Open & Annual Meeting Committee

Open & Annual Meeting Committee: Recap of Women and Minorities in the Law: A Panel Discussion

By Eleni vanRoden Bickley, Esq.

On November 10, 2022, the Section held its first in-person Open Meeting since the pandemic. The fall Open Meeting, held at Union Jack’s in Columbia, was an educational panel discussion on the topic of women and minorities successfully navigating the legal field. Panelists included Judge Lisa Hall Johnson, Judge Ana De la Hoz Hernandez, Tara Barnes, Esq., and Daniella Prieshoff, Esq. YLS Council member Kyle Anthony, Esq. moderated the discussion. The panelists boldly discussed their diverse experiences and insights born of their backgrounds as they detailed the obstacles that they faced in their legal journeys. They shared stories of mistreatment by colleagues, opposing counsel, and the bench, and discussed how they successfully overcame each experience. Judges Hall Johnson and Hernandez discussed their journeys from practice to the bench and recounted some of the obstacles that they still face on the bench. Judge Hall Johnson worked in the private sector and was a prosecutor before her appointment to the District Court in Prince George’s County. Judge Hernandez detailed her prior career as a teacher in Florida, changing careers and moving to the Maryland area, and practicing law with the Office of the Public Defender before her elevation to the District Court for Baltimore City.

Daniella Prieshoff, Esq., Judge Ana D. Hernandez, Eleni vanRoden Bickley, Esq., Tara Barnes, Esq., Judge Lisa Hall Johnson, Kyle Anthony, Esq. Section Chair Kerry Smith, Esq. addresses the meeting

Ms. Barnes reviewed her experiences in the public and private sectors, as well as her advancement to partner in the private sector. Ms. Prieshoff provided insight as to the public sector, and highlighted how career advancement can take place in many forms. For example, while some may caution against a lateral move, different experiences that you derive can give you the perfect footing for a promotion later on. On the other hand, all panelists agreed that continued lateral moves without any advancement and without reason are not helpful when applying for a new position. Just as important, when considering a career move, we need to highlight our values and what we can bring to our new environment. The panelists also discussed the importance of work-life balance. While community outreach is vital, the panelists discussed balancing our time strategically and understanding why we are devoting our time to certain endeavors. Are we doing it for our mental health? Are we doing it for advancement in a particular organization? Whatever the reason, and no matter how far we are in our career, it is beneficial to account for our goals and not spread ourselves too thin. The panel also highlighted the importance of mentorship. Some of the panelists’ mentors and supporters were amongst the audience, and the panel stressed not only how impactful their mentors were for them, but how mentoring new practitioners is for the success of our profession.