I had a wonderful time speaking to the student Women’s Bar Association at the University of Maryland Law School earlier this week. It was a great audience, and the young women asked thoughtful questions during the Q and A. Here are some of the subjects that we discussed during this noon hour program:
- The alarmingly low retention and advancement statistics for women lawyers;
- A look backward at the progress women lawyers have made over the last 50 years;
- The continuing challenges of a male-dominated profession for women lawyers, including the work-life struggle and other gender-related challenges;
- The importance of young women lawyers taking responsibility for their career plans and making well-informed choices;
- Personal Definitions of Success and the variety of satisfying career models available for women lawyers;
- Why it is important for young women lawyers to stay in the law profession and the risks of going off ramp;
- The need for women lawyers in positions of management and leadership in the law profession to improve policies for all women lawyers;
- The skills and behaviors that young women lawyers need to survive and be competitive in the law profession;
- How unintentional gender bias negatively affects career opportunities for women lawyers and how to spot it and help eliminate it;
- The obligation for senior women lawyers to mentor and sponsor young women lawyers; and
- The responsibility of law firm leaders to improve retention and advancement opportunities for women lawyers and why it makes good business sense.
I am enjoying doing these programs at law schools all over the country, and I hope that your law school is one of them. If that is not the case, I encourage you to talk to your Career Development Office and your women law student groups to bring this program to your law school. There is so much in this program to help you plan and execute a satisfying and successful career in the law, and you deserve this kind of help.
Time is of the essence. You will need this information and these skills on Day One of law practice, and I would be delighted to help you be as prepared as possible when that time comes.
