tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27935041204559227602024-03-13T17:08:30.945-07:00Attorney DiariesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-17364956042386077642015-04-24T10:02:00.002-07:002015-04-24T10:03:08.720-07:00The Mommy-Track for Lawyers: 5 Career OptionsMothers' Day is creeping up on us again and it's always a good time to talk about work issues for lawyer moms looking to re-enter the legal workforce.<br />
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After taking a break to raise kids, it won't come as a surprise to you that many legal employers can be unforgiving. To some degree, that's the nature of the legal profession. It's built in the billable hour and when you're raising a family, the billable hour is a demand that can be very hard to juggle. </div>
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I'm an advocate of mommy-tracking your way back. Not all will agree with me, but it's a soft way to ease back in to the market without dealing with the pressures and expectations of the work world. </div>
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The great thing about mommy-tracking is that you can work an easier job when the kids are small, and you never have a huge gap to explain. Then, as your kids get older, you can slowly move up to more challenging roles. </div>
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Some examples of great mommy-tracked legal jobs:</div>
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<b>1. The legal writer.</b> I spent a large part of my mommy-tracked career at Findlaw.com. Of course, you'd have to live in Silicon Valley to work there, but their two-day-work-from-home policy was great and they had a solid 40-hours-a-week schedule. There are many legal writer and legal blogger jobs available and some will let you work entirely from home. </div>
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<i>Pros: Great flexibility. </i></div>
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<i>Cons: Low pay. Most jobs pay $20-30 an hour. </i></div>
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<b>2. The ghost writer for briefs.</b> There are many small litigation shops out there that are in need of a "behind the scenes" writer for legal briefs. It's hard work and not everyone has appellate brief experience. If you've been an appellate attorney in the past, then consider attending a few legal networking events and get to know litigators. You can easily charge $50-$150 per hour to draft these briefs.</div>
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<i>Pros: Great flexibility, decent pay.</i></div>
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<i>Cons: No stable income. You have to network and constantly find your next source of income. </i></div>
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<b>3. The contract manager. </b> In house legal departments are a beast of their own. While some believe that the in-house world is an amnesty for working parents, it's not always so and if you're negotiating sales contracts, don't expect to get the winter or Labor Day weekend off. But a contracts manager isn't on the hook as bad as the in-house attorney is and it's a great 9-5 job if you're buying your time before becoming in-house counsel. Here's the caveat, however: Don't expect that you'll be promoted to counsel at your current job. You'd likely have to apply to a different company as most companies won't promote their contract managers to "counsel". </div>
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<i>Pros: Great pay, great exposure to in-house legal</i></div>
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<i>Cons: Don't expect to be promoted to "Counsel". </i></div>
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<b>4. The contract attorney</b>. There are many great managed services out there that provide offsite lawyers into Fortune 500 companies. Many Silicon Valley companies are moving towards the managed-services model, where the are doing legal process outsourcing. You'd negotiate contracts and perform legal services from the comfort of your own home. Managed service providers include <a href="http://www.axiomlaw.com/" target="_blank">Axiom</a>, <a href="http://www.paragonlegal.com/" target="_blank">Paragon</a>, <a href="http://elevateservices.com/" target="_blank">Elevate Services</a>, and Flex by Fenwick. </div>
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<i>Pros: Great pay, great flexibility.</i></div>
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<i>Cons: You can go large periods of time without an assignment. </i></div>
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<b>5. Your own practice.</b> Many lawyer moms start their own shop. For some, it's a great fit. For others, it's not what they want. Having done it, I realized early that this wasn't what I wanted to do. I was always a corporate person who wanted to be in-house. But I have friends who swear by this-- from a financial standpoint and from a flexibility standpoint. </div>
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<i>Pros: You make your own hours, sense of accomplishment.</i></div>
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<i>Cons: You eat what you kill-- no stability. Also, it can be a lot of work. </i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-5864609732557567052014-12-08T10:40:00.000-08:002014-12-08T10:40:03.138-08:005 Tips For Pregnant LawyersI'm a mommy lawyer. And I worked while pregnant. I've got two kids under the age of 8 and I currently work in house at a company with over $1 billion in revenue. <div>
