Those who lead the way often walk alone and for some that means being the only woman in the room. In male dominated professions it is a situation that women find themselves in all too often.
The legal industry has historically been a field that has been dominated by men. While women in law continue to be underrepresented, some women are breaking through and, thankfully, sharing their experiences and words of wisdom. Hopefully their advice will inspire and assist other women to persevere in their respective career paths.
Beth Wilkinson
Wilkinson Walsh founding partner
"Don't wait for that opportunity on a silver platter. Take any opportunities that you're given or even go find an opportunity — if it's pro bono, if it's just going to trial with someone where you're just going to help with documents. Whatever it is, take advantage of that situation."
Sharon Robertson
Cohen Milstein partner
"Look at the profiles of the female junior partners and the roles that they're taking on in cases. Those are the types of things that I think tell you whether or not a firm really values women and other diverse attorneys."
Elizabeth Cooper
Simpson Thacher partner
"Keep yourself informed about current M&A practice both by continuing to read Delaware case law and by staying up-to-date on recent deals — you want to be able to understand and contribute to discussions on deal practice and what clients and other lawyers in your area are talking about."
Maria Ramirez
Hogan Lovells partner
"Whenever you find people who may not necessarily appreciate the fact that you're a minority or that you're diverse or that you're a woman, you should not let it get to you. You may be stunned for a few seconds by things that you see or by things that you hear, but don't let it get to you. Continue pushing along and moving along, because we're moving in the right direction."
Kia Freeman
McCarter English partner
"With regard to mentors, anyone who has a better grasp of even one issue than you do can be your mentor on that issue. I think people don't appreciate how diverse and plentiful mentors are. It doesn't have to be the person you hope to be in 10 or 20 years."
Based on article from Law360 By Natalie Rodriguez
Sierra E is a Los-Angeles based trial lawyer and entrepreneur. She became partner at her law firm in 2015 and has made numerous appearances as a guest legal correspondent on CNN. In 2018, Sierra launched SuitKits, an online shopping service that allows women to custom design suits and separates to fit their exact measurements, style, color and cut. Through her career, her writings, and her company, Sierra hopes to help women from all backgrounds achieve both personal and professional success for the benefit of themselves and their families. You can find her on Twitter/Facebook/IG @SuitKits
