Show 'true grit' and stop complaining, author advises women lawyers
Law students who let cynicism influence their decision-making may be holding themselves back, according to law school officials and an author interviewed by National Jurist magazine.
Students with negative thinking may avoid writing competitions or applying for internships or jobs, the National Jurist says. Focusing on the negative can also affect careers, according to Susan Smith Blakely, author of Best Friends at the Bar: The New Balance for Today’s Woman Lawyer.
Blakely’s book advises women lawyers to have “true grit”—which includes not complaining openly, according to the National Jurist story. The magazine quotes this passage from the book: “Complaining openly and presenting a negative persona is not a good strategy for the office or most places, for that matter. Even if you have every good reason to complain, people do not want to hear it.”
Blakely advises to “walk tall and draw from the strength of knowing that you are capable of handling things without making a victim of yourself,” she says. Complaining, she says, can lead to loss of friends, support and a job.
