WIL Regional Conference: Introducing the Speakers Part 3

Lisa Watts Baskin 

Lisa Watts Baskin has practiced law in Utah for nearly 30 years, a J.D. graduate of J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU. For the past 15 years, she has been in solo practice, presently serves as an Administrative Law Judge, Utah Office of Inspector General and under contract with various municipalities to provide ordinance drafting and legal guidance. She possesses advanced skills in administrative and public law, including public policy formulation and analysis, legislative and initiative drafting, election law and related litigation, and Medicaid claims adjudication. 

Lisa Watts Baskin

Lisa has been a law clerk at the Utah Supreme Court, Associate General Counsel for the Utah State Legislature, and Executive Director to the Utah Constitutional Revision Commission. She is a civil litigator in private practice and board member and chair to numerous boards, including Real Women Run (Chair), Utah Foster Care Foundation (Chair, Exec. Board), and North Salt Lake Planning Commission. She served as North Salt Lake City Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem and Second Vice-President of Utah League of Cities and Towns. She is licensed to practice law in Utah, District of Columbia, California and the United States Supreme Court.

Sara Dansie Jones

Sara Jones is currently President of IFINIDI, where she consults with C-level teams on building revenue growth and talent strategies. Prior, Sara was the CEO of ApplicantPro, one of Utah’s fastest-growing tech companies, and responsible for growing a management team during a period of intense expansion. She was also head of business development at School Improvement Network, another of Utah’s fastest-growing tech companies, where she gained deep experience on research-based educational research. She is passionate about building highly functioning organizations, having coached management teams as well as dozens of professionals and attorneys and helping them advance through various career opportunities.  

Sara started her career as a patent attorney at Workman Nydegger, Utah’s largest IP law firm, where she became a shareholder. She taught advanced patent law at BYU Law School. She has a J.D., cum laude, from Brigham Young University, and a degree in chemical engineering, with honors, from the University of Utah.

Sara Dansie Jones

Sara is a recognized technology business community leader. She co-founded the non-profit Women Tech Council in 2007, where she has developed deep connections within the Utah tech community and with executives, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. She is often asked to speak to high-level executives about how women positively impact the economic value of organizations. She helps executives to understand gender bias, overcome potential gender-related pitfalls within their organizations, and create opportunities for their organizations by engaging women as meaningful business partners.

Barbara Melendez

Barbara Melendez

Barbara Melendez is a Shareholder with Richards Brandy Miller Nelson in Salt Lake City.  Her practice focuses primarily on immigration and employer/immigration compliance matters. She represents multi-national corporations, educational institutions, religious organizations, and employers on inter-company transfers, all temporary and permanent work visas, investment visas, including working with counsel around the world to help U.S. companies on cross-border employment issues.

Barbara also represents individuals and their families before the Department of Homeland Security's Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration Customs and Enforcement as well as the Department of Labor, Board of Immigration Appeals, and in Federal Court.  She has lectured and advised companies throughout Asia and Latin America on investor visas and employment-based visas.

Gayla Sorenson

Gayla Moss Sorenson is currently the Dean of Admissions at BYU’s J. Reuben Clark School of Law. Prior to assuming that role in the fall of 2014, her career spanned a variety of law firm and in-house experiences. After graduating from BYU Law in 1985, she spent four years with Lewis & Roca in Phoenix and then twenty years with Motorola--first as a litigator, followed by extensive experience as a commercial attorney supporting global transactions, and ending her time there as a Vice President and senior legal advisor. Most recently, she was the Director of Global Compliance Operations for Biomet, Inc., a global medical device company based in Warsaw, Indiana.

Gayla Sorenson

Gayla has been actively involved in the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, including having served as Chair of the Finance Committee. Her additional volunteer work has included serving as a Senior Fellow for the International Center for Law and Religion Studies. Gayla is a member of the Arizona and Indiana bars. She is married to Ferril Sorenson and very much enjoys the roles of wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and aunt. Her hobbies include reading, travel, and golf.

WIL Regional Conference: Introducing the Speakers Part 2

The countdown has begun for the JRCLS Women in Law Regional Conference on April 30, 2016 at Utah Valley University.  Register here now!  We will be posting information about each of the speakers in the days leading up to the conference.  See below for information on Karen Clemes, General Counsel for Utah Valley University, and one of the plenary speakers at the event.  Stay tuned for details about the other speakers next week.

