Susan Smith Blakely regularly speaks and consults to law firms, law organizations, colleges, law schools, and professional groups about the important insights from her own extensive experience and research for her books.
As a consultant, Susan brings practical, real-world solutions to law firms, law organizations, and law schools to make them more competitive for the 21st century. A gifted public speaker, she brings warmth, wisdom, and a fearless look at the challenges facing young women lawyers and the legal profession to all of her conversations and speeches. As one audience member put it:
Susan Smith Blakely is a warm and confident speaker who shares her experiences and ideas while providing work-life balance and career advice for women attorneys—her recent engagement to speak for a Women’s Bar Association of Maryland event was enlightening, entertaining, and informative. Thank you, Susan!
L. Teri Spradlin-Dahn, Attorney at Law, LEED AP; Former-Chapter President Women’s Bar Association of Maryland
Susan has guided and mentored young lawyers throughout her career as a way of giving back to her profession. Whether she presents lessons learned through public speaking, consulting, career counseling, or in her groundbreaking books, Susan continually strives to improve conditions and retention rates for all young attorneys.
Consulting
Retaining young lawyers can be a challenge for law firm leadership. Susan will work with young women lawyers in your firm and consult with diversity leadership and women’s initiatives to develop programs that benefit both your firm and women attorneys. She also will work with millennial lawyers and law firm leadership to address the new set of values represented by millennial lawyers and ways for your firm to respond to those values and needs. Her program on Soft Skills for Lawyers is a MUST for young lawyers and will reap countless benefits to the law firm. This is what they do not teach in law school.
Law Career Counseling
Law school educators and career counselors find that Susan’s messages contain just the right balance of emphasis on education and planning, caution, and empowerment. If young lawyers don’t recognize and prepare for the challenges that await them in their careers, they will not thrive and many will abandon practice. Having a time-tested mentor, who shares their experience and insight, can make all the difference between success and failure. Best Friends at the Bar is a great place for young lawyers to start the journey toward successful firms and more balanced law firms.
Public Speaking
Whether you are looking for a vibrant speaker for your college, law school, professional organization, or law firm Women’s Initiative or retreat, you can demonstrate support for young lawyers by inviting Susan to speak about successful career planning, realities of the legal profession, cutting edge solutions to help retain valuable talent, effective leadership for young lawyers, and the soft skills that they will need to succeed in the profession. Her programs will appeal to all young lawyers and law students, and to program leaders and managers at law firms.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Podcast Guest, Indiana Public Radio, April 2023, https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/[email protected]/WhctKKXwvpJtFWBFPgjrGKvFCrZXNJjLHdNRQQBQMnfRmCsrvZbHBxwfTwRCKfvMltnCbwb?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1
Speaker, Montana Defense Trial Lawyers, November 2021.
Guest, Wake Up Call Podcast, July 2021, https://anchor.fm/christina-previte/episodes/82–Exclusive-Interview-with-Susan-Smith-Blakely-Her-Response-to-the-ABA-Journal-Article-e14q80e
Webinar Presenter, Durham University (UK) Women in Law Society, March 8, 2021
Webinar Presenter, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, November 2020, : https://www.masslomap.org/
Video Interview, American Inns of Court, December 2019
Speaker, ABA Anti-Trust Women’s Initiative, Washington, DC, November 2019
Panelist, Bast Amron, Miami, FLA, November 2019
Professional Development Program, “Owning Your Career,” Thompson Reuters/West, November 2019
Speaker, Skarzyniski Marick NYC, Partnership Retreat, July 24, 2019
Speaker, Sidley NYC, July 23, 2019
Podcast Speaker, Gen Why Lawyer, May 16, 2019
Webinar Speaker, Celesq AttorneysEdCenter/Thomspon Reuters/West, May 22, 2019
Speaker, Pro Bono Institute Annual Conference, Washington DC, March 2019
Panelist, DC Women’s Bar Association, IP Group, March 2019
Speaker, Weil Gotshal DC and DC Women’s Bar Association, March 2019
Podcast Guest, Legal Talk Network/Legal Toolkit, February 2019: https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/legal-toolkit/2019/04/millennial-lawyers-what-they-want-what-they-need/
Speaker, University of Detroit Mercy Law School, Detroit, MI, February 2019
Book Launch, Kirkland & Ellis, Chicago, February 2019
Speaker, Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, MO, October 2018
Speaker, Charlotte Women Lawyers, Charlotte, NC, February, 2018
Speaker, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher Law Firm, New York, NY, November 2017
Speaker, Oklahoma City Bar Association, Oklahoma City, OK, September 2017
Speaker, Womble Carlyle Law Firm, Washington, DC, April 2017
Keynote Speaker, Federal Bar Association Women Lawyers Conference, Tampa, FL, April 2017
Speaker, American Health Lawyers Association Conference, Baltimore, MD, March 2017
Speaker, Presidential Inaugural Scholarship Summit, Washington, DC, January 2017.
