Can Lawyers and Judges Be Social Media Friends?

From Attorney At Work authored by Mark C. Palmer:

“QUESTION: I’ve been practicing in my medium-size legal community for going on 20 years. During that time, I’ve watched technology advance my private practice by leaps and bounds, including client development via social media outlets. I embraced Facebook, Twitter and Instagram early on — and it’s paid off in my case.

As I’ve made new friends, in person and online, I’ve watched my social media presence grow. But now I find myself in a potential conundrum. One of my longtime social and professional friends was appointed this year as our newest local judge. We have been social media friends for years.

I haven’t appeared before her yet, but expect I will at some point. Are we obligated to “un-friend” and “unfollow” each other? Our children are friends, too, and participate in many activities together. We share photos online. It appears harmless. Yet I’m thinking it’s not worth the risk.

And, if we do remain online friends, would disclosure of the online connections prevent any perceptions of impropriety?”

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Here Comes Courtroom Fun Barbie!

From Above the Law authored by Lawprofblawg:

“I have a Barbie doll in my office. It is still in the box, and is a sports team Barbie given to me by a coworker whose team was in a battle with mine. I know what he was implying. But I kept the box, the Barbie, and my pride as I proudly displayed the team Barbie on my bookcase.

I always knew Barbie had a bit of a bad reputation. She was giving girls poor body images. She was anti-feminist. She was a white middle class stereotype. She was not reflective of real girls. And, damn it, what was her obsession with Ken? I never saw it.

Which brings me to law & Barbie, which I think would make an excellent class. I’ve been reading Professor Orly Lobel’s book You Don’t Own Me: How Mattel v. MGA Entertainment Exposed Barbie’s Dark Side. It is the sordid ten-year tale of two rivals in the throes of litigation, Mattel (Barbie) and MGA Entertainment (maker of the Bratz doll). It’s A Civil Action, but set in Toys R Us.”

 

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I’m 10. And I Want Girls to Raise Their Hands.

From The New York Times authored by Alice Paul Trapper:

“Last year on a fourth-grade field trip, I noticed that all the boys stood in the front and raised their hands while most of the girls politely stayed in the back and were quiet. It made me upset.

On the car ride home I told my mom about what happened. We talked about how it seemed unfair and how boys and girls should be equal. My mom talks to me a lot about women’s rights and how women are treated differently.

I told my mom that I thought girls weren’t raising their hands because they were afraid that the answer was going to be wrong and that they would be embarrassed. I also think they were being quiet because the boys already had the teacher’s attention, and they worried they might not be able to get it. My mom and I decided that we should take the experience to my Girl Scout troop.”

 

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The Disease of Being Busy

From On Being authored by Omid Safi:

“I saw a dear friend a few days ago. I stopped by to ask her how she was doing, how her family was. She looked up, voice lowered, and just whimpered: “I’m so busy… I am so busy… have so much going on.”

Almost immediately after, I ran into another friend and asked him how he was. Again, same tone, same response: “I’m just so busy… got so much to do.”

The tone was exacerbated, tired, even overwhelmed.

And it’s not just adults. When we moved to North Carolina about ten years ago, we were thrilled to be moving to a city with a great school system. We found a diverse neighborhood, filled with families. Everything felt good, felt right.

After we settled in, we went to one of the friendly neighbors, asking if their daughter and our daughter could get together and play. The mother, a really lovely person, reached for her phone and pulled out the calendar function. She scrolled… and scrolled… and scrolled. She finally said: “She has a 45-minute opening two and half weeks from now. The rest of the time it’s gymnastics, piano, and voice lessons. She’s just…. so busy.”

Horribly destructive habits start early, really early.

How did we end up living like this? Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we do this to our children? When did we forget that we are human beings, not human doings?”

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Law Review Elects First Ever Majority Female Class

From The Harvard Crimson authored by Jamie D. Halper

“The Harvard Law Review selected more female editors than male editors to join the prestigious journal’s ranks this summer, welcoming a majority-female class for the first time in the publication’s history.