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I wrote and passed the California bar exam when I was 8 months pregnant. I also <a href="http://attorneydiaries.blogspot.com/2012/05/life-for-biglaw-mommy.html" target="_blank">worked at a large law firm</a>, and then subsequently at a major legal publisher while I was in my second pregnancy. </div>
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Pregnancy is hard. I'm not trying to rub salt in the wounds of those women who are pregnant and working as lawyers. I did it, but it was brutal. (<a href="http://attorneydiaries.blogspot.com/2012/05/pregnant-and-working-female-lawyers.html" target="_blank">Read my lament here</a>.)</div>
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But having done it, Here are my 5 tips to being pregnant while working.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-2v9T3SWBeRfec6YqQnsA3GuDqKeiGCoh2JpZd1pyL5k6Sf8iWfzFdhUVJOZHUqdi6ubiPvn5qzK77B0EpP7yeiYyk-hCbkaeu2wr27FiVQ2tCxdaTD8HaCBRC8aFGJzUUaJLUgIg4ww/s1600/woman-163617_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-2v9T3SWBeRfec6YqQnsA3GuDqKeiGCoh2JpZd1pyL5k6Sf8iWfzFdhUVJOZHUqdi6ubiPvn5qzK77B0EpP7yeiYyk-hCbkaeu2wr27FiVQ2tCxdaTD8HaCBRC8aFGJzUUaJLUgIg4ww/s1600/woman-163617_1280.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></a><b>1. Disclose your pregnancy</b>. Many women are scared to tell their employer that they are pregnant. I actually told a law firm in the interview and they still hired me, so the stigma isn't as bad as many believe it is. While it's not wise to tell your boss before the sixth month, pregnancy can mess with your brain, so you might want your workplace to be more understanding of any minor errors that you do, as a result of brain-fog. The other added benefit of telling your boss is that the law protects you from adverse employment actions (i.e. getting fired or demoted) if you are pregnant. </div>
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<b>2. Use disability benefits for pregnancy.</b> There are many benefits afforded to people who are pregnant. I was able to take the bar exam in a private hotel room with food, a private bathroom, and a pillow in my lap. If your pregnancy is particularly bad, you should even consider taking a paid leave. In many states, your job is protected. </div>
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<b>3. Work from home</b>. Many transactional law jobs will allow you to work from home. If you're doing predominately research or redlining contracts, you can get away with working from home. I was working at a large international publishing house for the latter half of my pregnancy and they let me work from home four days a week. </div>
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<b>4. Get your sleep</b>. After you come home from work, make sure you sleep well. I used to go to bed at 7 P.M. If you have other kids, this might be challenging but if you have a supportive spouse, you need to call on that support now. </div>
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<i>READ: W<a href="http://attorneydiaries.blogspot.com/2014/11/working-parents-dont-be-ashamed-to-ask.html" target="_blank">orking Parents, Don't be Ashamed to Ask For Help</a> (Attorney Diaries)</i></div>
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<b>5. Eat well</b>. If you're throwing up every meal, it might be hard to eat well when you are pregnant. But you need the energy and the nutrition. Keep some healthy snacks with you, such as fruit and yogurt. </div>
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Many women work in law firms while pregnant. From time to time, you will run into difficult employers or people who don't understand. And yes, you might get labeled as the "mommy" (I actually won a gag award from a well-intentioned female boss called the "'Heck yeah I can make my numbers even with a crying baby' Award".) </div>
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But in the big picture, you'll come out on top. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-28447384214612605092014-12-05T13:59:00.001-08:002014-12-06T10:11:39.384-08:00What is the Difference Between In House Counsel and Law Firm Attorneys?Going <a href="https://blogs.oracle.com/dillon/entry/life_is_different_in_house" target="_blank">in house versus working at a law firm</a> can seem like a dream for many lawyers. For some, they see it as an opportunity to have some work-life balance in the legal profession. Some lawyers crave business and love being in the corporate world.<br />
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This is the first of many posts, chronicling life from the inside of a large corporate legal department.<br />
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What is the <a href="http://www.firmadvice.com/articles/article_inhouse.html" target="_blank">difference between practicing law at a law firm and practicing in-house</a>?<br />
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1. <b>The bottom line</b>. In a law firm, the bottom line is the billable hour. That is how the law firm makes money. In a corporation, money tends to revolve around business development and sales. A lawyer at a law firm is focused largely on building and maintaining the clientele base and providing thorough work to the external client. In house, however, the focus on helping business teams close large deals.<br />
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2. <b>Networking</b>. Law firm attorneys are expected to network to generate new clients for the firm. An in house attorney is networking to gain knowledge of new issues, new methods or new products that can benefit the legal department. Also, an in house attorney tends to network more within the company.<br />