Karen Clemes

Karen Clemes joined Utah Valley University April 1, 2015 as its first General Counsel.  She earned her J.D. at California Western School of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude, first in her class. She completed both her master’s degree in humanities and bachelor’s degree in comparative literature at BYU. After her law school graduation, she worked as a law clerk for Judge David Thompson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Karen has extensive legal experience, including as Associate General Counsel for Ancestry.com prior to her current appointment. She has also been Of Counsel with Ballard Spahr LLP, a national law firm, and was Director of the HR Legal Division and Chief Standards (Ethics) Officer for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For nearly a decade, she was an associate and then partner at the California law firm Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP (now Dentons US), where she litigated employment and business cases and provided state and federal labor and employment law counsel to a variety of clients.

Karen Clemes

In addition to practicing law, Karen is an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School, where she teaches employment law.  Karen is currently the International Chair of the Women in the Law Committee for the J. Reuben Clark Law Society. In 2011 she received the Association of Corporate Counsel Mountain West Chapter’s “Outstanding New Corporate Counsel” Award.

4th Annual Women in Law Regional Conference

Join us for Women, Leadership, and Law, the 4th Annual Women in Law Regional Conference at Utah Valley University on April 30, 2016.  Register now!  This conference immediately follows BYU Women's Conference that same week.  We have an excellent lineup of speakers and topics that you won't want to miss!

Angelina Tsu, Utah State Bar President

"Lemonade 101: Making the Most of Bias"
Implicit bias is the bias in judgment or behavior that results from subtle cognitive processes, and, like it or not, it is a reality in the workforce.  Ms. Tsu's presentation will discuss the issue of implicit bias: what it is, how it affects both men and women, and most importantly, what we can do about it.  Is it possible for us to outsmart biology and use implicit bias to our advantage?

Karen Clemes, General Counsel of Utah Valley University

"The Joyful Lawyer"
Lawyers are notorious for being unhappy and stressed out.  Benjamin Franklin said, “The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”  This session will provide insights on how to take charge of “catching” your own happiness, including by being mindful of your level of happiness, learning to say no better, discovering what activities make you feel the most joyful, and even changing jobs if needed. 

Lisa Watts Baskin, Founder of Real Women Run

"Power Up, Sisters"

Women serve a unique and invaluable role in their communities, and can use their talents to participate more fully in public life and civic leadership. This session will focus on empowering women to embrace these roles by getting involved, whether that means running for political office, participating in local boards and commissions, or simply engaging more fully in the political system.

Sara Dansie Jones, Co-Founder of the Women Tech Council and President of IFINIDI

"Make Rain While the Sun Shines: Leveraging the Power of Networks in Your Career"
For those who may not currently be practicing law, this presentation will focus on “crafting” a career from a legal foundation and allowing that career to grow and thrive. Ms. Jones has coached dozens of lawyers and executives over the years on growing their business and career transitions.

Barbara Melendez, Immigration Practice Chair at Richards Brandt Miller Nelson

"Women Mentoring Women"

This session will discuss the role of a mentor, the importance of women supporting and empowering one another, and practical ways that seasoned practitioners can prepare themselves to serve as mentors, develop leadership traits, and build long-lasting relationships with those they mentor.

Gayla Sorenson, Dean of Admissions at the J. Reuben Clark Law School

"In Defense of Our First Freedom"

Religious freedom is our first freedom and one that is being attacked on many fronts.  This presentation will provide a high-level look at some of the critical, interesting issues that currently exist in this area of law, and discuss ways to get personally involved in defending this key right.

Date: Saturday, April 30, 2016

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.)

Location: Centre Stage, Sorenson Student Center, Utah Valley University
Cost: $40, which includes 4 credits of CLE, breakfast, and lunch ($20 for students)
(Please contact Emily Adams at eadams@adamslegalllc.com if you just want the CLE credits and no meals, or if you have any questions)

We hope you can join us for this spectacular event.  Register here now!

Enlightenment and Confirmation

(Written by Nan Barker, International WIL Committee chair.)

Members of the International WIL Committee have been participating in a leadership program for the past few months. One aspect of that program has been the requirement to read the book Life in the Law--Service and Integrity.  Life in the Law is a compilation of talks given at Law Society or BYU events. This month's assignment was to read the first 52 pages--the section called "Be Ethical".

