Money Matters…but how much as a first year attorney?
By Jennifer Guenther • January 25, 2011 •Writers in Residence
Twelve years out of law school and I am thrilled! I finally have less than $20,000 in student loans left to pay. But then I think, “Wait a minute, I am twelve years out of law school and I still have almost $20,000 in law student loans to pay?? What happened?!” I will tell you what happened, I failed to realize early on, much like many of my brethren, that the financial decisions you make at the beginning of your career will affect your choices well into your future.Here’s a fact: The average law school graduate now walks away with both…
From the Desk of the Working Mom: Be Careful Putting Your Life On Hold for a Career
By Jennifer Guenther • January 24, 2011 •Writers in Residence
Putting your life on hold: Sometimes you can’t hit play again. This is the pervasive message that is found in almost every article about “life-balance”, about making partner, about being a successful rain-maker: Successful women lawyers don’t have children, and if they do, they must go part-time in order to be happy. At the very least they must wait until after they are established in their careers in order to even consider it. Couple this message with all the warnings about women having babies after the age of 35—the average age that an associate is first considered for partnership—and the message…
Fall Recruiting-What Every Law Student Should Know (A Special Installment from the Desk of a Working Mom)
By Jennifer Guenther • September 08, 2010 •Writers in Residence, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
I have done recruiting for my law firm for seven years now, first doing the call-back interviews, then OCI (on campus interviews), and now as the co-chair of the committee for final summer hires. There are always those students who stand out, who have top grades and an engaging personality that make them hot commodities for any law firm. But good grades or a good personality alone do not make a great candidate. There are other ways to make you stand out in an interview and be memorable for all the right reasons. As a law student, I remember the frustration…
From the Desk of the working Mom: Who Are Your “Friends”?
By Jennifer Guenther • September 08, 2010 •Writers in Residence, Mentoring and Networking
We all like to think that it is one big happy family at work: that when we go to lunch with a co-worker, we are really having a conversation with a friend. And why not? As lawyers, we spend more time with our co-workers than we do with our families, let alone our BFF or old college buddies. Who else are we going to share a laugh with about the case we just won?But what happens when we “friend” a co-worker on-line? Or a boss? Or a client? While it may initially seem like good business sense to respond positively…
From the Desk of a Working Mom: Alpha Moms
By Jennifer Guenther • June 29, 2010 •Writers in Residence, Balancing Private and Professional Life
There is a new definition of moms on the streets, one whose tag line infers a hyper-aggressive, stop-at-nothing, bring-home-the-bacon-fry-it-up-in-a-pan-with-a-smile type of mom. According to a recent MSNBC.com article, these new moms are defined as the “busy mom who seems to juggle it all. Effortlessly. She’s up on the latest trends from high fashion to high tech, and if you’re searching for the best stroller, she’s been there and done that.” These moms are “hungry for information” and “not shy about letting their friends know they had a disappointing dinner at a local restaurant.” They have fulfilling careers and “get it…
From the Desk of a Working Mom: It’s All About Me (and you)!
By Jennifer Guenther • June 29, 2010 •Writers in Residence
How often have we each thought- “It’s not fair!” It is a phrase that my children utter to me several times a day. My seven year-old invokes it upon every “no” that she hears out of pure habit- sometimes even when the “No!” is not directed at her. My five year old has perfected the phrase, practicing it in the mirror so as to ensure that her pouty lip has the utmost effect while sobbing the words. Even my two year has mastered this phrase with such clarity and precision of speech that is sounds almost shocking coming from his…
From the Desk of a Working Mom: Beauty Secrets of Success
By Jennifer Guenther • May 23, 2010 •Writers in Residence, Careers
It has often been said, and allegedly supported by statistics, that if you are taller, more attractive, and have a better physique, you will go further in life. In elections – the taller candidate almost always wins, right? Television is rife with attractive, successful people – has any member of “The Apprentice” been homely? And there is more than one blog out there discussing how ‘attractive young girls are getting ahead while the older (seriously, when did 30s and 40s become “older”) women with telltale “mom” bodies are shunted aside, ignored and isolated by this young stiletto crowd.’ Well, it is true…