Learning from History During Women’s History Month

During Women’s History Month, I think it is appropriate to look at how far women lawyers have come since 155 years ago when Arabella Mansfield was the first woman admitted to a state bar.  To understand this history and put it in context, I refer you to “The Truth About Women Litigators” by Anne Redcross Beehler, an article which was included in a recent Holland and Knight law firm newsletter.   You will be interested, I think, and amazed, in some situations, to hear some of what women litigators put up with in the past and how different it is today.

I am one of those litigators, having started in practice in 1979 when there were relatively few women lawyers and when I joined a law firm of 25 men, most of them litigators.  It was a bumpy ride to be sure, but I survived and flourished.  There were not any senior women lawyers there to give me guidance, and I had to figure it out on my own.

However, I do not want any of you to have to figure it all out alone.  Not at all.  I am one of those women lawyers who is comfortable having you stand on my shoulders and who thinks that mentoring young lawyers is my responsibility as a professional.

If you are reluctant to read the article because you are not a litigator, do not let that stop you.  So many of the concepts that you will read about are more important as a matter of gender and not of practice specialty.  They are very transferable into other areas of practice.

That is, with the exception of some experiences in the courtroom.  I doubt that many female transactional lawyers in my day experienced a federal judge address her as “woman, girl or whatever you people want to be called these days.”  And that judge did not stop at one such inappropriate remark.  He must have liked the sound of it because it was a constant theme when I was in his courtroom.  Even when I was winning!

Enjoy the article.  Pay attention to the advice for the future as well as the outrageous stories from the past.  It is the present and the future where you can use your role as an influencer to make a difference that will continue to improve the profession for women.

Vive les femmes!

 

 

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Thought For The Week: “In each of us are places where we have never gone. Only by pressing the limits do you ever find them.” Joyce Brothers

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Perfection as the Enemy of Good

I have been writing and lecturing about perfection as the enemy of good for many years.  It was a very important topic of discussion when my work centered on mentoring young women lawyers, but the downfalls of perfectionism are not limited to women.  Men fall victim to perfectionism just as well.

I am a member or the DC Bar and have been for the last 45 years.  I have published in the bar magazine, Washington Lawyer, and I also enjoy the articles there.  One article captioned “The Enemy of Good” caught my attention in the most recent edition.  The author, Denise Perme, starts out this way:

Many [lawyers] suffer an insidious trait that masquerades as a virtue, causing us much pain and, only occasionally, pleasure.  It’s call perfectionism.”  And, as the article makes clear, it can easily become an obsession.  Perfectionism is toxic.

Perfectionism is to be avoided as the “dangerous traitor” it is, which stifles creativity , innovation and progress.  You may be familiar with some of these dangers either because you are a perfectionist or because you know someone who is.

If you see the signs of perfectionism in yourself, do not think it will go away easily.  It will not.  You have to be proactive.  Here is a helpful list of suggestions, which appear at the end of Ms. Perme’s article, for becoming less focused on perfection:

  • Challenge your thoughts and assumptions.  Catch yourself when you are [overreacting], examine the evidence, and do a reality check about the validity of your fears;
  • Replace negative self-talk with something positive [like], “You know you can do it; it does not have to be perfect.  There is a reason they trust you to write this”;
  • Do some “exposure therapy” by allowing yourself to have small failures. … Send an email that you know has a typo;
  • Find other sources of self worth outside of work [like] regular exercise, sports, or an art class;
  • Talk to people you trust and who can talk you down.  It is important to have a sounding board; and
  • Engage collaboratively with colleagues so you aren’t carrying the whole weight of the “perfect” on your shoulders.

Be aware.  Perfectionism is sneaky and gets out of control easily.  Don’t let it control you.

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Thought For The Week: “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.” Muhammed Ali

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This Big Law Policy about WFH May be Coming Your Way

There are many divergent policies among law firms about the requirements for attorneys to be present in the office.  The days of the pandemic are behind us, fortunately, and the justifications of individual attorneys for working from home (WFH) are no longer as relevant as they were during the period of public health concerns.   However, the justifications for in-office presence, which have been made by law firms, are likewise diminished to some degree by the high profits that were reported by law firms during the pandemic and periods of almost 100% WFH.

So, it is complicated.  What is not complicated is the frustration level of law firms, and the measures they are adopting to get law firm practice back in the office.

Here is a recent example of that frustration on the part of a Top 50 Biglaw firm.  It is interesting reading and may be a harbinger of things to come.  If so, you need to be aware of the policies and the pitfalls.

Hopefully, the pendulum will swing in such a way that reaches a reasonable compromise that will benefit both law firms and practicing lawyers.

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Thought For The Week: “Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.” Oscar Wilde

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What is on the Minds of Gen Z Lawyers?

It turns out that Generation Z lawyers have a lot to say.  You may recall that I wrote a book about Millennial lawyers.  In What Millennial Lawyers Want:  A Bridge from the Past to the Future of Law Practice (Aspen Publishers, 2019), I predicted that some of what Millennial Generation lawyers want will also be true of Gen Z lawyers.  At the time, however, it was too early to gauge.  But now the voices of Gen Z lawyers are being heard loud and clear.

Here is a conversation transcript that should get the attention of Gen Z lawyers and law firm management, especially.  Find out what is important to Gen Z lawyers and what those young lawyers want.  Discover how they value flexibility as compared to how they value high salaries — and what the trade offs may be.

This is not a subject that law firm management should discount or shy away from.  As the article points out, young lawyers are very dynamic in terms of their worklife and change jobs often.  If they cannot find what they want in one firm, they will leave for a firm that promises more.  The days of loyalty to firms and spending 20 years at one shop is long gone.  Like Millennial lawyers, Gen Z lawyers are not to be taken for granted.

The conversation is long, but you do not have to read it at one sitting.  The important thing is to get the information to find out what your contemporaries think and what law firms should take seriously.

And while you Gen Z lawyers are at it and paying attention to your careers, don’t forget to get a copy of my most recent book, New Lawyer Launch: The Handbook for Young Lawyers (Full Court Press, 2023).  It will give you a leg up on the competition and eliminate the guess work. More than 15 practicing lawyers from Gen X to Millennials join me in sharing the facts and proven strategies to benefit entry-level lawyers.

Lawyers from Generation X to Millennials sharing their best advice for career success.  A must read.  Just do it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thought For The Week: “Our characters are the result of our conduct.” Aristotle

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