I began reading. I tend to be one of those people who follows the rules and does what she's asked to do. I had never read any of the book before. I felt like I was reading it now to complete an assignment, which was true.

I was remarkably impressed, within the first few pages, to discover that I was enjoying myself and learning.  Let me share a little bit about what I experienced.

The second talk, given by Cree-L Kofford, entitled "A Restatement of Contracts", included these enlightening and confirming words:

Cree-L Kofford

The law, like the Lord, knows we are individuals unique among all individuals, and the law can provide for those individual differences….The law does not offer a "one size fits all" opportunity. Rather, it seeks to meet our abilities, our interests, our desires, and our circumstances, for only then are we able to contribute to its continued vibrancy… 

All choices are more a function of (1) what you are, (2) what your circumstances are, and, therefore, (3) what your desires are than of your (a) grade point average, (b) class standing, or (c ) what someone else thinks you can our ought to do.

The simple fact is that you have the ability to design your own practice. All that is needed if you are to be successful is that your design is true to who and what you are and…what your circumstances require.

As I was reading this talk I kept finding myself saying "Yes, yes, that's exactly right!" I guess doing your homework really does matter and really can help you.

William & Mary JRCLS WIL Section Debut

(Written by Courtney Hagge, the WIL student rep at William & Mary.)

Courtney Hagge

On February 25^th 2014, the newly organized WIL Section hosted its first event: an      excellent panel discussion entitled, “Balancing Career & Family.” Close to 50 students enjoyed a delicious lunch – courtesy of the W&M JRCLS Chapter and the Christian Legal Society (CLS) – while engaging in a wonderful Q&A with four successful female attorneys. Two of these panelists are currently partners in prestigious law firms; the other two are professors at William & Mary. All four women have families of their own, which they have raised while excelling at their respective careers.

Students learned about what kinds of obstacles these women have faced in the workforce, and how the challenges of balancing career obligations with family commitments can be overcome. There were several important ideas the women emphasized throughout the discussion.

One such theme was avoiding judgment. It is important to remember that each family situation is different; professionals mustn’t judge one another for different choices concerning career and family. A woman who decides to work and put her children in childcare should be just as respected as another woman who temporarily leaves her career to raise a family. This support system is important to facilitate continued acceptance of females in the professional world.

Another important theme was better incorporating men into this career/family balance. The sooner the world realizes that raising a family is not just the woman’s job, the better. While times are getting progressively better for women to break into traditionally male dominated occupations, employers are still wary of hiring women for fear of those women leaving to have children. Modern day society needs to realize that men can also take maternity leave, for raising kids requires both parents' effort. Therefore, it is important for both men and women to surround themselves with professionals that share these convictions.

Overall, students were very pleased with this event and the JRCLS/CLS co sponsorship plans to host similar panels each year. It was wonderful to participate in a discussion centered on a topic that we as budding professionals are so concerned with. We look forward to more W&M WIL Section events in the near future!

Student Writing Competiton

Hi. I just received some information about a student writing competition, that is open to law students both in the United States and abroad. Below is the basic information. The deadline is April 1, 2014.

Public Land Law and Policy

Student Writing Competition

The American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (ABA-SEER) is pleased to announce the 2014 Student Writing Competition on Public Land Law and Policy, in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation’s Special Institute on Public Land Law, Regulation, and Management scheduled for May 8-9, 2014, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Awards:  The winning submissions will receive a $1,000, $500, and $250 cash prize for first, second and third place submissions, respectively.  Co-authors will share any prize awarded.  Students submitting the first, second and third place entries will be invited to attend the Public Land Special Institute, where their selection as winning entries will be announced.  ABA-SEER will judge the competition.  The Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation will provide complimentary registration at the institute for the three winning students.

Subject Matter:  Entries should demonstrate original thought on a question of legal and/or policy significance relating to the topic of the role of public lands and policy.  The topic is not confined to any particular type of public lands or issue.  Entries will be evaluated based on: (1) originality; (2) contribution to the understanding or development of the field of public lands law; (3) quality of scholarship; and (4) quality and organization of writing.

Eligibility:  Students currently enrolled in law school (in the U.S. or abroad) (J.D. or LL.M. programs) are eligible, including students who will graduate in the spring or summer of 2014. Any relevant article, comment, case note, or essay may be submitted, including writing submitted for academic credit. Jointly authored pieces are eligible only if all authors are students and consent to submit.  Previously published pieces, or pieces that are already slated for publication, are ineligible.