Speaker, Jackson Walker Law Firm, Dallas, TX, November 2016
Speaker, ACI Healthcare Law Conference, Boston, MA, July 2016
Speaker, Simpson Thacher Law Firm, New York, NY, July 2016
Panelist, Federal Bar Association Women Lawyers Conference, New Orleans, LA, April 2016
Webinar Featured Speaker, Practising Law Institute (PLI) , March 30, 2016
Speaker, Catholic University Law, Washington, DC, March, 2016
Speaker, University of Baltimore School of Law, Baltimore, MD, March 2016
Guest, Your Working Life Podcast With Caroline Dowd-Higgins, February 2016
Speaker, University of Maryland School of Law, Baltimore, MD, February 2016
Panelist, Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Conference, Washington, DC, October 2015
Discussion Leader, NewLAWu.s. Legal Market Roundtable, New York, NY, September 2015
Panel Moderator, Georgetown Law Women’s Forum, Washington, DC, February 2015
Speaker, Women’s Business Roundtable, McLean, VA, January 2015
Speaker, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC, December 2014
Speaker, Georgetown University Alumni Career Services Webinar, November 2014
Speaker and Classroom Lecturer, Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston-Salem, NC, October 2014
Speaker, University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, WA, October 2014
Panelist, International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA), Seattle, WA, October 2014
Speaker, South Carolina Women Lawyer’s Association, Charleston, SC, October 2014
Keynote Speaker, Erie County Bar Association, Erie County, PA, September 2014
Webinar Speaker, Women in Business Superseries (UK), August 2014
Webinar Speaker, Georgetown University Alumni Career Services, August 2014
Keynote Speaker, University of Baltimore Law Women’s Bar Association, Baltimore, MD, April 2014
Webinar Panelist, American Bar Association Copyright and Trademark Section, March 2014
Panelist, WAPLA Pre-Law Conference, Denver, CO, March 2014
Speaker, Polsinelli Law Firm, Chicago, IL, February 2014
Speaker, Baylor Law School, Waco, TX, February 2014
Speaker, William & Mary Law School, Williamsburg, VA, November 2013
Guest, Voice America Radio with Host Chris Efessiou, September 2013
Speaker,Washington Women’s Weekly, Washington, DC, June 2013
Speaker, National Conference of College Women Student Leaders (AAUW), University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, May 2013
Speaker, Ladies DC, Washington, DC, May 2013
Speaker, Lerch Early & Brewer Law Firm, Bethesda, MD, May 2013
Guest, CBS Radio with Host Bonnie Marcus, April 2013
Panelist, George Washington University Women in Business Conference, Washington, DC, April 2013
Speaker, University of Maryland School of Law, Baltimore, MD, April 2013
Speaker, College of the Holy Cross Pre-Law Program, Worcester, MA, February 2013
Keynote Speaker, Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, October 2012.
Speaker, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Detroit, MI, October 2012.
Panelist, Ms. JD National Conference, Washington College of Law, American University, Washington, DC, October 2012.
Speaker, National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations Leadership Summit, Chicago, IL, August 2012.
Speaker, National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (AAUW), University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, June 2012.
