant apologies from your vocabulary? Here's a suggestion: replace the apologizing with gratitude. While we may say "sorry" too frequently, we probably don't say "thanks" enough. Let's start by replacing the "I'm sorrys" themselves with "thank yous." James Clear,…
All I Really Need to Know About Being a Woman in the Law I Learned From Ms. JD
By Janet Wallace • February 22, 2016 •Features, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
Some of you may remember when Robert Fulghum's book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, became a New York Times bestseller. The first essay in the book, from which the book's title is drawn, lists lessons learned in kindergarten that are widely applicable (be kind, share, clean up after yourself). As I end my tenure on the Ms. JD Board of Directors, I am reflecting on the many things I learned over the years from Ms. JD. I'd venture that all we really need to know about being a woman in the legal profession we can learn from Ms. JD. The archives are full…
#SuperwomenJDs: Ms. JD Board Member Janet L. Wallace
By Janet Wallace • January 05, 2016
As we prepare for Ms. JD's Eighth Annual Conference, we are asking each of our board members and volunteers to reflect on their superpowers and superheroes/superheroines. Feel free to join us by posting your own responses to the questions below. Better yet, join us for an out of this world conference on February 19, 2016 in NYC! 1. What is your superheroine avatar? Confetti-powered. Obviously. 2. What is your superheroine theme song? Okay, I know that Katy Perry is confused about feminism, but I think she just needs someone to explain to her what feminism is and then she’d totally be on…
10X10: 100 Mentor and Allies, Part 1
By Janet Wallace • January 04, 2016 •Careers
Below you will find the first ten women on our list of 100 Mentors and Allies--women who we have met and gotten to know, women who have set superlative standards for excellence in everything they do. In Franks's words: "You will recognize some, but not most. But know this - Ms. JD is all about your network and I bet more than ninety percent of these women would gladly take your call. You have the makings of your list now and you’ll add names with each passing year." **** I'm thrilled to launch this list with one of the best mentors and allies I've…
10X10: Celebrating 10 Years of Ms. JD with 100 Mentors and Allies
By Janet Wallace • January 04, 2016 •Features
Hands down, some of my favorite articles on Ms. JD are those written by the late Frank Kimball. If you haven't yet read You're Not Networking--You're Conencting or Why You Must Know a Little About Football, do yourself a favor and go check those out. And then you'll want to read Practing & Parenting, parts I, II, and III. And then you'll probably want to read the rest of Frank's posts. But I'm not writing today simply to share Frank's past posts. That's just the warm up. I'm writing today to launch my 2016 Ms. JD project. I'm leaving the board this…
Attorneys Across America: Featuring Jill Haley Penwarden
By Janet Wallace • March 18, 2015
From a tiny office in rural Alaska to a skyscraper in Manhattan, from The Sunshine State to The Prairie State, Ms. JD's Attorneys Across America series seeks to capture snapshots of successful women attorneys practicing law from sea to shining sea. Ms. JD had a few questions for Jill Haley Penwarden who works in the Sierra Nevada mountains: Where do you practice law? I practice law in Truckee, California, which is near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Duane Morris is an international law firm, but our office is a small one, with three attorneys. In Truckee we get an…
Attorneys Across America: Featuring Kate Rayne
By Janet Wallace • March 18, 2015 •Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law
From a tiny office in rural Alaska to a skyscraper in Manhattan, from The Sunshine State to The Prairie State, Ms. JD's Attorneys Across America series seeks to capture snapshots of successful women attorneys practicing law from sea to shining sea. Ms. JD had a few questions for Kate Rayne who founded a boutique law firm in Portland, Maine: Where do you practice law? I practice in Portland, Maine. Describe your legal market. What is the size of the market? How would you describe the culture? The legal market here is small, but full of attorneys. I've heard that we have…