I’m not a catholic, but I feel deep sadness when I think about the passing of Pope Francis earlier this week. I don’t have to be catholic or even Christian or even a member of any faith to feel this pain. It is not a good time for the departure of such a good man. The world, especially during the current turmoil, needs steady and humane hands.

Pope Francis stood for everything we need in a leader right now. Like fairness and kindness and honesty and love and humility in feeding the poor and lifting up the most vulnerable. He did not want to be in the spotlight. He wanted to shine the spotlight on persons and issues that needed it most. When I think about his commitment to saving the planet, I think it is no coincidence that he left this earth only days before the celebration of Earth Day 2025.

What, you say, does this have to do with law and lawyers? A lot I think. Fairness (as in the imperative for due process), protecting the helpless (as in pro bono representation), honesty (as in ethical behavior), and kindness, as in the Pope’s oft-stated “Who am I to judge?” Yes, kindness. Lawyers need to be kind. It is one of the virtues that allow them to thrive in a very contentious and demanding profession.

Pope Francis was a Jesuit, and that also means a lot to me. My husband and I both are graduates of Jesuit law schools, and the teachings of the Jesuits imbued our educations there. Perhaps it had something to do with our choice of public service for parts of our careers. The “Four Cs” of Jesuit education are Competence, Conscience, Compassion, and Commitment. Since founding their first school in 1548, the Jesuits have believed that a high-quality education is a path to a meaningful life of leadership and service.

Leadership is key. Leading with the goal of benefiting others is an imperative for a stable and thriving nation and world. Leading without malice and with love is the path that most often has led to prosperity and peace.

In consideration of the kind of leadership demonstrated by the life of Pope Francis, so many citizens of the world are mourning this week and regretting that the current leadership of our beloved United States of America appears to have gone off the rails. Could there be a starker contrast between Pope Francis and those in American politics who call themselves “leaders” — who are content to let Rome burn while they play their precious violins? Who are content while aggressively hurting so many helpless people here and abroad — taking government jobs away without warning or process, endangering 401Ks and other investments to support retirement, targeting immigrants with deportation/imprisonment without due process, or threatening to see people die of AIDS by the millions in Africa rather than reaching out helping hands for a mere 12 cents a day per child, and imposing tariffs that threaten the economic security of countries across the globe. This is our current reality.

A similar reality was played out beautifully on stage last night as I enjoyed the Washington Ballet’s performance of Alice in Wonderland. It struck me that the Queen of Hearts, with her yen for absolute rule, fear, and the arbitrary nature of authority, is being played out as the King of Hearts in our country right now.

The arts so often speak the truth and are harbingers to dangerous outcomes. My comfort lies in having witnessed the other side of power, as exemplified by Pope Francis.

May he rest in peace.

I am excited to share this information about a program developed by my friend Christine Brown-Quinn. Christine and I met years ago through our complimentary projects on behalf of young professionals. Christine approaches mentoring from a business prospective, while I do the same for young lawyers. I am a big fan of Christine’s programs, and I believe that you will find them helpful and interesting as well.

Based in the UK and known as The Female Capitalist,® Christine extends a hand of guidance through her online Career Masterclass series, workshops, and executive coaching to unravel the true essence of advancement as well as holistic success within demanding corporate environments.

Christine’s extensive background as a former Managing Director in International Finance in London fuels her insights. As a published author of two books (“Step Aside Super Woman” and “Unlock Your Career Success – Knowing the Unwritten Rules Changes Everything”), she offers empowering resources for women in business. She is a powerful speaker with a sense of humor. And as a board member of the International Women’s Fund, she serves as co-chair of the IWF UK’s Racial Equity Special Interest Group.

Christine has just launched a new program “Life & Career Unlocked.” I talked to her about this new program recently, and it sounds like an important resource for women lawyers as well as women business leaders. Here is what Christine has to say about this new program:

I recently heard the expression “You can always add something,” and it really resonated with me—especially as we navigate a world where Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and professional development are increasingly under pressure.

