Women in Law - Ignore the Noise + Run Your Race

After I graduated law school and started my first job as a lawyer, I was visited by an 85 year old relative.

Here are the questions he asked me:

“So, you actually have a job as a lawyer? Aren’t you really just a secretary for your boss?”

“No, I am actually a lawyer. People hire me to help them with their businesses.”

“Huh. Well, if you say so.”

“Yep.”

I used to let conversations like that dig into me.
I assumed that comments like these were directed at my gender. Some of them likely were.

But now, with 12 years of lawyering under my belt, comments like that don’t phase me.

I realize that the comment has everything to do with the speaker, and nothing to do with me.

I also realize that there’s so many benefits to being a woman in law.

In fact, many clients seek out a female employment lawyer to help them with their workplace investigation, or to defend an EEOC charge.

And those potential clients that have told me that they prefer a male lawyer, I just shrug and send them along to one of my highly talented colleagues. It wouldn’t be a good fit anyway, so I refer them out.

If you have ever felt like you were defined by your God-given characteristics (gender, physical appearance, race, age), or your circumstances, I hope you can put some emotional distance between what people think or say about you, versus what actually is true.

Sending all of my support, especially to all the female lawyers out there…

#lawpracticequeen
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If you are a woman in law that needs help starting or scaling a law firm, I’d love to help. If this is you, send me an email to set up a complimentary consultation.