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<b>3. The substantive knowledge. </b>A lawyer at a large firm can be more <a href="http://alumni.whitecase.com/seminars/newslettersdetail.aspx?newsletter=3599" target="_blank">niche and specialized</a>. A lawyer in a corporate legal department, however, <a href="http://blog.ericgoldman.org/personal/archives/2013/01/inhouse_counsel.html" target="_blank">will often find that they are the jack of many trades</a> (if not the jack of all trades). A lawyer working on corporate contracts, for example, might need to understand employment laws, UCC, tax laws, privacy laws, and intellectual property laws. The difference however, is in the depth of knowledge. In many cases where a legal topic becomes too deep, in house counsel will outsource it to a law firm.<br />
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<b>4. The hours.</b> In house counsel still have a large workload. But many of them find that they can leave at a reasonable time on most days, if there isn't an urgent deal to close. Not every law firm has long hours. However, the law firm culture is notorious for keeping associates at their desks overnight. Don't be fooled, though. In house attorneys do work long hours and weekends when there are million dollar deals on the line.<br />
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<b>5. The pay.</b> It's no secret that law firm attorneys are paid a lot more than in house attorneys. In some cases, the pay can even out-- particularly as the in house attorney climbs the ranks. However, a typical law firm associate at a large firm can have a starting salary of almost $200,000 per year. By contrast, a recent salary posted at a Fortune 500 company in Silicon Valley for an in house attorney with three to five years of experience was $158,000. And, when he was hired, that attorney sat in a cube with the paralegal staff, as opposed to the swanky office that an attorney at a large law firm will have. As you hit partner level at large firms, you're looking and raking in $500,000 a year or more. Even at a VP level as an in house attorney, chances that you'll be hitting the half-a-mil mark are modest. Of course, once you <a href="http://abovethelaw.com/2014/07/who-are-americas-best-paid-general-counsel-2014-rankings/" target="_blank">hit the GC mark, then we're talking millions</a>.<br />
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The bottom line is this-- work where you fit. If you like teams, business, budgets, PowerPoint, and versatility, then in house might be right for you. If you prefer working niche, developing business, and working independently, then law firm life might be a better fit.<br />
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Other Reads: (<span style="font-size: x-small;">Read</span>: <a href="http://attorneydiaries.blogspot.com/2014/11/working-parents-dont-be-ashamed-to-ask.html"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Working Parents, Don't Be Ashamed to Ask for Help</span></i></a>)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-52643527622094771442014-11-26T09:41:00.001-08:002014-12-08T15:00:59.805-08:00Working Parents: Don't Be Ashamed to Ask For HelpIt's not shameful to ask for help. But parents--moms in particular-- can find it so shameful to admit that parenting is hard work. They see the smiling moms, with their perfect jobs and coiffed hair raising three perfect kids, who make parenting and working look effortless.<br />
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Don't buy into that image. It's not always real.<br />
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Here's reality: When you're a working parent, it's hard enough to be in several places at once. If you're a lawyer and a mom, it's even harder. But this post isn't just for lawyer moms. It's for all working parents, as the struggle of balancing work and parenting is common.<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Related Read: <a href="http://yumfoodieheaven.blogspot.com/2014/12/working-parent-meal-quick-guacamole-and.html" target="_blank">Quick and Easy Means for the Working Parent</a> (Foodie Heaven)</span></i><br />
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When you're an attorney working at a firm, in house or operating your own practice, it's hard enough to be all things for all people.<br />
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But throw in kids into the mix and you've got a recipe for chaos.<br />
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It's a myth to say that <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95256794" target="_blank">humans are good at multitasking</a>. We're not capable of multi-tasking. According to a recent study, only <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/multitasker-test-tells-you-if-you-are-one-of-the-2-2014-5" target="_blank">two percent of the human population can actually multitask </a>effectively. What we've come to know as "multi-tasking" is actually the ability for a human to quickly change focus.<br />
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For a parent, it's even harder to "multi-task", yet, we've grown accustomed to switching focus at the snap of a finger. As a parent, at any given point of the day, your attention is split between your the task you are trying to accomplish and the need to care for your kids. Children are in some ways the most selfish of creatures. They don't care whether you are preoccupied or whether you have to meet a deadline. They don't care that you have hot oil on the stove. If they want something, they want it NOW.<br />
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Sounds like your legal client, doesn't it?<br />
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That's why the legal profession can be a particularly challenging one for a parent. You have people making quick demands and expecting fast turnaround all day, at all hours of the day. There's no "off" switch. There's no down time. When a legal client or a partner at your firm wants a task delivered, you must drop everything and deliver.<br />
