Ms. JD Conference

Owning it!Your first year of practice and beyond

2011 Ms. JD Conference Southwestern Law School

• Very narrow window of time to get pulled into the network

• Women not picked up as quickly as their male counter-parts

• Women dropped more quickly than their male counter-parts– Superiors afraid of

giving women feedback

– Superiors afraid of hurting women’s feelings

Challenges for Women

Helping the harried partner

Behind every accusation is a cry for

You represent the client

• Assume no intermediary• To seem confident, you

must be confident• To leverage everyone’s

talents and experience, be willing to change your position

• To serve your client best, defend your position until someone convinces you that you’re wrong

Own the problem/be the solution/ask for feedback

Think horizontally

Your partner is the coach and you are the player; s/he wants you to win

The answer is always “yes”

• Yes, you can win that motion• Yes, but not with that motion• Yes, if we characterize the facts

differently• Yes, if we convince the judge to

expand the law • Yes but here are the problems with

our position • Yes and here are some potential

solutions to those problems• If have to say no, display that

you’ve given serious thought to getting around the negative reply

I can do that!!

• Stride in• Introduce yourself (hand shake) to

anyone you don’t know• Make eye contact• Choose the best available seat• Brief small talk • Restate the question• Say what you did to answer it• Answer the question

– We have an excellent chance of prevailing if . . .

– We have the following problems– The client should understand that . . . – We need to learn more about this . . .

• Apologize • Tip-toe into the room• Stare at the floor• End your sentences on

upswing . . . ??????• Limply shake my hand• Um, like, y’know • I think, I guess, I believe . . . . . • Admit defeat right away• Make excuses• De-value yourself

Failing

• Ask for advice/give up too soon • Stay inside the lines• Miss a deadline • Argue instead of problem solve

• Be unable to answer follow up questions• Be unable to back up opinion when partner

disagrees with you• Give up your position too easily• Refuse to give up your position/see other side• Say “oh yeah, I didn’t think of that; sorry”• Cry

10 more ways to fail

You are not a widget

And no one wants you to

be