Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know about a Career in
the Law addresses the realities of law firm practice, especially in
large firms, and gives pre-law students, law students, and new attorneys
a realistic view of the opportunities and challenges most often
encountered by women lawyers. Drawing on her many years of practicing
law and mentoring young lawyers and with the help of other women in all
areas of the legal profession— her “best friends at the bar”— Susan
Smith Blakely strives to help young women entering the legal profession
begin their careers with open eyes and a more level playing field than
women lawyers of past generations.
This concise paperback, which is written in a direct, personal tone
that instantly engages the reader
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Explores the experiences of the author and more than 60 private and
public sector attorneys, judges, law school career counselors, and law
firm managing partners who address a wide variety of issues as
trustworthy mentors
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Candidly speaks to the issues women face in law firm practice and
provides invaluable advice for planning enduring and satisfying
careers in the law
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Critically addresses business, cultural, and personal conditions and
offers strategies for dealing with them, including how to manage
expectations in the context of actual job conditions and the dynamics
of personal/professional life struggles
Full of helpful advice from attorneys, judges, law school career
counselors, and law firm managing partners with wide and varied
experiences, this book will be an invaluable resource to any woman
planning a career in the law.
Prologue
Chapter 1 The Problem
Chapter 2 The Starting Point
Chapter 3 Be Realistic About Your Expectations
Chapter 4 Legal Imperatives
Chapter 5 Critical Lessons
Chapter 6 The Working Bar Speaks Out: As Heard From the Best Friends
Chapter 7 The Solution
Epilogue: The Male Perspective by Sheldon Krantz, Esquire, DLA Piper