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Many lawyers will opt to go in-house once they have kids, thinking that the removal of the billable hour might ease their deadlines and turnaround times. The in-house legal environment should theoretically be better. The attorney has only one client to represent-- the company. In practice, however, the in-house attorney's role is to be responsive to numerous internal clients, many of whom have critical multi-million dollar business deals to close in short time frames.<br />
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The reality is that if you're a working professional and a parent at the same time, it's hard to juggle the responsibilities of parenting and the demands of work.<br />
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Some people are fortunate to have parents or in-laws nearby to help. But for those people who aren't as fortunate, it's important to develop a network of close allies and friends who can help--you need good friends who can pick up your kids last minute from daycare if you're running late, share food with you, or even lend you a shoulder to cry on when the stress gets overwhelming. There's no shame in asking for help.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-22311984564740890392012-05-06T21:22:00.001-07:002012-05-08T21:25:08.997-07:00Shout Out to Mommy Lawyers This Mothers' DayWith Mothers' Day creeping up on us, I just had to put my thoughts down, especially after hearing about the riveting swearing in ceremony of a mommy lawyer in Maine. <br />
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Nancy Torresen from Maine was <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-mct-a-first-in-maine-woman-sworn-in-as-federal-20120504,0,1151917.story" title="A first in Maine: Woman sworn in as federal district judge (Chicago Tribune)">sworn
in on Thursday </a>as a U.S. District Court judge. In her thank you speech, she gave a shout out to her mother and to her mother in law for helping her with meals and other mommy duties as she sought success in her career.<br />
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It's not easy for a woman to rise the ranks in the legal profession. It's even harder for a female lawyer to crack the judiciary. As much as we like to believe that the playing field is equal, it's not. Sure, we've come a long way, but in many cases, women are still far behind when it comes to partnership positions and to salary parity at the large firms.<br />
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Part of that is because while many women do have helpful hubbies, many of the duties of parenthood rest squarely on the shoulders of the mom. Pregnancy is one of those non-delegable duties.<br />
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Being a lawyer and a mommy is hard work.<br />
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No mommy lawyer can do it without help. <br />
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Nancy Torresen is the <a href="http://www.mainebiz.biz/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120504/NEWS0101/120509974" title="First female U.S. District Court Judge named (Maine Biz)">first female in Maine to hold the position</a> of federal district judge.<br />
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There were many prominent female jurists in attendance at her ceremony and she recognized their contribution to the legal profession, hailing many of them as her inspiration.<br />
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So, in this week before Mothers' Day, here's a shout-out to mommy lawyers everywhere-- in BigLaw, as in-house counsel at corporations and to those managing their own practices.<br />
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Hats off to you all. Here's to the mommy lawyers and the difficult choices that many of them have to make.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-23998553667616021662012-05-03T22:00:00.000-07:002014-12-08T15:42:02.930-08:00Pregnant and Working: A Female Lawyer's LamentHave you ever wondered what it would be like to start a new law job while pregnant?<br />
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Yep, that's right. Pregnant.<br />
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I had a little chat with some other female lawyers over the weekend. And interestingly, a male lawyer earlier today.<br />
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It's so damn hard to work while pregnant, let alone start a new job while pregnant. I've been struggling with this for months now, as I'm officially in my final trimester. The last time I was pregnant, I actually had to quit because I kept throwing up at work. That was a long time ago.<br />
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This time around, I can't say that the pregnancy is any better (in fact, it may even be a bit worse) but I am struggling to keep up with my work. It's like the pregnancy hormones take over and my mind turns to mush. I make silly mistakes. I have typos. I submit duplicates of the same document. I can't remember the names of other associates or paralegals. <br />
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And every day, all I can think about all day is frivolous Facebook gossip, whether Joshua will win on American Idol or anything else frivolous that I can bring to the forefront of my mind.<br />
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It's driving me mad.<br />
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Of course, let's not forget the fact that I still throw up at work. Even six months into my pregnancy.<br />
