Best Law Firms for Women Lawyers——How Reliable Are the Lists?
By Susan Smith Blakely • October 12, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
I know that I have published list after list of the "Best Firms for Women Lawyers" over the years in my blogs and on my website. It seems like the right thing to do for someone who has been devoted to the retention and advancement of women lawyers for more than a decade. But, honestly, I did it with some reluctance. I always was a little skeptical about how those lists were compiled, whether the research was based on an even playing field for all contenders, and the nature of the relationships between the ranking entities and the firms ranked…
It is NOT OK For Women Lawyers to Cry at the Office
By Susan Smith Blakely • October 05, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
If you have followed my writing for the last ten years, it will not surprise you that I do not advise crying at work --- unless it is behind closed doors and the telltale hints of crying are erased before you re-enter the office common space. Or unless you are facing some devastating personal loss. So, when I saw the article "It's Okay To Cry At Work" on Above the Law recently, I had a visceral reaction. Visceral because I am trying to help you become the most competitive and highly competent and regarded professionals possible --- and crying…
More on Women Bullying Women
By Susan Smith Blakely • October 02, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
I hope you read the article on women bullying women (aka Queen Bees) that I wrote about in last week's blog. In case you missed the conclusions from that article, I am here to help you. It is a very long article, replete with research findings, and you have so many demands on your time. In recognizing that the answer can't be to simply give into and tolerate the Queen Bees, the writer makes these conclusions about how to eliminate women bullying women in the workplace --- and, of course, that includes women lawyers bullying other women lawyers: Better…
Women Lawyers Bullying Other Women Lawyers—- Not a Pretty Picture
By Susan Smith Blakely • September 21, 2017 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector
If you never have been bullied in the workplace, you are lucky. If you never have been bullied in the workplace by another woman, you are very lucky. It happens much too often, and you need to make sure that you are not the bully. That is the only way we will get this under control. I, like most women lawyers, have been bullied at one time or another. We are minorities, and that, unfortunately, is how minorities get treated. Many of us were "pioneers" in our fields, and, because of that, the forces were against us in an even…
Leadership Lessons for Women Lawyers
By Susan Smith Blakely • September 17, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
My friend, Caroline Dowd-Higgins, is an excellent career coach, motivational speaker and author of "This is Not the Career I Ordered." Her recent blog "15 Leadership Lessons to Invigorate Your Career" is worthy of your attention. Caroline and I first met when she was the Career Services Dean at Indiana University Law, and I think it is no accident that her advice rings true for young lawyers. Here is her list (with a little editorial help from me!): Be Confident: Confidence can be more important to career success than competence. Confidence is developed by you and comes…
Why Young Lawyers Need Mentors—- and Why the Profession is Failing Them
By Susan Smith Blakely • September 17, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
It is not just young women lawyers who desperately need mentoring --- it is all young lawyers. And, the profession is failing them. Young lawyers need mentors to help guide them in their professional growth and provide opportunities to discuss their futures as lawyers. Instead, too often, young lawyers flail around doing what they think they should be doing without knowing what it is they should be doing. And, that leads to a lot of insecurity and loneliness on the job. The profession has evolved in such a way that an associate lawyer can spend eight to ten hours a…
Women Lawyers Need Balance
By Susan Smith Blakely • August 04, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
Every year at this time, I put Best Friends at the Bar on hold to spend time with family and friends. It is a month-long hiatus that I know is enviable but that I feel entitled to after all these years. And I LOVE it. I will be at the Massachusetts shore with friends and at the Maine shore with family, and I can't wait for the games to begin! It is not that my work is over or that my desk is clear. That is not the case at all. I am completing the manuscript for a new book, on deadline…
Women Lawyers Should Avoid the Heat
By Susan Smith Blakely • July 18, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
Yes, it is very hot this summer in most parts of America, but this is not the kind of heat I mean. The heat I am talking about occurs when boys and girls start fooling around on the job. There is no place for this in the law profession, and I hope you know it. I made it clear to you in my first book, Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know about a Career in the Law (Aspen Publishers 2009). Presenting yourself as a professional to avoid mixed or wrong sexual/relationship messages is serious business and needs…
In Praise of Independent Women Lawyers
By Susan Smith Blakely • July 06, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
Happy Independence Day! Yes, it is about small town parades, fireworks and sparklers, burgers on the grill, mountains of ice cream, and being together with family and friends. It only comes once a year, so knock yourself out! But, during the festivities, do not forget about the "independence" part. I am not just talking about the Declaration of Independence or what it has meant to the evolution of this country where we all enjoy freedoms and independence unparalleled in the world. That is the focus, but it goes much further than that. It is about national independence and also about…