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How a Feminist Made ‘Big Law’ Work for Her By Alison Stein C’03, L’09
IF SOMEONE ASKED ME EIGHT YEARS AGO
whether I could envision being a happy working mother at a law firm, I would have said absolutely not. And yet, today, that is the position I occupy. When I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003, I moved to Washington, D.C., to work in the women’s movement. I worked at the National Council of Women’s Organizations, and, in 2004, started my own women’s organization, the Younger Women’s Task Force, an organization that works on civic engagement for younger women. In 2006, I returned to the University of Pennsylvania for law school. To connect my experience in the women’s movement with law, I began writing about women’s issues in the legal profession. My research addressed why young women “opt out” of law firm jobs and the track to partnership. The themes were universal.
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Women spoke about the “all or nothing” workplace in which they felt that if they were to express interest in working on an alternative schedule, they would not be perceived as committed enough toward the path to success. Women also described the lack of female role models, and how women in positions of power at their firms had such stressful lives that they were not sure whether they wanted to follow in their footsteps. As a result of my research, I was anxious about working at a law firm. And yet, here I am today, seven years out of law school, working as an intellectual property litigator at Jenner & Block’s New York office. I have a husband (Tom) and a toddler (Charlie), and have no intention of leaving this job. Don’t get me wrong; the job has its challenges, as any job does. But I have learned that, with the right firm, the right mix of co-workers, the right attitude, and the right strategies, “Big Law” can actually be a workable environment to balance work and a family. Here are some of the reasons why: First, the billable hour can offer tremendous flexibility. The women I interviewed during law school felt the billable hour awarded inefficiency. While there is some truth to that statement, for me, the flexibility that has come with the billable hour has outweighed the negatives. If Charlie has a school event, I don’t worry when I am out of the office, because I know that I can (and will) make up that time. When I have busy weeks, I appreciate the “cushion” that it provides me, knowing that I can allow myself to scale back during some later part of the year where life might require that I do so. Second, the geographic flexibility that comes both from advancing technology and from working with lawyers who care more about a job done well than about “face time” has allowed me to complete my work from almost anywhere. Any law student who has gone through recruiting is undoubtedly familiar with the phrase “there is no such thing as face time.” Unfortunately, many lawyers quickly find that they were sold a bill of goods, and actually feel tremendous pressure to be at the office late into the evenings. That was not the case for me. When my husband was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, I was able to work in doctors’ waiting areas (surprisingly a welcome diversion), or at home so I could be with my family. I have found that working remotely is easier after you have built up a strong reputation