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<a href="http://attorneydiaries.blogspot.com/2014/12/5-tips-for-pregnant-lawyers.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Related Read: 5 Tips for Pregnant Lawyers</span></i></a><br />
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Pregnancy sucks, but it sucks more when you're a lawyer and have to work in an industry that doesn't tolerate mistakes. <br />
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Then, I had the chance to speak to a woman who started a new job at Google when she was five months pregnant. In addition to forever being labeled as "the pregnant girl," she claims that she had a very hard time taking on a new job when pregnant. She said she was lucky that they attributed it to "ramping up" at a new job, so mistakes were expected.<br />
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A male lawyer I talked to today told me that his wife was expecting and was currently six months pregnant. While she's not a lawyer, he's a partner at a firm and told me that he has to come home every day and manage household responsibilities, since she's wiped.<br />
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Wiped out. Doesn't that sound familiar?<br />
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I come home and I can barely keep my head up. Two weeks ago, I asked that the TV be moved to the bedroom. Now, all I do is come home, change into my PJs and sit in front of the TV, soaking in whatever useless crap is on television.<br />
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The best advice I was given was to shut off any distractions (such as my Facebook iPhone app) and to get to bed early.<br />
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That's easier said than done, since I already have one kid who refuses to sleep before 10 p.m.<br />
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Oh well, another two months to go and I take leave.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-32860456894440934192011-12-01T22:21:00.000-08:002012-05-07T22:02:56.745-07:00Life for the BigLaw MommyWhat's life like for the BigLaw mommy?<br />
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I finally had the chance to find out, four years after passing the bar.<br />
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I lucked out. Landed myself a sweet gig at a top tier firm.<br />
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Truth be told, it's not easy. While partners claim to be sympathetic to the plight of a mommy lawyer, a look around the firm gave me a clear idea of where mommy lawyers really stood.<br />
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Here's a tip-- the most successful female lawyer at the firm was not a mommy, at the age of 60. Married, yes. Mommy, no.<br />
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The mommy track exists at the big law firms but as any smart mentor will tell you, the mommy brand can taint you. Not always, but it can.<br />
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I don't know if anyone comes out and says overtly that your chances of success are threatened by being a mommy lawyer, but it's certainly the elephant in the room at many large law firms.<br />
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I didn't have much problem, but then again, I was not a salaried associate. I came on board as an hourly associate. Interestingly, the young male lawyer who started at the same time as me came on board as a full time associate.<br />
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Discrepancy? <br />
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And let's not forget the added responsibilities that come your way as a mommy. While the daddy was on board helping and holding down the fort with the little ones, the little tykes still want mommy and still miss mommy when she's out. So I had to kiss bye-bye to the 8 p.m. work nights out, as well as the after-work happy hours and the networking events.<br />
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Being a mom and working at a top tier firm is certainly doable. But it's not easy.<br />
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If you choose to take this path, then make sure you enlist all the help you can get. Call on family to help. Make sure your spouse is on board. And if you must, dish out top-dollar and hire a very good caregiver or housekeeper.<br />
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While some women luck out with fabulous work-life balance situations, many parents have to make some difficult decisions.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-3664504472726793502009-11-25T10:27:00.000-08:002010-01-29T12:33:59.763-08:00Trivial Interests: The Mystical Key to Work-Life BalanceLooking back at my last blog post, one thought comes to mind: Boy was I ever wrong!<br /><br />I started my summer internship on a tense and stressed note, trying to maintain a heightened level of professionalism and forcing myself to believe that there was no life outside of my career. <br /><br />Then, it all changed the day the managing partner told me that the life outside of law is what mattered more to my career than focusing nonstop on the law, itself. He told me that I needed to develop, what he called, "trivial interests". <br /><br />"What are trivial interests?" I asked.<br /><br />"Trivial interests are those interests or hobbies that have no valuable or useful purpose in life."