Dispatches from the Y Chromosome - Dispatch #7: “I’m a Change Junkie” - Bernadette Bulacan
By Dan Lear • May 06, 2015
At the legal technology and content behemoth, Thomson Reuters, Bernadette Bulacan’s current title is “Director of Market Development.” However, that title doesn’t due justice to this amazing woman who (1) was on the founding team for an innovative legal-focused startup, (2) saw the .com boom and bust first-hand, ultimately being laid off by her law firm, (3) bounced back only to rise through the associate ranks to partner at a large-for-Seattle law firm, and (4) got married, beat cancer, and started a family all along the way. I also feel very fortunate to call Bernadette a friend and…
Dispatches from the Y Chromosome - Dispatch #6: “Be an Advocate for Yourself” - Shannon Forchheimer
By Dan Lear • July 13, 2014
Shannon Forchheimer is the Lead Attorney in the Washington D.C. office of Montage Legal Group, the force behind the brilliant But I Do Have a Law Degree blog, a self-described “BigLaw Exile,” and mother of three rambunctious boys. Shannon attended law school at the University of Pennsylvania, worked at large law firms in New York and Washington D.C. and then, after almost six years of practice, left the practice to focus on being a mom to her, then, two boys. Since leaving she’s added a third son, started But I Do Have a Law Degree, a well-read blog, began a…
Dispatches from the Y Chromosome - Dispatch #5: “I think I’ll go to law school” - Carol Lear
By Dan Lear • June 06, 2014 •Writers in Residence
Carol Lear is Professional Practices Director and Chief Disciplinary Counsel for the Utah State Office of Education. She has worked for the Utah State Office of Education for almost three decades serving in a variety of roles. She defied some strong social and religious norms and attended law school at the University of Utah in the late ’70’s and early ‘80’s during which time she, amazingly, gave birth to two of her three children. While I’m posting this interview in June, the recent passage of Mother’s Day in May is apropos as Carol is also my mother – and I…
Dispatches from the Y Chromosome - Dispatch #4: “I’m a Chameleon” - Interview with Paula Boggs
By Dan Lear • May 08, 2014 •Writers in Residence
In a career that is remarkably short given what she’s actually done, Paula Boggs has been an army lawyer who both worked on the Iran Contra affair for the White House and visited South Africa during Apartheid, a federal prosecutor, a lead investigator in the Pentagon investigation of the Navy “Tailhook” scandal, a BigLaw partner, corporate counsel at a Fortune 500 Company, General Counsel of the iconic coffee company, Starbucks, and now leader of her own band, The Paula Boggs Band. Paula and I met in downtown Seattle and had a wide-ranging and very fun discussion that touched on college…
Dispatches from the Y Chromosome - Dispatch #3: “I Don’t Know Why People Don’t Like Practicing Law”
By Dan Lear • May 08, 2014 •Writers in Residence
Carolyn Elefant is a lawyer, blogger, mother, and innovator extraordinaire. One of the first people I followed on Twitter, always on the cutting edge, and a committed advocate for solo and small firms, I was a bit starstruck when I had the opportunity to meet and chat with Carolyn in New York City at ReInvent Law. Interviewing her was a great pleasure. More from Carolyn follows. Dan Lear (DL): Tell me about how you became a lawyer. Carolyn Elefant (CE): I used to write a lot in college. I wasn’t completely sure that I wanted to study law but I…
Dispatches from the Y Chromosome - Dispatch #2: “The Poster Child for the Wacky Path”
By Dan Lear • March 05, 2014 •Writers in Residence
Sara Lingafelter is the Director of Social Media at Portent, Inc., a digital marketing agency based in Seattle, WA. She also teaches social media and content strategy for the University of Washington Advanced Online Marketing certificate program. In all honestly, I’ve been trying to get Sara’s attention for a long time and I was very excited when she agreed to sit down and tell me about her career path. Sara has, among other things, climbed internationally and blogged about it, worked in outdoor industry sales, worked at a big law firm, worked at a small law firm, worked as a…