Speaker, Whiteford Taylor Preston Law Firm, Washington, DC, March 2012
Speaker, Washington and Lee University School of Law, Lexington, VA, November 2011
Panelist, American Bar Association Air & Space Law Conference, Washington, DC, October 2011
Speaker, University of Miami School of Law, Miami, FL, October 2011
Speaker, Holland & Knight Law Firm, Miami FL, October 2011
Speaker, Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami, FL, October 2011
Speaker, St. Thomas University School of Law, Miami Gardens, FL, October 2011
Panelist, George Mason University Law School, Arlington, VA, September 19, 2011
Speaker, DLA Piper Law Firm, Washington, DC, July 2011
Panelist, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, April 2011
Speaker, Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ, April 2011
Speaker, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI, April 2011
Speaker, University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, WI, April 2011
Speaker, Georgetown Law, Washington, DC, March 2011
Panelist, University of Maryland School of Law, Baltimore, MD, March 2011
Speaker, University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, VA, February 2011
Speaker, Paul Hastings Law Firm, Chicago, IL, December 2010.
Speaker, Polsinelli Shughart Law Firm, Chicago, IL, December 2010
Speaker, George Washington University Law School/DC Women’s Bar Association Joint Program, George Washington University Law School, Washington, DC, November 2010
Speaker, National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) Teleconference, October 2010
Speaker, University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law, Detroit, MI, October 2010
Speaker, University of Baltimore Law School/Maryland Women’s Bar Association Joint Program, Baltimore, MD, September 2010
Speaker, Virginia Women Attorney’s Association, Alexandria, VA, June 2010
Speaker, Crowell & Moring Law Firm, Washington, DC, March 2010
Keynote Speaker, Roger Williams University School of Law, Bristol, RI, March 2010
Speaker, American University Washington School of Law, Washington, DC, February 2010
Speaker, DLA Piper Law Firm Book Reception, Washington, DC, December 2009
Panelist, American University Washington College of Law Lawyer Re-Entry Program, American University Washington College of Law, Washington, DC, November 2008
If you would like to arrange a speaking engagement, please contact Ms. Blakely at [email protected].
PUBLICATIONS
Susan Smith Blakely is a prolific writer on issues related to young lawyers. Her writings include a five-volume book series and scores of articles in mainstream legal media. In addition to being one of only ten monthly columnists for the American Bar Association Journal, she also publishes a periodic newsletter and makes some of her presentations available on YouTube.
BOOKS by Susan Smith Blakely
Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know about a Career in the Law (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business/Aspen Publishers, 2009)
Best Friends at the Bar: The New Balance for Today’s Woman Lawyer (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business/Aspen Publishers, 2012)
Best Friends at the Bar: Top-Down Leadership for Women Lawyers (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business/Aspen Publishers, 2015)
What Millennial Lawyers Want: A Bridge from the Past to the Future of Law Practice (Wolters Kluwer/Aspen Publishers, 2018)
New Lawyer Launch: The Handbook for Young Lawyers (Full Court Press, 2022)
All books are available for purchase on this web site and through Amazon Books.
ARTICLES by Susan Smith Blakely and Reviews of Her Work
The Washington Lawyer, May/June 2023, “Purposeful Mentoring Helps Young Lawyers Thrive”, https://washingtonlawyer.dcbar.org/mayjune2023/index.php#/p/34
The Anchora of Delta Gamma, Spring 2023, “Written”
Law 360, March 23, 2023, “Practical Skills That Young Lawyers Should Master to Become Happier,” https://www.law360.com/articles/1588386/practical-skills-young-attorneys-must-master-to-be-happier
ABA Journal On-Line, June 29, 2021, “Are Women Lawyers Paying Enough Attention to Upward Mobility?” https://www.abajournal.com/columns/article/are-women-lawyers-paying-enough-attention-to-upward-mobility
ABA Journal On-Line, May 29, 2021, “Whether to Return to the Office and How to Handle Those Tough Conversations,” https://www.abajournal.com/columns/article/whether-to-return-to-the-office-how-to-handle-those-tough-conversations