<br /><br /><br />As I got to know the partners more, I realized that they were such good lawyers because they had lives outside of the firm. One of the partners enjoyed travelling abroad with his wife, while volunteering with underprivileged kids in Marin County during the school year. Another partner spent every conceivable moment with his teenage sons, even during office hours, where they would be sitting in his office arguing the meaning of God. An associate volunteered with Big Brothers. <br /><br />And then I came to learn- If we, as attorneys, spend our spare time focusing on law, then we risk becoming terribly one-dimensional. In time, we can burn out much faster and we miss out on the small, trivial interests that life has to offer. It's the law of diminishing returns. The harder we try to be the best, the less likely we will ever be the best because there will always be some new height to reach and a higher bar to cross.<br /><br />So the lesson I take away from the attorneys at this firm is simple- make time for the trivial interests that bring you joy, because the law will always be there tomorrow.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-18840943665863557682009-06-18T22:11:00.000-07:002012-05-06T22:12:33.574-07:00First Day in Court<div>
We conquer several major firsts in our lives. Although some of the first seem intimidating, once we conquer our fears and accomplish the task, in time, our fears ease. In time, not overnight.</div>
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My first day in court was two years into practicing law. Actually, I take that back. My first say in court was before I was even licensed to practice, but at the time, I sat in the back of the courtroom and performed last minute research. </div>
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My first time appearing before a judge was in Santa Rosa Bankruptcy Court. I began working for a bankruptcy attorney and my first day on the job was also my first day in court. She called me over the weekend to tell me about a motion I needed to argue on Monday. I saw the motion for the first time on Sunday night. I was to drive two hours to Santa Rosa the next day, to argue a motion I had only seen the night before. To add salt to the wound, I was to argue it alone, without my supervising attorney there. </div>
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In the end, the motion was granted. But the entire courtroom knew this was my first time. For starters, I checked in with the Trustee instead of the Court Clerk. The Trustee was kind enough to direct me to the Court Clerk. Then, when my line item was called, I spoke before I got to the podium. Finally, I had no clue that I would be arguing the motion to the Trustee, first. I guess Santa Rosa does things differently. So I was not prepared to state the reason for the motion, not was I even aware that they were calling my motion.<br />
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Talk about trial by fire. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-5552934904095671022009-06-09T15:58:00.000-07:002010-02-12T23:08:36.657-08:00First Day on the Job at a FirmI am starting this week on a temorary placement at a respected law firm. I take with me the wisdom from previous experiences.<br /><br />And in taking my sucesses and my failures in stride, I came up with a list of what to do and what not to do when entering the legal workforce.<br /><br /><strong>1. Do not underestimate the value of your appearance!</strong> Looks matter. Although many attorneys will say that they don't care what you wear to work, so long as you do the job right, there definitely is a <a title="Be JobSavvy!! In the Blink of An Eye, That's All It Takes To Impress (www.prudentpurse.com)" href="http://http//prudentpurse.com/jobsavvy/?p=5">certain stigma that is attached to you by way of your appearance</a>. I have seen it with my own eyes. I have seen judges look with disdain at attorneys who wore bright colors and flashy shoes to court. I have seen the disparity in the way I get treated when I wear a suit, a dress or jeans.<br /><br />My advice- wear muted colors and limit your accessories. Brown, biege, gray or navy-blue work very well. The image you want to get across is that you care more about your work than your clothes. Of course, you could easily accomplish this by wearing jeans and a t-shirt to work. too, but jeans and a T-shirt scream the word "slacker!".<br /><br /><strong>2. Do not socialize unecessarily!</strong> You are there to work. It's understandable that you might want to build relationships and strengthen your bridges at your new firm, but there will always be time for that. Your priority should really be competence. You need to get the job done. For the first while, skip lunch and eat at your desk if you must. Don't stop at the offices of others and strike up conversation on the first day. You will have plenty of time to do that once you have proven yourself. For the first while, it will be the quality of your work and not your personality that will get you more points.<br /><br /><strong>3. Go in early and work late</strong>. Get there before most of the other people in the office do and leave later than the rest. You don't necessarily need to be the first person in the office nor the last one to leave, but look at your timings relative to everyone else and be a notch more conservative than the rest.<br /><br /><strong>4. Pay attention to the quality of your work!</strong> Your work will be the most important factor in making your first impression. Take down your assignments with a note-pad and work hard. Stay focused and ask questions if you don't know what you are doing. Also, try to gage your employer's expectations of the assignment and if you can, try to get hold of a sample of what he/she wants from you.