What Ruth Taught Me
By Diana LaMorie • October 01, 2020 •Features, First Women, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
"I'm sorry about RBG, I know how much she meant to you," said my husband, who was first to read the news. My mind went blank. I may have blurted out "that's okay." My mind could not fathom the enormity of this sad occasion at the instant moment. It's obviously not okay. The introvert in me needed to do some deep thinking before I could process my thoughts and feelings. But the man knows me best, so of course he was right. While I didn't know her personally, like so many others my life and career have been touched by Ruth Bader Ginsburg's…
Healing Moments on Juneteenth (and Beyond)
By Diana LaMorie • June 19, 2020 •Issues, Other Issues
Today is Juneteenth and it is wonderful (but overdue) to see how quickly companies and states have embraced this moment in time to recognize it as a day of observation and declaring it a holiday. This week New York, Virginia, Oregon and Philadelphia announced they will also make Juneteenth an official holiday. Yesterday it was put forth as a bill in Congress to make it a federal holiday. Hopefully next time this year we will all be observing it officially and coming together to commemorate this critical historic milestone in our nation’s history. Juneteenth is the oldest commemoration of the end of…
Support Black Owned Small Businesses: Awesome Father’s Day Gifts
By Diana LaMorie • June 06, 2020 •Issues, Other Issues
Father’s Day is around the corner and what better way to celebrate the dads in your life than by celebrating black owned businesses in the process. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: acknowledging your purchasing power and being mindful about where and to whom you send your hard-earned dollars can make a world of difference to under-represented and marginalized people, particularly black small business owners. Below are some awesome gift finds for the dads in your life while supporting black businesses. You might just want to pick something up for yourself in the process too. Win, win! …
Support Black Owned Small Businesses: My Favorite Service Providers
By Diana LaMorie • June 05, 2020 •Issues, Other Issues
I am continuing this week of inspiration stemming from the #amplifymelanatedvoices hashtag movement, which is trying to amplify the voices of Black creators and small businesses owners. One small step we can take to join in is by highlighting and supporting some of our favorite black-owned businesses, which I am doing here on Ms. JD’s blog. I started yesterday with retail brands to check out and today I am sharing black-owned service providers worthy of your attention. Once again, I invite you to share and promote your favorites in the comments, and on your own blog post or other social…
Support Black Owned Small Businesses: My Favorite Stores
By Diana LaMorie • June 04, 2020 •Issues, Other Issues
Dear readers, I am finally emerging from a long writing break. We’ve been working hard behind-the-scenes on Ms. JD’s Board of Directors to help keep our organization running during this defining moment. Your membership and support is critical and we are grateful for everyone’s engagement with our unique community. I am newly inspired to share some fresh content with you for hopefully a long time to come. Let’s get started! Firstly, if you haven’t checked out Ms. JD’s Covid-19 resource page and Opportunities Board, run don’t walk on over to our site. Hopefully you’ve been taking part in our Virtual…
LinkedIn Success in 3 Easy Steps: Networking Edition
By Diana LaMorie • February 10, 2019 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
Despite my good luck with career opportunities through LinkedIn (which I've shared in Part 1 of this 'LinkedIn Success' series), I haven't been the most engaged user other than keeping my profile current. I've only recently unlocked the key to the site's full potential. It goes beyond just job hunting; it's networking in the palm of your hand. I now log in to LinkedIn more often than I do to Facebook. My LinkedIn newsfeed is full of cool articles about cutting edge companies doing socially positive work, inspiring stories, and notices about my colleagues' promotions and job changes. It's a…
LinkedIn Success in 3 Easy Steps: Job Hunters Edition
By Diana LaMorie • February 03, 2019 •Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
Happy New Year dear readers! I am happy to report that I am back on the blog. In fact, after such a rewarding experience blogging as a 2018 Writer in Residence for Ms. JD, I have accepted a position on its Board of Directors. I am really excited about getting more deeply involved and helping Ms. JD bring exciting programs and opportunities for young women everywhere. My latest blogging inspiration manifested itself during a recent alumni women's circle I joined. I heard from several women recognizing the value of having a LinkedIn presence, but saying they were intimidated by how…
A JD Preferred Career Cocktail Recipe & Toast
By Diana LaMorie • December 28, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
Sigh, this is my final post for Ms. JD as a 2018 Writer in Residence. I want to close with a dose of good cheer and optimism for your career, in 2019 and beyond, by offering up a career cocktail recipe and toast to send you off merrily into the New Year! First, allow me to give due credit to the source of my inspiration for this post. I have not met or spoken with Cheryl Rich Heisler, who runs Chicago-based Lawternatives (a career consultancy), but I watched her entertaining and insightful webinar from the ABA Alternative Career Advice Series entitled ‘Pouring Over…
When Is a JD NOT Preferred?
By Diana LaMorie • December 05, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
I've been extolling the virtues of alternative legal careers for the past 10 months, so it's about time I introduce a contrarian element. My goal with the 'JD Preferred' theme of this blog is not to gloss over the hardships for folks who are facing six-figure debts and limited job prospects. What I am advocating, in all cases, is a deliberate approach. So whether I am reaching you in anticipation of enrolling in law school or in the throes of a post-JD career transition, allow me to share some thoughts on when touting your JD will not get you what…