I decided I wanted to be a lawyer at the age 9. As I grew older and advanced in my academic career, the harsh reality became clearer that one’s appearance, speech, background or lifestyle choice can greatly impact their opportunities and how others perceive their abilities and intelligence.
Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers. However, when those lovers are co-workers, things can get complicated—as evidenced by the recent news of another executive separating from employment because of a consensual workplace relationship, CNN President Jeff Zucker.
It seems like only yesterday that I walked across the stage, received my law degree and shook hands with my law school dean. Fast forward 10 years. I learned a lot along the way. There were stressful cases and sleepless nights. There were mean judges and even meaner court staff. There were unreasonable opposing counsel and insurance adjusters who manufactured nonexistent law. But there were also many joyful nights, wonderful judges and mediators, and pleasant opposing counsel.
Recently, I watched the very popular Netflix movie Red Notice, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. If you’re unfamiliar with The Rock, his name is well-earned. He is a former professional wrestler, and he has huge muscles to show for it. In the movie, he plays an FBI profiler who specializes in fine-art theft. An Interpol agent introduces him to a museum curator who is about to be a victim of a major theft.
It’s no secret that investors love predictability and loathe uncertainty. It’s why C-suite professionals strive to increase the former and minimize the latter. And with ever-expanding pools of data and analytics at their disposal, tech-savvy executive teams can now forecast and manage the future better than ever. But analytics and the human imagination are limited.
I am at the pinnacle of my profession. I lead a team of 70 people who provide civil legal assistance each year to more than 3,000 low-income and vulnerable residents of Queens, the most diverse borough of the largest city in America.
When I became a lawyer more than half a century ago, the law library was, by any measure, the heart of my law firm. It was where lawyers went to do legal research—any and all research. That meant that all the younger lawyers were in the library at some point virtually every day. On occasion, all the firm’s associates were in the library at the same time. Many partners were also regular visitors.
How do you take time off from work and go on parental leave, yet maintain important relationships with people in your network? As a new parent, this can be particularly difficult with the demands of a newborn child: feedings every two hours, recovery from the delivery process (and pregnancy in general), sleepless nights, doctor's appointments. The responsibilities seem endless.
The holidays are upon us, and one of the first questions any stressed out, anxious or close to burnt-out lawyers should be asking themselves is “How do I feel about myself?” Unfortunately, that is not a question most people ask themselves first thing in the morning. We are all familiar…
It’s an understatement to say that law firms have changed in the 50 years since I was first admitted to the bar. One of those changes was the demise, somewhere along the way, of what lawyers in my firm once called the Lemcke test.
The ABA Journal wants to host and facilitate conversations among lawyers about their profession. We are now accepting thoughtful, non-promotional articles and commentary by unpaid contributors.