<br /><br />Related Links<br /><a href="http://prudentpurse.com/jobsavvy">Jobsavvy</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-71566748369017865652008-07-01T21:39:00.000-07:002010-02-24T20:00:11.552-08:00The Diversity InitiativeMany firms have implemented supposed "Diversity Initiatives" in recent years as a response to the underepresentation of minorities in the practice of law. How honest are these initiatives? How many firms honestly care about increasing diversity in the workplace? Lately, many firms have been taking supposed pro-active steps to foster an environment that favors diversity. But do the words "equal opportunity employer" on a firm's website really mean that they intend to hire visible minorities? Does hiring a Diversity Director exonerate a firm from it's duty to create a true and reflective environment where diversity can thrive?<br /><br />In 2003, the Equal Opportunity Commission issued a <a href="http://http://www.eeoc.gov/stats/reports/diversitylaw/index.html">report</a> on the representation of minorities and women as professionals in law firms. The report found that the representation of women in the legal workforce has more than doubled since 1975, from 14.4% to 40.3% in 2002. Yet, although the representation of women in the legal workforce is relatively proportionate to the number of women receiving JDs, the representation of racial minorities has yet to follow such example. For example, the representation of African Americans and Hispanics in the professional legal workforce is still proportionate to approximately half of the number who earn JDs.<br /><br />Statistics aside, I happen to know a few partners at prominent law firms who are from visible minority groups. Of course, I do benefit from living in San Francisco, where diversity is the norm. My one favorite example of diversity in action is the junior partner at a prominent litigation firm who happens to be a Muslim woman wearing the head scarf. Conversely, I also know people who left large law firms, claiming that they felt that their ethnicity made their chances of growth much harder. I remember asking an Asian attorney from another well respected litigation firm about the diversity at his firm. He replied by telling me that his coworkers would often confuse him with another Asian attorney who was a whole foot shorter than him!<br /><br />As the economy continues to globalize, law firms across America will need to reflect this globalization by retaining attorneys from various ethnic groups. And if law firms are unprepared to do this, we will probably soon see many smaller practices and solo attorneys popping up across the nation, reflecting the diversity of law graduates.<a><br /><br />Perhaps, then, it will be the small firms and solos who initiate the change. </a><br /><br />Related Links<br /><ul><li><a href="http://prudentpurse.com/jobsavvy/?p=19">The Diversity Initiative: Is it really making a difference in law firms?</a> (Prudentpurse.com)<br /></li></ul><a></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-55941567765994658162008-05-09T13:33:00.000-07:002008-05-09T16:15:26.301-07:00Lawyers Suffer the Highest Rate of DepressionThe California Bar Journal recently published an article, written by Diane Curtis, on the correlation between the practice of law and depression. A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University found that lawyers suffer the highest rate of depression- 19% of lawyers suffer from depression, where only 3-9% of the general population suffers from depression.<br /><br />The article mentions the "telltale signs" of depression among attorneys, as noted by a member of the Lawyer Assistance Program of the California State Bar. These signs are generally fatigue, low energy and a sense of being overwhelmed. He interestingly enough calls this depression a "creeping paralysis".<br /><br />So why is it, then, that so many lawyers suffer depression? One would assume that lawyers would feel pride and a sense of accomplishment. I believe that this sense of pride is exactly what may trigger depression for some attorneys. We struggle so hard to achieve heights in our career with minimal rewards. The article calls the profession of law a "lonely profession" due to the adversarial nature of the work. <br /><br />Perhaps we need to change the nature of our practice. Perhaps we need to look into the way we practice and figure out what makes us happy. I've met plenty of people who are dissatisfied with the profession of law and I've also met plenty of people who are very satisfied with their career choice. I've noticed that the ones who are more satisfied are ones who have work-life balance and mostly, ones who run their own practices. <br /><br />So, how do we acheive career satisfaction?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-39970804436205539152008-05-08T22:06:00.000-07:002010-01-29T12:17:44.778-08:00How Accessible is Too Accessible?A solo practitioner in Orange County once shared some wisdom with me. He told me never to be too accessible to my clients. <br /><br />At the time, I was fresh out of the bar. And frankly, I had no clue what he was talking about. <br /><br />I ignored his advice, freely giving my cel phone number to clients. <br /><br />Well, 3 years later, I must say that I agree in part with what Orange County attorney. But to his wisdom, I add my own: I also it's important to be somewhat accessible to one's client, without giving away too much of your time.<br /><br />Some attorneys feel perfectly comfortable giving their personal phone numbers to their clients. I prefer having an answering service that screens my calls. Thus, I have a special phone line dedicated to business use. <br /><br />It's really not that difficult or expensive to set up such a phone line. The Internet provides many voice-over-IP options nowadays and you can even set some of these services to ring your cel phone. <a href="http://www.skype.com" title="Skype homepage">Skype </a>is one service that many of my peers use. <a href="http://www.ringcentral.com" title="RingCentral homepage">RingCentral </a>is another good service. <br /><br />Once upon a time, I did give my cellular phone number to all my clients. But what resulted (from the odd one or two clients) was my phone ringing at all hours, including Friday nights when I was at the movies.