Deadline:  Entries must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. MT on April 1, 2014.  Email entries and questions to Deanna Crowe at dcrowe@rmmlf.org.

If you would like more information about this competition or others, go to http://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_students/events_competitions/wec.html.

Helping Answer the Question: Is Law School for You?

We are holding our Annual Pre-Law Event this Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013. The goal of this annual event is to help female undergraduate students decide if attending law school is the right path for them.

If you will be in the Provo, Utah area on October 2, 2013, we would love to have you attend. If you know of someone who is thinking about attending law school, please share this blog spot with them. Everyone is welcome.

If you are not in the Provo area, think about holding a similar event in your area. They are easy to pull together, fun to attend and benefit many.

I

And Shall Run and Not Be Weary, and Shall Walk and Not Faint

(Written by Susannah Thomas, a WIL Committee member.)

PREFACE: Last week I had a deadline to provide an article for this blog, but here I sit over a week later finally drafting this article. Ironically, I wanted to write about finding balance and moderation in our lives, and of course, the very moment I was ready to wax eloquent on the subject, I found myself dealing with a dental emergency first thing that Monday morning that took nearly 5 hours of my day and later that week attending a colleague's funeral that also took a half day. The combination of those two events left me off balance and 24 hours behind all week. So, yes, despite my best efforts and good intentions, I still have a lot to learn about how to find balance, and particularly how to regain that balance following unexpected situations. That said, I do have some thoughts to share on this subject that will hopefully help others accomplish this more successfully than I have.

The title of this blog piece comes from verse 20 of section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants in the LDS scriptures, commonly referred to as the Word of Wisdom. For those who may not be familiar with the Word of Wisdom, it was a revelation given to Joseph Smith that serves as a guide (with some specific restrictions) for diet and nutrition, but I think really teaches a broader principle of exercising moderation in all of our life activities. This principle has always made sense to me with my dietary choices, but little did I realize how its application would ultimately play a large part in my success in law school.

At the beginning of each academic year the members of the BYU Law Alumni Association are invited to attend a breakfast with 1L students so that the students can, among other things, discuss worries, seek advice, and ask other questions that are on their minds. I have attended this breakfast for many years now, and each year I'm asked how to successfully get through law school. I could certainly try to say something brilliant about how to study, or share from my perspective as an adjunct professor about how to respond to the professor's questions, but I really don't know all the answers to these questions – it is different for each person. However, there is one bit of advice that I always give, and that is to find balance and moderation during the next three years; something that I learned the hard way during my first year of law school 14 years ago.

I had always been a good student and so I began my first year with all sorts of aspirations of academic success and accomplishment and nothing was going to stop me. I studied from 8am until midnight six days a week, read every word of every text, took copious notes in class, and created what I thought were pretty good outlines. All of this really paid off at the end of my first semester and I was within the range of the goals I had set for myself. But then came the second semester. I continued that same routine of 16 hours of obsessive study habits each day, but by the end of the year it was clear that something was terribly wrong. As I was studying for my 5th and final exam over a 7-day period, I had a complete mental meltdown, and found myself in a fetal position miserably sobbing because I couldn't jam one more bit of information into my head, and I knew I was going to fail everything I had worked so hard to achieve. I felt so helpless and lost and was literally weary and faint. 

Fortunately, mental burnout aside, I actually got through all my exams, including that last final, and miraculously passed every single one, but was still devastated when I ended up far from my academic goals that I had worked so hard to achieve. After the dust settled, I re-evaluated my goals and study habits so that I could better navigate through the next two years without repeating that total burnout scenario. I thought the first year of law school was as busy as it could possibly be, but somehow the next two years were each increasingly busier than the last. In addition to regular classes and homework, I was asked to serve in the Young Women organization in my LDS ward, I was involved in co-curricular activities, I began to practice yoga, and eventually audited some religion classes with my undergrad sisters during my third year of law school. 

Consequently, I was forced to better manage my time and did so by setting aside specific blocks of time for study, for yoga, for church activities, and so forth. By strictly observing this schedule of blocked out times rather than aimlessly studying non-stop for 16 hours a day, I became a better student, my exam grades improved, and I was able to find sufficient time to devote to all of my chosen co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Once I finally began to learn how to find moderation and balance in life, I was much happier and at peace. It was such an amazing contrast to that first year.

