Whether through direct one - on - one relationships or more of a team approach, I believe there is a need for targeted mentoring
of young female lawyers toward careers on the bench.
In fact, both Monique Mercier and Andrea Wood of Telus, chief legal officer and senior vice president of legal services, respectively, are prime examples of women who have flourished in their careers and serve as strong role models
for young female lawyers like myself.
While firms are far less male - orientated than they used to be, women might still be somewhat under represented at senior level, a fact that's unlikely to
fill young female lawyers with confidence when it comes to speaking out about their discomfort.
There is one thing that
most young female lawyers think about — and it is integral in many cases as to whether they will stay or exit the profession: when is the best time to have a baby?Sometimes these things just happen, but as with many steps along the way in one's legal career, it can (and probably should) be planned.
The fact that a group
targeting young female lawyers put on an event whose message is that women have to conform to gendered norms of beauty (you either have to have flawless skin or don't be cheap and buy some expensive foundation to cover up) to be taken seriously in law is very upsetting.
She was lauded by voters for, among other things, withstanding «tremendous pressure and negative feedback, yet represented the profession admirably,» as well as for being «an inspirational lawyer and a role model
for young female lawyers.»
If a complaint mechanism initiated by the aggrieved is not tenable, and if even the most gifted and upwardly mobile
of young female lawyers can not dare to use one, then the regulator needs to step up.
Dagmar Buresová,
a young female lawyer, became part of his legacy by defending Jan's family in a trial against the communist government, a regime which tried to dishonour Palach's sacrifice, a heroic action for the freedom of Czechoslovakia.
Drawn into this web of intrigue is a private British banker and
a young female lawyer determined to defend the defenseless.
What career advice would you give to
young female lawyers, who might be discouraged by the gender imbalance within the partnerships of many big firms?
After spending a decade with the company, Calobrisi said she was told in 2010 that her practice would expand, but instead she was demoted in early 2011 from a principal to senior associate and some of her work was reassigned to
younger female lawyers.
But as
a young female lawyer walking through the Financial District every day, immersed in a network of female counterparts with stories that say otherwise, I hear about the sinking realization that some remnants of that age - old story are still ever present, that social perspectives haven't progressed to the degree we believe.
was chacterized as an essential component of professionalism for
young female lawyers.
There is likelihood that
another young female lawyer has experienced very similar circumstances in your city.
Recently I heard a story from
a young female lawyer about her interview for the firm she was ultimately hired by.
So next time
a young female lawyer reaches out to you to connect via LinkedIn, take a moment and think back to when you were in her shoes, trying to figure out your own career path.
«We may be doing something, but we may not be doing enough,» was the closing remark of one
young female lawyer.