<br /><br />You see, where some clients respect your privacy and the fact that you have a life outside our practice, there are inevitably the small few that think you must abide at their beck and call. <br /><br />But, mind you, only a small few.<br /><br />Recently, I had a client who insisted on working with me, despite the fact that I was too busy to take his case. I referred him to two other solo practitioners. One gave the client an ultimatum on getting in touch with him. The other attorney called him and reached out, even though the client was hesitant. Eventually, the client chose to go with the latter, the attorney who had reached out to him. When I spoke to the client yesterday, he told me that he just didn't feel comfortable being given an ultimatum.<br /><br />The same thing happened a few months ago with another client, where the client felt like he was being "talked down to" when I referred him to another attorney and was extremely grateful that I took the time to speak to him about the nature of probate and a will.<br /><br />The bright-line conclusion: Each client is different and the level of accessibility really depends on the nature of the case, the amount of time you have to dedicate yourself and finally, the nature of the client.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-78376680333260892052008-05-08T21:25:00.000-07:002009-04-03T10:08:49.687-07:00Networking With Other SolosA client came to me by way of referral today. The client wants a will done for his father. Of course, with liability issues and attorney-client privilege, I insisted that I be in touch with the father. The son told me that his father lived in Oakland and that my office in San Jose was too far for him to come down to.<br /><br />No problem, I said. At that point, I reached out to my network and found office space that I could borrow for half an hour.<br /><br />In solo practice, networking can be your best tool. It pays to get to know as many solo attorneys as possible. For starters, you can get overflow work from overburdened attorneys. Most significantly, though, you gain a support system and can call on other solos when you need some help. I've come to know quite a few other solo practitioners over the past eight months. Of these attorneys, one is an employment attorney who traded firm life for the solo practice life so that she could have time to enjoy life and to take the types of cases that she wanted to take. She currently shares my office space. Another attorney I got to know in the past few months was a more experienced woman who has been practising family law for over fifteen years. She often shares insight with me and has never hesitated to nudge me in the right direction, as needed.<br /><br />As for the client I spoke to today, I told him that I would call his father back and let him know where in Oakland I could meet him. By the end of the evening, I already had permission to use the office of another solo attorney whom I recently met.<br /><br /><strong></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-23568184068377641112007-11-30T23:32:00.000-08:002009-06-09T15:58:15.650-07:00Preliminary Considerations: Why I chose to go solo.People really don't understand the profession of Law. We spend years in school learning concepts that are ambiguous at best, write a three-day exam at the end of our studies and then are thrust into the legal world to practice as attorneys. Many of us end up in large firms with equally large salaries, only to work 70 hour work weeks performing riguourous research tasks. Others find themselves in public practice, working for government agencies or for Legal Aid Societies.<br /><br />At the beginning, I always second guessed my decision to go solo. I had some experience behind me as a law clerk and I had firms who were willing to take me upon passing the bar exam. I suppose it really came down to the kind of practitioner I wanted to be. I've been an independant person from Day One. I was always able to take care of myself and often enjoyed being alone. I craved independence as a child and constantly questioned authority.<br /><br />I was nine months pregnant when I wrote the California bar exam and I was a new mom when I was sworn in to bar. When my daughter was 5 months old, I decided that I wanted to go back to work. I just wanted flexibility. At the time, I had a few clients approach me to draft their wills. So, I decided to go into estate planning, thinking that it would be a simple area where I would draft wills from a template.<br /><br />Was I ever wrong!<br /><br />I accepted my first client and took her to the owner of a firm where I had clerked. Although I had worked at that firm previously, I had never worked in estate planning and I sat through the client meeting, trying to absorb everything that took place at that meeting. At that time, I knew nothing about revocable living trusts.<br /><br />Two months later, I had drafted and funded my first revocable living trust entirely on my own and had already held a seminar on revocable trusts for financial planners.<br /><br />Two months after starting, I not only broke even but I had profit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793504120455922760.post-1528720381114972692007-11-30T23:28:00.000-08:002007-11-30T23:30:20.534-08:00<img src="http://www.blawg.com/claimscript.aspx?userid=solo&LinksID=1907" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0