July | 2017 | Best Friends at the Bar™

In Praise of Independent Women Lawyers

Posted on July 4, 2017

Happy Independence Day! Yes, it is about small town parades, fireworks and sparklers, burgers on the grill, mountains of ice cream, and being together with family and friends. It only comes once a year, so knock yourself out! But, during the festivities, do not forget about the “independence” part.

I am not just talking about the Declaration of Independence or what it has meant to the evolution of this country where we all enjoy freedoms and independence unparalleled in the world. That is the focus, but it goes much further than that. It is about national independence and also about individual independence. After all, Thomas Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers were fiercely independent men — or there would not be any United States of America today.

As you know, there were no Founding Mothers. Too early for that, although history has it that George Washington’s mom was a force. But, still, not recognized as having “founding” value. Today, women have the opportunity to rise as high as men, but the road is rocky and it takes strength and independence to achieve those heights.

So, what does it mean to be an independent woman? Last week, when our President chose to disparage yet another woman, Mika Brzezinski responded by saying that President Trump’s words did not defeat her because she was raised to be a strong woman — one, apparently, with thick skin and who knows exactly who she is and who she is not.

That is what all women need to be because we will be challenged again and again throughout our lives and careers. Women have to prove and reprove their worth at every turn. Achievement for women is a transient state of being. It has to be done and redone. There is no value in complacency.

How do you become strong and independent? Many sage and eloquent writers have contemplated that question. Today I borrow from the commencement address at Cardigan Mountain School for boys in New Hampshire, as delivered by Chief Justice John Roberts earlier this week. My son-in-law attended Cardigan Mountain School, and I know it to be a fine place to develop strong and independent young men. However, Justice Roberts’ words are equally as instructive in developing strong and independent women. Here is part of what he said:

Success comes to those who are unafraid to fail. And if you did fail, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again — it might be time to think about doing something else.

From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly so that you will come to learn the value of justice.

Betrayal will teach you the importance of loyalty. Loneliness will instruct people not to take friends for granted. Pain will cause someone to learn compassion.

I wish you bad luck — again, from time to time — so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life. And understand that your success is not completely deserved, and that the failure of others is not completely deserved, either.

Hear, hear. Success is most often derived from being strong and independent. Heed the words of the Chief Justice, and become strong and independent by failing. Become strong and independent by being treated unfairly. Become strong and independent by being betrayed, by being lonely, and become strong and independent by having just the right amount of bad luck.

Through all of your challenges — and because of them —you young women lawyers are on the way to becoming wildly successful. Embrace the challenge. If you fail, just pick yourself up and keep on going. It is not failure that defines you but how you respond to failure.

Career Counselors, Law Firm Managers, Law School Educators, Law Students, Practice Advice, Young Lawyer | Comment

Thought For The Day

Posted on July 3, 2017

“A lesson for all of us is that for every loss, there is victory, for every sadness, there is joy, and when you think you’ve lost everything, there is hope.”

Geraldine Solon

Thought For The Day | Comment

Problems that Still Plague Women Lawyers

Posted on July 26, 2017

No, the challenges for women lawyers are not over. Progress has been made, but there remains much to do to create a level playing field for women and men in the profession.

The Law 360 fourth annual Glass Ceiling Report is out, and finds that women make up 34.8 percent of attorneys in the leading US firms, and that is up from 34 percent last year. Call me a skeptic, but I do not think that 8/10th of a percent is any cause to throw a party.

The report further shows that, at the partner level, women represent 23 percent of both equity and non-equity partners. This data is offered within the context that women comprised more than 50 percent of law school students in 2016, the highest percentage since 1992. Before you cheer too loudly for that fact, consider that the report also showed that only nine of the 300 firms surveyed reported having a workforce that is 50 percent or more female.

Year after year we see no appreciable advancement of percentage of women in the profession and percentage of those who make partner. The National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) has issued an annual survey on women in the profession for more than a decade, and the percentages have barely budged. It is a sad read each year.

The reasons for this lack of progress seem to congregate around the topics of lack of flexibility in the legal work space and discrimination against women lawyers, including implicit bias, which is not acknowledged by far too many law firm and industry leaders. At the same time as more and more women are choosing to enter the legal profession, there are still many challenges that are holding them back in terms of retention and advancement. But, women will be women, and they continue to amaze me in their abilities to face these challenges head on.

A recent article in LawFuel, addressed some of those challenges and how women lawyers are meeting them.

Women Lawyers Constantly are Underestimated. Too often they are treated like they are under qualified or not suited for their jobs. Consider the fact that this is true even though women law students are typically at the tops of their graduating classes in terms of grade point averages and honors.

Women Lawyers are More Susceptible to Health Issues. This is where you definitely have to “listen up.” It is serious business. The stress of being a lawyer can take a toll on anyone, but it is especially stressful for women who must prove themselves at every turn and find themselves on the receiving end of sexist comments and behaviors. Chronic stress and poor coping techniques can result in depression. Arm yourselves. Get the stress OUT! Let go of it. Embrace something outside the office to arm you against negative triggers inside the office.

Women Lawyers Struggle with Work-Life Balance. This is the ever-present challenge for women lawyers with home and family responsibilities, but it also affects lawyers who want time to develop their social lives. The long hours at the office are not compatible with home or personal lives, and it can drive women out of the profession. Hope lies in more flexible workplace practices, including working from home made possible by advances in technology, and a recognition that flexible schedules can work to the benefit of both the woman lawyer and the law firm that wants to retain talent.

Women Attorneys are Criticized for Their Looks. This problem is much more prevalent for women lawyers than it is for male lawyers. When did you ever hear of a male being told that he does not “look like an attorney?” Shirt, tie, suit — check. No comment. But, it always seems like open season for critiquing women’s dress in the workplace. If her skirt is too long, she looks like a spinster. Too short, she looks like a street walker. Hair too frizzy … hair cut too severe …. there is so much material in this playbook. With the exception of too much thigh and cleavage, most of it is not acceptable. Challenge it. Ask what a lawyer “looks like.” I have a friend who did that many years ago and established herself as no pushover for the boy’s club. Now she bosses the men around!

As always, I know you are up to the challenge. But, do not attempt it alone. For every boy’s club, there needs to be a girl’s club. Stick together and prevail!