In response to these challenges, I’ve launched the ‘Life & Career Unlocked’ Masterclass Series—a complimentary opportunity to gain fresh insights on shaping your career/business and life on your own terms. This series features seven power-packed 30-minute online interviews with carefully selected guests, sharing practical, actionable strategies for success.

The line up for Life & Career is below. If you can’t make the live sessions, you can sign up to receive a link to the recording.

2025 Life & Career Unlocked – Upcoming Sessions

Career Myths Debunked: What No One Tells You About Success

The Imperfection Advantage: Strategies for Personal & Business Growth Without Perfection

The Power of Being Yourself: Your Greatest Asset in Leading & Influencing Others

Navigating Life Through Negotiation: Logic, Emotion & Intuition

Mastering Virtual Work: ¨Strategies for Success in 2025 & Beyond

Beyond Teamwork: Strategies for Building and Sustaining High-Performance Teams”

For more information and to register for the Life & Career Unlocked series, go to Christine Brown-Quinn on LinkedIn.

I Look forward to “seeing” you there!

When I first envisioned the project that came to be Best Friends at the Bar, it was to support young women in the practice of law. In 2007, they needed all the help they could get, and Best Friends at the Bar was there with a helping hand. As women lawyers grew in numbers and in influence and presence at the top ranks in the profession, I broadened my focus to all young lawyers, men and women alike. My goal was to keep them from tripping over themselves on their way to success. I continue in that work, but my focus has broadened to all lawyers in response to current events.

It is now clear that all lawyers need to organize and fight what is becoming a very real and powerful threat to the profession. It is time for lawyers across the bar to organize as “best friends” who have each other’s backs. Lawyers in America — in big firms, smaller firms, boutiques and solo practices — need to support each other now more than ever. They need to object when BigLaw firms are being targeted by the Trump Administration. And they need to create a support system to keep firms from capitulating to the bully in the room — the bully with the objective and the power to destroy those who understand his unconstitutional overreach and are in positions to stop him.

Former Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, who served in the George W. Bush administration, is quoted on Above The Law from an NPR podcast as follows: “If lawyers aren’t stepping up and speaking out against these kinds of attacks, that’s disappointing and dangerous. I must confess some level of disappointment in the silence that I’m hearing amongst a lot of firms … not to mention the outright capitulation that too many firms are engaging in.”

Gonzales also has a pretty good idea why this is happening. “[Trump’s] trying to … limit the number of great lawyers or good lawyers that can take positions [and] represent clients in opposition to what [the president] wants to accomplish or wants to do. And in a republic like ours, I think that’s very, very dangerous … [but] the rule of law exists to check abuses of power.”

This is a former Attorney General in a republican administration. Although Alberto Gonzales is not declaring himself as a recruit to the opposing political camp, he knows wrong when he sees it. He is disappointed and outraged at the lack of response from the legal community and hoping for more. Without saying it, he is looking for the lawyers of America to be Best Friends at the Bar.

And so am I. As I see more and more firms treat the Executive Branch’s attacks on them as negotiations, I wonder how those lawyers are going to look at themselves in the mirrors in years to come. I see too many in the American legal bar turn blind eyes to behaviors of the Executive Branch that have the potential to alter the very foundation of the profession. I regret the loss of so many lawyers and firms I have admired, as well as the loss of positive role models for the young lawyers in those practices. And at the same time, I am proud of and inspired by the lawyers in firms that are pushing back against an administration that is overreaching and threatening and protecting the independence of the practice of law.

This fight has to be organized and cannot depend on individual efforts. There is strength in numbers, and bar associations have an obvious role in protecting the legal bar. They are natural gathering places for lawyers, and they can be very influential. Start there. Grow support there. Be a change agent there.

It is time that our profession demonstrates that profits do not “trump” values. That money is a means to doing good. That ethics have not left the practice of law.

Be a Best Friend at the Bar. It is a noble calling.