ABA Journal On-Line, April 27, 2021, “In Defense of the Team: What Basketball and Law Practice Have in Common,” https://www.abajournal.com/columns/article/in-defense-of-the-team-what-basketball-and-law-practice-have-in-common
ABA Journal On-Line, February 24, 2021, “How Lawyers Can Reengineer Our Profession from the Bottom Up,” https://www.abajournal.com/columns/article/reverse-engineering-the-law-profession
ABA Journal On-Line, January 26, 2021, “How to Restore Trust for a Profession in Transition,” https://www.abajournal.com/columns/article/restoring-trust-for-a-profession-in-transition
ABA Journal On-Line, December 23, 2020, ” Holiday Wishes for Women Lawyers,” https://www.abajournal.com/columns/article/my-holiday-wishes-for-women-lawyers
ABA Journal On-Line, November 19, 2020, “The Power of Decency in the Law Profession,” https://www.abajournal.com/columns/article/the-power-of-decency-in-the-legal-profession
ABA Journal On-Line, October 26, 2020, “Law Firms Must Do More Effective Damage Control to Survive,” https://www.abajournal.com/columns/article/law-firms-must-do-more-effective-damage-control-to-survive
ABA Journal On-Line, September 24, 2020, “Remembering Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” https://www.abajournal.com/columns/article/in-appreciation-of-a-tiny-and-gentle-giant
ABA Journal On-Line, May 14, 2020, “What Can Law Firm Leaders Learn from a Pandemic?” https://www.abajournal.com/voice/article/what-can-law-firm-leaders-learn-from-a-pandemic
ABA Journal On-Line, March 25, 2020, “Law Firms are Making the Same Mistakes with Women and Millennials,” https://www.abajournal.com/voice/article/law_firms_are_making_the_same_mistakes_with_women_and_millennialsYou harnessing your millennial power?,” http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/mind-the-gap
ABA Journal On-Line, March 7, 2019, “Law Firms Shouldn’t Overlook the Value of Soft Skills,” https://www.abajournal.com/voice/article/law-firms-shouldnt-overlook-the-value-of-soft-skills
ABA Journal On-Line, “As Women Lawyers Gain Influence, They Must Retain the Law’s Foundational Values,” http://www.abajournal.com/voice/article/gaining_in_influence_women_lawyers_must_be_careful_what_they_wish_for, December 20, 2018
ABA Business Law Today, “Good Law Firm Business: Protecting Millennial Talent,” https://businesslawtoday.org/2018/11/good-law-firm-business-protecting-millennial-talent/, November 15, 2018
Law360, “Losing Law Firm Talent at Both Ends,” https://www.law360.com/articles/1094538/protecting-law-firm-talent-at-both-ends-, October 30, 2018
Corporate Counsel, October 2018, ” What Millennial Lawyers Want,” https://www.law.com/corpcounsel/2018/10/25/what-millennial-lawyers-want-a-bridge-from-the-past-to-the-future-of-law-practice — October 10, 2018
Lawyer & Statesman, “Flexible Work Models Should Improve Law Firm Culture,” , National Jurist, March 21, 2017
DC Women’s Bar Association Raising the Bar, “Recent Developments on Gender Pay Equity,” Raising the Bar, December 2016
Corporate Counsel, June 2016, “Is Work-Life Balance a Hopeless Goal in the Legal Profession?” reprinted in DC Women’s Bar Association Raising the Bar, (archived and only available through Nexis Lexis)
University of Michigan Website, “The Law School Decision,” https://careercenter.umich.edu/articles/popular/writing-better-bullet-points?…60…
Law 360, “Protecting Law Firm Talent at Both Ends”, October 2018, https://www.law360.com/articles/1094538/protecting-law-firm-talent-at-both-ends-
NALP Handbook for Pre-Law Advisors, “Special Challenges for Women Lawyers,” Book Chapter, 2015
Noted and Quoted In:
Bloomberg Law, Vivia Chen, https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/theres-a-new-episode-of-mommy-wars-at-the-american-bar-association
Above The Law, Nicole Black, https://abovethelaw.com/2018/11/what-in-the-world-can-be-done-about-millennial-lawyers/
Above The Law, Nicole Black, https://abovethelaw.com/2018/12/millennial-lawyers-what-you-need-to-know-to-succeed/
Minnesota Lawyer: https://minnlawyer.com/2019/12/04/heres-a-2019-holiday-gift-guide-for-lawyers/
Law Absolute: 8 Skills for a successful law career, http://www.lawabsolute.com/recruitment-news/article/8-skills-you-need-for-a-successful-legal-career
Triad Business Journal, “Pursuing Partnership is Still the Norm, but Millennials are Altering the Legal Landscape” April 19, 2019.
