Best Friends at the Bar: The New Balance for Today’s Woman Lawyer
candidly addresses the problems unique to women in the practice of law and
provides practical, helpful advice and solutions. This companion to Best
Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know about a Career in the Law is
based on research, the author’s experience, and interviews with women
attorneys who have successfully made the transition from one practice setting
to another. These women, many with national reputations, tell their stories in
their own compelling words. The lawyers profiled are Sally Blackmun, former
Senior Associate General Counsel of Darden; Kathleen Tighe, Inspector General,
US Department of Education; Bonnie Brier, General Counsel, New York
University; Karen Kaplowitz, Law Firm Consultant, The New Ellis Group; Laura
Oberbroekling, Solo Practitioner; Kathryn Spencer, former member of
Women-owned Law Practice; Stephanie Kimbro, Virtual Law Firm Practice, Kimbro
Legal Services; Victoria Pynchon, Alternative Dispute Resolution, She
Negotiates at ForbesWoman ADR Services, Inc.; Deborah Burand,
Professor, University of Michigan Law and former GC and VP, Legal Affairs,
OPIC; Amy Yeung, Associate Counsel, ZeniMax Media Inc.; Honorable Marianne
Short, Managing Partner, Dorsey & Whitney; and Markeisha Miner, Assistant
Dean, Career Services and Outreach, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
Features of Best Friends at the Bar: The New Balance for Today’s
Woman Lawyer
• Candidly addresses problems unique to women in the practice of
law
• Provides practical advice and solutions
• Based on research, the author’s experience, and
experience of women attorneys who successfully transitioned from one
practice setting to another
• The women interviewed, many with national reputations, tell
their stories in their own words
• The lawyers profiled:
• Sally Blackmun, former Senior Associate General Counsel of Darden
• Kathleen Tighe, Inspector General, US Department of Education
• Bonnie Brier, General Counsel, New York University
• Karen Kaplowitz, Law Firm Consultant, The New Ellis Group
• Laura Oberbroekling, Solo Practitioner
• Kathryn Spencer, former member of Women-owned Law Practice
• Stephanie Kimbro, Virtual Law Firm Practice, Kimbro Legal Services
• Victoria Pynchon, Alternative Dispute Resolution, She Negotiates at
ForbesWoman ADR Services, Inc
• Deborah Burand, Professor, University of Michigan Law and former GC and VP,
Legal Affairs, OPIC
• Amy Yeung, Associate Counsel, ZeniMax Media Inc
• Honorable Marianne Short, Managing Partner, Dorsey & Whitney
• Markeisha Miner, Assistant Dean, Career Services and Outreach, University of
Detroit Mercy School of Law
Summary of Contents
Ch. 1: You Really Need To Love What You Do
Ch. 2: You Really Need to Get Serious
Ch. 3: You Really Need To Be Who You Are
Ch. 4: You Really Need To Put Yourself First---At Least Part of the Time
Ch. 5: You Really Need to Gain Perspective
Ch. 6: You Really Need TIME---And All the Help You Can Get!
Ch. 7: You Really Need Your Friends
Ch. 8: You Really Need to Keep Your Options Open
Ch. 9: You Really Need to Take Credit for What You Do
Ch. 10: You Really Need True Grit
Ch. 11: You Really Need to Be the Best Lawyer You Can Be
Ch. 12: You Really Need to Think about Career Transitions
Where We Are and How We Got Here
The Starting Point
Typical Transitions
The Law Firm Practice Model
From Law Firm to In-House Corporate Practice
Profile of Sally Blackmun
Profile of Amy Yeung
From Law Firm to Public Interest/Non-Profit Lawyer
Profile of Bonnie Brier
From Law Firm to Government Lawyer
Profile of Kathleen Tighe
From Law Firm to Solo Practice
Profile of Laura Oberbroeckling
From Traditional Law Firm to Non-Traditional Law Firm
Women-Owned Law Firm
Profile of Kathryn Smith Spencer
Virtual Law Firm
Profile of Stephanie Kimbro
From Law Firm to Law Firm Consultant
Profile of Karen Kaplowitz
From Law Firm to Academia
Profile of Deborah Burand
Profile of Markeisha Miner
From Law Firm to the Judiciary
Profile of Honorable Marianne Short
From Law Firm to Alternative Dispute Resolution
Profile of Victoria Pynchon
Epilogue: From A Queen of Reinvention