So, my advice to the 1Ls each year is that even though the next three years will feel impossibly busy, it is critical to make time for a short walk, yoga practice, or whatever they choose to do that will force them to close their books and get out of the building, even if it's just for 15 minutes a day. In addition to that, I also advise them to moderate their studies by setting strict blocks of time so that their study time is focused and purposeful. I promise them that by practicing moderation in their studies and by making time to enjoy other activities, even if for a very short amount of time, they will return refreshed and ready to hit the law books and outlines again (and eventually their exams) with renewed intention and success. 

Now while I routinely give this advice to first year law students, this advice doesn't end with law school graduation. No matter what we are doing in life, we all continue to have many demands on our time and energy, but just as I've promised the first year students, I promise that as you find some balance and practice moderation in your daily responsibilities and activities, you will run and not be weary, and walk and not faint.

Law School and Beyond

Every year the Women in Law Committee hosts a wonderful event.  It is called the Pre-Law Event.  Why do we call it that?  The reason we call it the Pre-Law Event is because it is held in order to help female undergraduate students (males are welcome too)  help make the decision about whether or not they want to attend law school.

In years past we have had law students, law professors, judges, attorneys, and mother-daughter  and father-daughter attorney duos.

This year the event is entitled "Law School and Beyond."  It will be a panel discussion about opportunities after law school. Our panelists will be Lorena Riffo-Jenson, president of Vox Creative and Kelly Marsden, associate general counsel at the University of Utah.

In addition to the formal presentation, there is always a  Q & A segment which is followed by one-on-one discussions with not only the presenters but also any attorneys that are in attendance.  Which leads me to a request:  join us for "Law School and Beyond" this year.  We need you.  Please come talk to these undergraduate (and some high school) students who are thinking about attending law school.  Your experiences and insights can help them in countless ways.

So, you may be asking when and where: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 7:00pm-8:30pm in Room 3228  in the Wilkinson Center at BYU.

If you're anywhere close to Provo, Utah on Wednesday October 2nd, please come by and help these students. I promise it will be a rewarding experience for them... and you.

Pre-Law Advisors: They Are Working Hard

(Written by Eileen Crane, a WIL Committee member, who is the pre-law advisor at Utah Valley University.)

I am at the 40th Annual NAPLA Conference. NAPLA is the Northeast Association of Prelaw Advisors, of which I am one of 1200 around the country in the 2000+ colleges and universities.

At our annual conference, prelaw advisors and law school admissions officers come together to discuss legal education trends, admissions policies and procedures, and financial aid as well as visit local law schools in the region learning about the unique characteristics of each.

I attend this meeting to expand my advising skills by having the most current information available, to expand my network of law schools to which I can thoughtfully advise students about, and to see my prelaw and law school friends and colleagues.

This world of advisors and admissions officers is a tight-knit group of people who work very closely to help students have their dreams come true. We see one another several times per year at a variety of events and are in close contact throughout the year in order to rely upon one another and to achieve our mutually-beneficial goals.

A dedication to a solid legal profession, based on excellent training and education, is what drives prelaw advisors, many of whom are lawyers like me, to work hard for students to make wise, informed decisions with respect to the legal profession. 

My UVU prelaw website, at www.uvu.edu/prelaw/, is the place where I post the tools I have created for students and some tools my colleagues have created. I post them so students can use them to make wise debt and career management decisions.

No Limitations

(Written by Nan Barker,  WIL Committee chair, who is responsible for the blog focus group "using your law degree in your community and family".)

A few weeks ago I was asked to participate on a panel for a church Young Women's group. The purpose of the panel was to broaden the young women's ideas about possible education paths they might follow.

The panelists were all women: in addition to me, an attorney, there was a medical doctor (an anesthesiologist), someone with a masters degree in microbiology, someone with an undergraduate degree in business and, an esthetician (someone skilled in giving beauty treatments).   We were each asked to take 3-4 minutes to describe the educational path we followed for our particular career and give a few thoughts about our area of expertise.

It was a wonderful, informative panel.  I think the young women enjoyed it.

One comment by the woman with the undergraduate degree in business caught my attention.  She stated that with an undergraduate business degree you were unlimited in what you could do--you could be anything you wanted to be--unlike the limitation a law or medical degree would impose.