Book Review: Above The Law: Review in Two Parts of “What Millennial Lawyers Want: A Bridge from the Past to the Future of Law Practice;” https://abovethelaw.com/2018/11/what-in-the-world-can-be-done-about-millennial-lawyers/, November 29, 2018 and https://abovethelaw.com/2018/12/millennial-lawyers-what-you-need-to-know-to-succeed/, December 13, 2018.
Book Review: The Virginia Lawyer, October 2018, Volume 67.
Law 360, https://www.law360.com/articles/1104964/newlaw-is-wooing-biglaw-s-young-talent-
University of Wisconsin Alumni Magazine, Fall 2018, Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43204524-wisconsin-alumni
American Assoc of Law Librarians – Book Review: https://aallspectrum.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/book-review-best-friends-at-the-bar/
Women’s Law Journal (WLJ) published by NAWL: Book 3 Review in Vol 101, No 1, page 32 (2016)
American Bar Association — Cites BFAB: http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/litigation/materials/2014_sac/2014_sac/lean_in_for_lawyers.authcheckdam.pdf
Examiner Newspaper: /www.examiner.com/article/best-friends-at-the-bar-author-susan-smith-blakeley-says-women-can-have-it-all
Forbes Woman, www.forbes.com/sites/shenegotiates/2012/07/20/your-bff-at-the-bar-would-like-to-have-a-few-words-with-you/
Girl’s Guide to Law School —http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/05/should-i-become-a-lawyer-some-advice-from-the-author-of-best-friends-at-the-bar/
Her Campus — How to Get Into Law School — http://www.hercampus.com/life/academics/how-get-law-school
Intern Queen: Speech Review: https://www.internqueen.com/blog/2015/02/people-inspiring-us-2015
LA Daily Journal: https://issuu.com/elizabethblakely/docs/dailyjournal
Law Insider: www.thelawinsider.com/insider…/five-things-women-can-learn-from-sheryl-sandberg
Lawyerist — Book Review — https://lawyerist.com/52562/best-friends-at-the-bar-the-new-balance-for-todays-woman-lawyer-book-review/
National Jurist: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cypress/lawyerstatesman2016/#/16
National Jurist: http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/op-ed-flexible-work-models-should-improve-law-firm-culture
Daily Muse — Why Do Women Leave the Law: A Q and A: https://www.themuse.com/advice/why-do-women-leave-the-law-a-qa-with-susan-smit…
Huffington Post — Advice for Women Lawyers: www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-smith-blakely/women-lawyers_b_2155906.html
Law Bank – Book Review: law-bank.com/three-tips-for-women-in-law/
Law Society of Upper Canada: www.lsuc.on.ca/uploadedFiles/…/career_advancement_lawyer_August_2012(1).pdf
Litig8or – Advice for Women Lawyers: blog.litigatortechnology.com/…/best-friends-at-the-bar-an-interview-with-author-susa..
Media Bistro: http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/book-party-best-friends-at-the-bar_b83709
PR Underground: www.prunderground.com/women-lawyers-leaving-profession-in-record…/007379/
TimeSolv: Book Review: https://www.timesolv.com/traversing-the-legal-world-as-a-female-attorney
Women’s Law Journal (WLJ) published by NAWL: Book Review of “Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know about a Career in the Law” in Volume 95, No. 2 (2010)
NEWSLETTERS
The Best Friends at the Bar Newsletter is published by subscription only. To be added to the mailing list, please e-mail [email protected] or subscribe through the website. The newsletter updates readers on issues affecting lawyers and law firm leadership and includes articles from guest contributors.
VIDEOS
YouTube Videos,”Susan Smith Blakely” channel
Video of Presentation at Womble Carlyle, http://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/x/592612/Recruiting
AWARDS
Ms. Blakely has received the following recognition for her work on behalf of young lawyers:
Lawyer Monthly Women In Law Award, 2016
Ms. JD Sharing Her Passion Award, March 2015
