What Not to Do....

Law school is a roller coaster ride. The trick in embracing 1L year is jumping onboard and holding on tight to survive the ups and downs. Then 2L year rolls around, and seemingly things get easier because classes aren’t as daunting and the Socratic method no longer makes your heart beat faster at the thought of being called on. But one of the most important aspects of law school, which I personally believe is not discussed enough- is the career search. The first hurdle for many students in law school is the elusive 2l summer clerkship then hopefully results in landing that post-bar job.  While I know there are Career Development resources on every law school campus, what we don’t hear is firsthand accounts of particular experiences and challenges women might face in these endeavors. The resume and cover letter collection ... the follow-up with potential employers ... small talk at the actual interview ... how to present and promote yourself and your abilities once you have landed the job .... The game is different now- with the economy at an all-time low and jobs in the legal profession being few and far between- learning from others' experiences is even that much more important.

For the next year, I will have the privilege of sharing accounts of the snafus, nightmares, and “aha” moments women have experienced in law school. Most of these stories come from my female law school friends and classmates. But in order to protect their identities, I would like to introduce you to “Alex,” who will serve as my example on what not to do as you navigate your way through the career search and land that internship or job. At times, she may embarrassinglyremind you of yourself, or perhaps just the intriguing girl who sits in front of you in Constitutional Law.  Either way, I hope she serves as a lesson and - here’s to hoping- provide you with some entertainment during the rare, but much-needed break from those red, blue, or brown law books.

Ms. Prof: Is Sisterhood a Myth?

Sisterhood. We may not always use the exact term, but we talk about the concept constantly, from women’s bar meetings to conferences discussing the advancement of women lawyers.

According to several reports, the concept of sisterhood among women lawyers – assuming it truly exists – is being threatened. And the greatest source of threat, as it is suggested, may be ourselves.

In an article in Texas Lawyer, writer Michael Maslanka reports on the “queen bee” concept suggested by some articles and books about women at work: “The female imperative, from ancient times, is ensuring offspring survival. A female who is not a team player, who thinks of herself as better than the group, endangers the offspring, so the group isolates her and tosses her aside … So, when a fellow female gets a promotion and acts superior to the group, the ancient wiring fires up and prompts other females to bully and undermine her authority in an attempt to topple the queen bee,” Maslanka explains.

Meanwhile, an ABA Journal article reports on a survey about women lawyers’ surprising preferences. “Among female lawyers under 40 who thought gender matters, 93 percent said female bosses were more demanding than males. A majority said male
supervisors give better direction (58 percent), give more constructive criticism (56 percent) and are better at keeping confidential information private (64 percent).”

Adds a New York Times article reporting on a survey by the Workplace Bullying Institute, “a good 40 percent of bullies are women. And at least the male bullies take an egalitarian approach, mowing down men and women pretty much in equal measure. The women appear to prefer their own kind, choosing other women as targets more than 70 percent of the time. In the name of Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, what is going on here?”

'Dear Sisters, Dear Daughters' - A New Mentorship Publication from the Multicultural Women Attorney Network

The ABA's Multicultural Women Attorney Network has published an exciting and unique new work to address the limited mentoring opportunities between multicultural women. Entitled 'Dear Sisters, Dear Daughters: Words of Wisdom from Multicultural Women Attorneys Who've Been There and Done That,' this publication is a compilation of letters from multicultural women attorneys who graduated from law school more than a decade ago.

These letters are directed at young women lawyers and law students, offering advice of a variety of topics including building a practice, raising children as a professional woman, overcoming stereotypes, building bridges with women of color, and directing one's own career. The diversity of topics covered is matched by the degree of diversity amongst the contributors themselves - some are still practicing, some are retired; some are mothers, some are not; some are members of the judiciary, some are academics. All are inspirational figures for women in the law.

Mablean Pehriam, Judge on Divorce Court for Fox Television, commented on this publication: "Every woman benefit from reading these letters. They speak of both our struggles and triumphs...As you read these pages, I hope that you too will be inspired, as I was to continue the struggle for justice and equality, using the law as a tool for change."

For more information on 'Dear Sisters, Dear Daughters: Words of Wisdom from Multicultural Women Attorneys Who've Been There and Done That.' visit:

http://www.abanet.org/minorities/mwan/dsdd.html

How Men and Women Can Work Together at Law Firms [Clippings]

Jennifer Bluestein, director of professional development for the Chicago office of Baker & McKenzie, observes that most training to remedy gender inequalities at firms is geared toward women. Presentations teach female associates how to climb upward. Bluestein argues that male partners also need to learn how to reach downward. There are three ways that senior men can offer a hand up:

Managing partners, practice group chairs and senior partners can help women have the same chance of succeeding as the men do. First, women need mentors, just as men do. Second, women need flexibility and career choices, just as men do. Third, women need to be involved in building client relationships as part of succession-planning, just as men do. These three necessities are important for all attorneys; however, when these needs go unmet for women, it has a more negative impact.

In the body of the article, Bluestein explains obstacles and solutions to improve women's access to mentoring, flexibility, client development and succession planning. It's worth a read. It's worth an email to your firm's senior partners--or, if that's too direct, to your firm's professional development director.

Does your firm offer in-house career counseling?

Recently I wrote about lawyer development, urging firms to invest as much in the success of their existing attorneys as they do in hooking new hires. Here's one way: some firms are retaining in-house career counselors for associates. Niraj Chokshi reports that a few firms are staffing these formal, permanent positions.

The position, say firm development managers, offers associates a neutral and confidential third party to go to with questions: How do I stay on track to make partner? How do I better build my practice? How can I switch practices? How do I get out of here?

There are a couple of business reasons for in-house career counseling...

[More after the jump]

Should we pay lawyers to mentor their successors?

Woke up this morning to an article claiming that "Senior Partners Press Firms to Pay Them to Train Their Successors." Details in the article suggest that this is mainly an issue of client retention (about the time it takes to smoothly hand over ongoing work). If it is an issue at all, that is--the report cites not a single specific firm or partner as evidence of the trend. Setting that aside, the headline got me thinking: should we pay lawyers to mentor their successors? Do any employers do this already? To what could such compensation be pegged?

[More after the jump]

Mentoring & Judging

I got started thinking about mentoring during one of the panels at the Ms. JD conference this weekend. I can't help but wonder why I've always seemed to have a hard time finding a mentor and holding onto her. Whenever I've been somebody's mentor it didn't pan out as I'd imagined either. In fact, the most successful mentor/mentee relationships that I've ever had have been with men. However, I recognize that finding a woman mentor is extremely important and that, someday, being a productive mentor to another woman will also crucial.