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Auld Lang Syne
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • December 19, 2019
2019 is quickly drawing to a close, and so is our Ms. JD WIR year. What a year it’s been! We’ve enjoyed the opportunity to think more deeply about our careers as well as consider issues that are of particular interest to millennials. We’ll carry this experience with us into 2020 and beyond. The end of 2019 also seems like the perfect opportunity to consider the somewhat cliché topic of New Year’s Resolutions. Yes, there are people on both sides of the debate. Some people will tell you that resolutions are worthless because no one ever keeps them. Others will…
Thanksgiving, with a side of gratitude.
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • November 22, 2019 •Writers in Residence
Editor's Note: With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I invite our readers to consider this post from 2019. With everything going on, I intend to spend more of a focus on one thing I can control: gratitude. We don’t care how cliché this might sound, but this November, we’re focusing on gratitude. Yes, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and while the holiday is often an occasion for thinking of things we are grateful for in our personal lives, we’re trying to incorporate this opportunity into our professional lives as well. Why do this, you may ask? Well, our day to day lives…
Playing the Long Game
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • October 25, 2019 •Writers in Residence
It’s officially Fall! And you know what that means—football season! As we cheer on our favorite teams,* we thought it would be a perfect month to break out our sports analogies. This month, we’re focusing on playing the long game in terms of your career. We’re familiar with these concepts in sports, but they are also true when it comes to careers. What we mean by this is: looking at your career over a period of several years—maybe even a decade or two—instead of just looking six months to a year ahead. It’s tough sometimes, especially as relatively new or…
On Mentorship
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • September 27, 2019 •Writers in Residence
This month, we wanted to talk about something very important to millennials as we contemplate our professional development: mentorship. Quick note- mentorship isn’t the same as sponsorship, which is another important concept in career development (and maybe a future blog post?!). Sponsorship is where one party agrees to advocate for and refer work to another party. Typically, this looks like a more senior attorney at a firm, company or government office agreeing to sponsor a more junior attorney at the same place. This is different. Mentors don’t have to be at your workplace, don’t have to be able to give…
Purpose over Paycheck
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • August 29, 2019 •Writers in Residence
As millennials, we’re certainly interested in pursuing our careers and investing in our professional development. But we also are interested in doing more than just “work”—we want to find ways to give back to our communities and help change them for the better. This month, we wanted to focus on how, as millennial attorneys, we can emphasize the purpose or meaning in our careers over just receiving a paycheck. As attorneys (or future attorneys!) we have some unique opportunities, including: Pro Bono. Nearly every state bar encourages attorneys to do pro bono work, and some even have a mandatory reporting…
What’s in a number?: Navigating different personality types at work
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • July 24, 2019 •Writers in Residence
Has anyone else gotten swept up in the personality test craze lately? Here, over the last six months, it seems like every leadership or team-building program we’ve been to has involved some discussion of the Enneagram test, 16 Personalities or the Myers-Briggs, just to name a few. As an aside, Melanie, Elise and I all took the Enneagram test this past winter. (Fun fact, we’re all 9’s!) These tests can be helpful in a variety of ways. Some identify your “default” tendencies—the ways you process information or what motivates you to action. Some help explain how you relate to others.…
Is “Busy” the new buzzword?
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • June 26, 2019 •Writers in Residence
Ask anyone how they are doing, and one of the most common responses (other than maybe “fine”) is “busy.” How are you? Busy. How’s your summer? Busy. How is so-and-so? Busy. Certainly nothing is wrong with being busy- none of us want to sit at home or at work bored to tears. It can even be a good thing! The best kind of busy is when you’re able to fill your professional and personal calendars with work and commitments that you are excited about and are meaningful to you. But—as a society—don’t you think we could all benefit from taking…
The Importance of Community Involvement
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • May 29, 2019 •Writers in Residence
As millennials, we are more interconnected than ever—with a variety of social media platforms and constantly evolving technology at our fingertips. It’s easy to connect with someone on LinkedIn, or follow them on Twitter, but this month, we wanted to highlight something else—beyond online connectivity—that’s important to a lot of millennials for both personal and professional reasons: in-person, community involvement. Community involvement can take several different forms, and any activity that helps you get plugged into your community and meet people is time well spent. We’ve reflected on some of the community activities and involvement that we’ve been a part…
Health & Wellness: Combating the Stress of the Job
By Millennial Women (Lindsay, Melanie & Elise) • April 29, 2019 •Writers in Residence
Elise on why health and wellness matter: In today’s hustle and bustle of work, family and other obligations, our health and wellness can quickly fall to the back burner. It is easy to plummet into unhealthy habits during long days at the office, especially when donuts, candy, cookies and other temptations are so easily accessible. Being a lawyer is stressful and demanding. Maintaining a well-balanced healthy lifestyle is so important and can help you stay focused, feel energized, and be prepared to take on the unexpected challenges faced throughout the work week. Below are a few wellness suggestions that you…