I wanted to stand up, and, in an animated fashion, disagree with her view of limitations and opportunities.  I didn't.  I REALLY thought about it though.  However, my 4 minutes were up and after she took 20 minutes, there wasn't much time left for Q & A or "rebuttal".

I don't have any experience with medical degrees, but I do know that a law degree does not limit opportunities, but instead opens doors for them.

I thought about so many of you who are not practicing law, but are using the skills you learned in law school in other fields, in your communities and in your homes.

A couple of  years ago I was talking to the ASU student JRCLS chapter.  I asked them the following question: what skills are you learning in law school that will help you in all aspects of your lives, whether you practice law or not?  We came up with a list of 24 skills, some of which were being able to think logically, effectively represent yourself, respond to questions, read critically, organize, study, persuade, listen, etc.

A law degree does not limit a person's opportunities.  It creates them.

Oh...I thought of one more skill we learn in law school:   how to follow time limits!


(One of the goals of this blog is to address seven different focus groups:  full time practice; part time practice; on hiatus; practicing with children at home; students; using your law degree in your community and family; and, singles.  If you have any suggestions about topics you would like to see addressed in these areas, please let us know through the Comment section below.)

An Alumni Mentoring Program

(Written by Susannah Thomas, a WIL Committee member.)

I am a member of the BYU Law Alumni Association Board. I am also a member of the JRCLS Women in Law Committee and have greatly enjoyed my participation on this committee for the past few years. 

A couple of months ago the BYU Law School Alumni Association rolled out its newly revamped mentoring program. In the past, Law School Alumni would be paired up with 1Ls for the school year to help give advice and guidance on academic success, finding jobs, and anything else that might help the student.

Following many hours of internal discussions and discussions with the students themselves, the Alumni Association determined that the students would be better served by having mentors assigned to them during the second and third years rather than the first year of law school.

The new mentoring program now has a more structured approach that is designed to specifically assist 2Ls and 3Ls in “finding attractive employment, preparing for success in the workplace, and more fully appreciating the BYU Law School experience.”

The mentoring curriculum consists of 4 sessions that cover:

1) Exploring employment options, and enjoying the law school experience;

2) Resumé review, interviewing skills, and employment targets;

3) Networking, ethics and professionalism, and

4) Success in the workplace, life balance, and employment follow-up.

Mentors are comprised of BYU Law Alumni and are selected through an online database that is managed by the Career Services Office. Once the mentor and student are paired up, the mentor and student must report on progress throughout the semester, including completing a questionnaire about the program and each other.

In a one hour training session held a couple of months ago, each of the students and mentors received specific information about objectives, pre-session work, and discussion topics/questions for each session. That way the time they spend together will be used more productively and efficiently. 

While BYU Law School Alumni has a clear objective to help BYU Law Students, the objectives and ideas from this mentoring program may be adapted by other JRCLS Chapters to assist not only law students in their area, but members within their chapters to find employment. 

(One of the goals of this blog is to address seven different focus groups:  full time practice; part time practice; on hiatus; practicing with children at home; students; using your law degree in your community and family; and, singles.  If you have any suggestions about topics you would like to see addressed in these areas, please let us know through the Comment section below.)

Chapter Events: Kansas City/Missouri

Clint Patterson and Angel Zimmerman

2014 JRCLS Annual Conference

As the 2013 JRCLS Annual Conference is just about to begin in Washington, DC, we find out where the 2014 Annual Conference will be held.  That takes us to Kansas City. The Kansas City/Missouri Chapter has been busy. Angel Zimmerman, a WIL Committee member, is a huge part of the that chapter and will have an even bigger role in the future.

Angel, who has been serving as the Chair of the Kansas City/Missouri Women in Law section, steps up to become president elect.  

Clint Patterson, current chair, Angel and the entire Kansas City/Missouri Chapter welcome and invite all to Kansas City for the 2014 JRCLS Annual Conference. 



                  

Annual Dinner

The Kansas City/Missouri Chapter recently hosted their annual dinner with over 100 in attendance.  Zel Fisher, from the Missouri Supreme Court, was asked to speak.  He spoke on the Christian obligation in Romans 13 and stated that he had done his research and concluded that LDS people carry that obligation, not only under Romans 13, but also under the 12^th Article of Faith. 