The editorial class, chosen after a rigorous competition tested the skills of prospective first-year law students, consists of 24 women and 22 men.

ImeIme A. Umana ’14, the president of the Law Review, wrote in an email that the publication made efforts this year to reach as many first-year Law students as possible during their recruiting process, hosting panels and casual coffee chats with current editors.

“These efforts, we hoped, demystified the competition and encouraged students not to count themselves out of joining the journal,” Umana wrote.

Leila Bijan, one of the newly selected editors and a vice president of the Women’s Law Association, said she counted the names on the list she was sent the day she was accepted and was very impressed by the number of women.”

 

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Morning Coats and First Arguments: Female SCOTUS Lawyers on Breaking Barriers

From Law.com authored by Marcia Coyle:

“For women who argue in the U.S. Supreme Court today, the clothes they wear are not much of a big deal. But when Deanne Maynard, co-chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Supreme Court and appellate practice, was a new lawyer in the U.S. solicitor general’s office, her appearance was an issue of the “highest” order.

Maynard, speaking at a panel discussion Thursday on women in the Supreme Court, said she wanted to wear a morning suit—the traditional argument garb of lawyers in the solicitor’s office—for her first Supreme Court argument. Maynard didn’t want the suit modified to a skirt. She wanted the pants. Her request went to then-Solicitor General Theodore Olson, who took it to Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

Rehnquist, according to SG office lore, said he would prefer if everyone in the office wore the same thing, and that Olson should ask then-justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Both female justices told him the women should wear whatever they want. And so Maynard called the high court’s marshall, Pamela Talkin, who always wore a morning suit in court, and got exactly what Talkin wore.

But by the time of her first argument, Maynard recalled, “’I was eight months pregnant and the pants no longer fit. So I had to go rent tuxedo pants for my first argument. I remember they were 40 by 40—square pants.’”

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Unintended Consequences of Sexual Harassment Scandals

From The New York Times authored by Claire Cain Miller:

“In Silicon Valley, some male investors have declined one-on-one meetings with women, or rescheduled them from restaurants to conference rooms. On Wall Street, certain senior men have tried to avoid closed-door meetings with junior women. And in TV news, some male executives have scrupulously minded their words in conversations with female talent.

In interviews, the men describe a heightened caution because of recent sexual harassment cases, and they worry that one accusation, or misunderstood comment, could end their careers. But their actions affect women’s careers, too — potentially depriving them of the kind of relationships that lead to promotions or investments.

It’s an unintended consequence of a season of sex scandals. Research shows that building genuine relationships with senior people is perhaps the most important contributor to career advancement. In some offices it’s known as having a rabbi; researchers call it sponsorship. Unlike mentors, who give advice and are often formally assigned, sponsors know and respect people enough that they are willing to find opportunities for them, and advocate and fight for them.

But women are less likely to build such relationships, in part because both senior men and junior women worry that a relationship will be misread by others. At every level, more men than women say they interact with senior leaders at least once a week, according to research by McKinsey and the nonprofit Lean In. This imbalance is a major reason women stall at lower levels of companies, according to a variety of research.”

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Advocating Without Fear: 5 Key Attributes Of A Fearless Litigator

From Above the Law authored by Thomson Reuters:

“Litigation is the area of law that non-lawyers tend to be most familiar with, thanks in large part to movies and TV. But unlike what you see on the screen, real-life litigators need be successful inside and outside the courtroom in order to rise to the top in Biglaw. In fact, some might even argue that what happens behind the scenes is more important than the main event.

Being a successful litigator means perfecting your research, writing, and negotiating prowess, in addition to unflinchingly advocating for your client. It takes a very particular set of skills to win when the stakes are high. Crafting novel arguments and finding creative solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems requires a special kind of fearlessness.”

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Gender Equality in the Workplace – Are We There Yet?

From The Ascent authored by Ayshwarya:

“Have you ever been in one of the following situations?

(If you haven’t, then go ahead and skip to the end.)

(Right before your presentation) Is my outfit okay? What about my face, does it look alright? Oh dear, I hope I don’t embarrass myself!

