Women Legal The latest headlines and articles from Women Legal magazine (c) 2005, Ark Group Ltd. All rights reserved. http://www.womenlegalmagazine.com/display.asp?articleid=A6228A64-F948-4FB4-BF02-576122BB003C Lawyers are frequently inundated with invitations to seminars, conferences, charity events and family/personal gatherings. Reactions to these, dare we say ‘opportunities’, vary, based on personality, comfort level and time constraints. Reactions we hear from our clients run the gamut from; “I hate these things, it’s sheer torture…” to “It’s tolerable, but seems like a waste of time …” to “I like to meet new people, but I have enough friends, what I need is more new business prospects!” No matter where you land on the spectrum, however, there is an opportunity to maximise the value of these events and leverage your attendance when you know how to “Engage the Room YOUR Way™”. 29 September 2010 http://www.womenlegalmagazine.com/display.asp?articleid=F92A82FE-5EF7-41AC-93AE-57636814E86D I fully appreciate why men focus on networking, particularly with other men. When all the stars align it can substantially further your career. Women need to make more of an attempt to seize on such opportunities. While it is certainly a salutary goal to network with everyone, however, women should take advantage of the fact that women are often eager to help other women. Not to sound sexist, but there is a sort of ‘sisterhood’, which - if you are in it - can be quite empowering. 30 September 2010 http://www.womenlegalmagazine.com/display.asp?articleid=DD3C8B12-94E9-4341-AD1D-863B995B7FB1 So the UK’s Equal Pay Act (EPA) has celebrated her 40th birthday. Not meaning to rain on any parades here but the old dear doesn’t look a day over 90. By right the EPA should be sipping Campari cocktails on a Saga cruise by now, reminiscing on her revolution from the distant deckchair of retirement. Instead here she lingers, trapped in a maddening teenage limbo, still fighting for attention over the din of ‘more pressing issues’, being told by the one who thinks he wears the trousers that ‘life just isn’t fair’. All that seems to have changed since the EPA’s overdue conception is that the mantra has lost its sting. 30 September 2010 http://www.womenlegalmagazine.com/display.asp?articleid=461CABAC-EFC1-40A4-A6CB-A567DB2B165F For young women in the audience, the admiration and praise also included the following unspoken words: “To be highly regarded in this profession requires superhuman behaviour. Women who do more than the expected norm are lauded for doing so; women who act consistent with their role may not be on the path for key leadership roles.” For more senior individuals in the room, the message was somewhat different. They heard a validation of their own work ethic and a view of the legal profession as a place that requires a 24/7 commitment. In that perspective, new babies should be a momentary interruption in a life of dedication to work. Even voluntary organisations are included within that ethos. 29 September 2010 http://www.womenlegalmagazine.com/display.asp?articleid=ADFE69BA-3228-45BC-8763-DC3E3EB97A89 Law firms invest huge amounts of money in recruitment and training and provide generous benefits packages, but, on the whole, they expect their partners and staff to be responsible for their own health and well-being. Working for a law firm can be demanding, involving long hours and tight deadlines, and although firms may offer much support, people are often too busy to take advantage of it. Ill health can create a real financial challenge for law firms. Not only do they have to pay for sick leave, but there is also significant cost through loss of resource when people cannot work. 29 September 2010 http://www.womenlegalmagazine.com/display.asp?articleid=6B7AC246-F15C-4CF0-A5FB-E35B90BFA472 Because women lawyers have been disproportionately affected by the recession, they should even more actively seek to bolster their relationships with fellow female lawyers and lead by example through active mentoring, say Marianne Trost and Cheryl Tama Oblander. 22 September 2010