Washington State Family-Leave
By Brenda L. George • July 07, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, •Women and Law in the Media
The Seattle Times recently reported on a "revolutionary" law, one-decade in the making. Washington State is joining California, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington D.C. in mandating employers pay workers' salaries while they take time off for the birth of a child. The Washington State law allows 12 weeks of leave at 90% of income (higher than any other state mandating the pay). This law, which has technically been on the books since 2007, is funded by weekly paycheck contributions from the employee and the employer and will take effect in 2020. I'm sure you can imagine how…
Round 2 - Navigating Law School with Baby #2 on the Way
By Brenda L. George • June 06, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
My husband and I just announced that our second baby boy is due in a December of 2017. What better way to immerse myself in the topic of this blog, right?! I'm kidding, obviously, but it will be beneficial because I will be blogging through December about the topic of being a parent in law school. First things first, we planned this, just as we planned our first (although our first was planned to arrive during summer break, which is significantly longer than winter break). So, what does December look like for a law student? Seattle University School of Law…
Creating Work-Life Balance in the Legal Field
By Brenda L. George • May 09, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Curriculum and Classroom Dynamics, Internships and Clerkships, •Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Other Issues
I had the pleasure of speaking with attorney and mother, Elise Buie, last month about achieving balance between work and life while maintaining a law career. Of the many things that Elise brought to light for me, I think the thing that stuck with me the most is the fact that in terms of providing appropriate accommodations for pregnant or nursing women, we have come so far. I have nursed and pumped in some pretty awful, dirty places. The ferry bathroom is at the top of my list (both in the terminal and on the ferry). But, I have also nursed…
Accommodations for Nursing Mothers
By Brenda L. George • April 07, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Women and Law in the Media
This post is a little late because I am in Scottsdale, Arizona for the Federal Bar Association's 42nd Annual Indian Law Conference. A few things to note about Indian Law conferences: Women bring their children to conferences Nursing accommodations are offered for conference attendees Children are exposed to, and involved in, Indian law and policy All of these things are incredibly important, but the one that stands out to me, and that I want to talk about right now is the nursing accommodations offered for mothers. Nursing Accommodations The Federal Bar Association sent out detailed emails each day of the conference,…
Family Planning in Law School and Beyond
By Brenda L. George • March 04, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
“So, when are you going to have another baby?” As innocent as that question often is, I honestly cringe when I hear it. I cringe because it is a very personal question. But, I cringe more because I know that it requires a response that is more involved than most people realize they are about to get. Even in the days of social media, where people know what you ate for dinner the night before, people often fail to recognize or too quickly forget that I have some major, competing aspects of my life. I have dual dreams: one of being a…
Mamattorney: He won’t remember, but I will…
By Brenda L. George • February 05, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
People often try to encourage me by saying it is good that I’m going to law school while my son is young because he won’t remember. My problem with that is that I will remember: I will remember frequently hearing about the first time my son said or did something new. I will remember feeling that I selfishly spent too much time away to pursue a career. will remember the pain of missing my son after a twelve-hour day. I will remember projecting my stress on my family. The other night I got home just in time to go through…
Mamattorney: Memories from a 1L Pregnancy
By Brenda L. George • January 05, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
I started law school a few months before my twenty-ninth birthday. Not only did I wait to go to law school after completing undergrad, but I had a gotten a full-time job as a paralegal that I loved. However, my passion for the legal field pushed me to follow through with that dream of becoming an attorney. My husband (then boyfriend of many years) and I had been discussing the idea of having children around this time also. We didn’t feel that we were getting “too old” but perhaps just that we were at the right age in terms of…