(Giving your opinion — part 1) They’re all simply staring at me, nobody’s nodding. Is that a look of disapproval? Is it me — do I look okay? Sit straighter! Quick, tuck the tummy in!

(Giving your opinion — part 2) I’m explaining my opinion and about to make a conclusion, and that’s when a guy jumps in and manterrupts —

Guys, I’d like to point out that … ends up giving the opinion that I had. Only difference, people go — oh yes! that’s a great insight!”

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THAT GIRL: Rolanda E. Dent

THAT GIRL: Rolanda E. Dent (Houston, TX) Private Practice, general practice, litigator, sports mom, and no doubt so very much more. Check out a most-amazing trial story that will have you clapping along in the courtroom, get practical disaster-prep tips from a gal whose practice survived Harvey (and changed how she does things now), and some wonderful highly-practical advice on how to wear all the hats and not lose track of priorities. Enjoy, y’all. Ms. Dent is wonderful!

Interview, via Facebook Messenger, October 5, 2017*

*This typed interview was slightly-edited for clarity…and because I didn’t want y’all to see that I used “can” where I should have used “will,” and, you know, stuff like that.

Susan Carns Curtiss: Hi Rolanda! Any chance football practice still works for a little chat between you and me?

Rolanda E. Dent: Yes. I’m free.

Susan Carns Curtiss: Alrighty! Well, for starters, how about you tell us a little bit about yourself personally? The gal behind the law degree.

Rolanda E. Dent: I am originally from New York. I grew up in Queens. I went to Norfolk State University on a full athletic scholarship…basketball. Then onto Thurgood Marshall Law school.

Susan Carns Curtiss: Interesting, and impressive!

Rolanda E. Dent: 🙂

Susan Carns Curtiss: Do you find that your experience as a high-performance athlete informs your work as an attorney?

Rolanda E. Dent: Being an athlete….. that is very competitive. The drive I had on the basketball court pushes me in the courtroom and enables me to vigorously represent my clients with that never-give-up attitude.

Susan Carns Curtiss: Love it! I’m sure your clients do too. Please tell us a little more about your practice. What kind of practice do you have, and where?

Rolanda E. Dent: I have been in private practice for 17 years. And I wouldn’t do anything else. I have my own Law firm, The Dent Law Firm. I do criminal, family, civil, probate and personal injury.

Susan Carns Curtiss: Wow. So you’re one of those folks who REALLY operates a general practice!

Rolanda E. Dent: Yes! And it is in Houston, Texas…Harris County.

Susan Carns Curtiss: I see that kind of thing way more often in rural practices. Where, there’s just fewer lawyers, and there’s kinda no way around learning a bunch of areas of law. Have you always practiced in Houston?

Rolanda E. Dent: I have always practiced in Houston. I was blessed to be in an office with an older attorney when I first started, and he told me to learn all I can in each area of law and then decide if you want to specialize in anything. Well, I loved it all!

Susan Carns Curtiss: YOU ARE A UNICORN!

Rolanda E. Dent: Lmbo

Susan Carns Curtiss: I don’t know how you find the time to manage such a diverse docket! Will you share some of your secrets?

Rolanda E. Dent: At this point in my legal life I’ve learned to switch “hats” pretty easily. I take those cases that are the most difficult first and analyze them, make notes and move on to the next case and do the same assessment. Some require more time than others and some I am able to do super quick because I’ve done so many.

Susan Carns Curtiss: It sounds like you also spend a fair amount of time in the courtroom – and, that you enjoy it. Did you always plan on being a litigator?

Rolanda E. Dent: Always! 🙂 Probably since the 6th grade 🙂

Susan Carns Curtiss: Girl had a vision for her future – was NOT going to be denied! Do you have a favorite trial moment you’d be willing to share? I LOVE A GOOD TRIAL-MOMENT STORY.

Rolanda E. Dent: Two. One, I first started, I would go to trial with my “Objections” book. I would sit on the end of my chair and wait to pop up and object….like I had seen on TV (avid Law and Order watcher). So I scurried through my book making objection after objection all to be over ruled! Dejected, I stopped objecting….counsel asked a question and I didn’t pop up so the Judge said “You can object to that one” and I did and he sustained and I clapped!! Lol

Susan Carns Curtiss: THAT’S AMAZING. I can picture it AND hear the clap in my head!
I am, in fact, literally laughing out loud about it here in my living room.

Rolanda E. Dent: It was funny! I was like Oh, I’m not supposed to clap!

Susan Carns Curtiss: ♥ hahaha – right. You win the case. Judge, “You can clap for that one.”

Rolanda E. Dent: The clapping was that basketball mentality…. like I had just scored.

Susan Carns Curtiss: hahahahahaha You DID.

Okay, of course you and I “met” when your family and practice were displaced due to the Houston flooding. I wanted to ask you a little bit about that. Do you mind sharing what you learned through that? Specifically, I was thinking about how your experience got me thinking about my UTTER LACK of a catastrophe plan for my office. Were you prepared? Did you have a plan re files/equipment/etc…? Also, either way, what did you learn from this experience that you would like to pass along to your fellow Girl Attorneys?

(Pulls up chair and pulls out notepad to take notes.)

Rolanda E. Dent: I had no idea of how bad things would be. My office is on the 4th so I was pretty good on that. But before we left on the day the storm started….on the way to Oklahoma for my son’s rodeo, I unplugged all my computers and I backed up all my files on a hard drive, just in case. I carry the hard drive around with me as well as my laptop with all my clients’ information just in case. I have always backed up my computers but not as often as I should have. I am doing it every Friday now. I learned that as a sole practitioner you have to have a back-up plan. I was lucky enough to “meet” you and was able to develop a back-up plan while displaced. Even better for me in that I had the knowledge and experience of many different areas of law so I was/am able to assist attorneys in Oklahoma.

Susan Carns Curtiss: Do you also back up to a cloud server (like Dropbox or Google drive)?

Rolanda E. Dent: My files automatically back up to my Google drive BUT I feel so much safer having a hard drive I can “feel.” lol

Susan Carns Curtiss: RIGHT. I’m totally with you on that one. I also can’t throw out the paper (letters/pleadings/etc…) that I receive at my office. Even though I scan it all in!!

Rolanda E. Dent: Lol. I don’t either. I tell myself I will keep them for a short amount of time…

Susan Carns Curtiss: Btw, we were so sad you needed to leave your home and office to be north of the Red River <- (you know things are bad in TX when that happens), but it was an honor to be able to be there “with” you as much as we could be during your time here.

Well, I’ve got one more question for you, if you’ve still got a min, before you head back to 100% football-mom time.

Rolanda E. Dent: I’m good for one more. Questions… kids are running at me. lol

Susan Carns Curtiss: Oh man, I can only imagine! What advice would you like to give to an attorney just starting out? Whether it was great advice you personally found to be really helpful – or advice from your experience(s) that you want to give to encourage or inspire the new (young-ish and old-ish) attorneys. Oh, and one more consideration – especially advice for those considering private practice.

Rolanda E. Dent: My best advice is to find someone that is seasoned and willing to mentor them. Follow them around EVERY where they go! Look over their shoulder, do their pleadings, sit second chair, sit in on client interviews and most importantly take notes. I still have a little book I started when I was just starting out. I labeled the notebook with all areas and everything I learned I wrote in the book!

Susan Carns Curtiss: Absolutely amazing advice. Thank you!

Also, thank you so much for making time to have this conversation while also managing matters with and for your kiddos at football practice. It may not surprise you that I was holding up my end of this conversation while making dinner for the kids, welcoming my husband home (he then made his own dinner – LOL), and watching the beginning of Project Runway. Multi-tasking is a working woman’s tool #1!

Have a great evening and I look forward to when I get to MEET you (no quotation marks) some day!

Rolanda E. Dent: Thank you!! It was my pleasure!!!

Susan Carns Curtiss: ♥

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