After the dinner the female attorneys and law students gathered for a picture.  Many of the law students and female attorneys in the area had not been aware of each other. There was a great sense of appreciation to discover that they were a growing group in this part of the Lord’s kingdom. 

Meet Amy Hill

(Angel Zimmerman, a WIL Committee member, thought we would all enjoy getting 

to know law student, Amy Hill.  Please enjoy the Q & A session they recently had.)

Q: When will you graduate from law school?

Amy Hill

A:  2014

Q: Why did you decide to go to law school?  
A: I had reached a point in my career as a claims adjuster, where I knew I needed a change, but wasn't sure what that change should be.  I enjoyed working claims associated with a class action suit and enjoyed the claims with the more complex coverage issues, so knew that I liked the legal side of insurance.  One day we had a CE class that was given by a firm that we worked with.  The partner that taught the course as well as one of the associates that he brought with had both been claims adjusters before going to law school.  As he talked about the associate going to law school and maintaining life as a mother and wife, the thought clearly came to me that I could do that too.  So began the journey of taking the LSAT, writing essays, retaking the LSAT, rewriting essays and finally deciding on a school.

Q: What is your current family dynamic? 
A: I am married and just months before graduation will celbrate our 20th wedding anniversary.  We have three daughters, Kalista, age 13, Kara, age 10, and Teagan age 4.

Q: How has law school blessed your family and how has it been a challenge?   
A: There have been so many blessings that have come from me going to law school, one being that I am so much happier, which makes me a better Mom and Wife.  I really have loved learning and being around people that are also learning and growing.  It has also been a blessing to move here to Kansas City.  We have met such great people and it has become home so quickly.  Even my little Texan, who told us for years that she never wanted to leave Texas, has agreed that she likes it here and wants to stay here.

My biggest challenge has been dealing with the stress, but not the general stress of school.  It is the stress that comes from trying to be worthy of the sacrifices others are making for you.  My family moved for me.  My husband had to find a new job...for me.  My kids had to leave all their friends and the home that we had lived in for ten years...again all for me.  Because of these sacrifices, it is a challenge to not let the fear of failure take over, especially when finals or other deadlines are close.

Of course, my family would probably say the biggest challenge is dealling with me, when I haven't dealt with the stress all that well.

Q: How did you like the JRCLS Leadership Conference held last October and what was your biggest take away – would you encourage others to attend? 
A: Attending the leadership conference was such a great experience.  It gave me a great opportunity to really get to know members of the attorney chapter in a way that just can't be accomplished over phone conferences and occassional meetings.  It was also very inspiring to see what other chapters are accomplishing.  It helped me see that even our little chapter can do more.

Attending the conference also gives a unique opportunity to meet and learn from attorneys with diverse experience from all around the world.  I loved getting to meet attorneys and students from other regions and other countries.  Everyone brings a unique perspective to the law and it is amazing to get to learn from all these people.

I would definitely encourage others to attend the conference.  Even if you aren't on a board or committee, there is still so much you can learn and so much gained that the time is very well spent.

Q: What are your hobbies, interests?

A: I love to read and usually have several books lined up waiting for me as soon as finals are over.  I also enjoy taking day trips with my family to find places that are off the beaten path.  Art has always been one of my great loves and it is especially great now to be able to share that with my girls.  We have had a great time going to the art museum or just painting together.

Q: How has the JRCLS helped you locally in law school? 
A: The JRCLS created a built in support system as soon as I started law school.  It was very helpful to immediately have 2L's and 3L's that were willing to give support, advise, and outlines.

It has also been very helpful to have the support of the attorney chapter.  Because I moved from Texas to Missouri, most of the attorneys that I knew and worked with are in the south.  Having the resource of the JRCLS attorney chapter has given me an additional source of attorneys that are interested in helping me succeed.

Amy, congratulations and good luck.  Angel, thanks for helping us get to know Amy.  

(We want to regularly use this blog to highlight you: women of faith who have been trained in the law.  You are doing great things--in the courtroom, in your community and in your home.   Getting to know each other better will strengthen each of us individually as well as strengthen us as a whole.  If you know anyone you think we should highlight, please let us know at nanbarker@gmail.com.)

Dealing with the Cost of Law School

(Written by Eileen Crane, a WIL Committee member, who is responsible for the blog focus group "Students".)

There is no shortage of articles on the cost of law school. A simple Google search yields
233M responses in 0.25 seconds. Law suits have been filed, though most have been
dismissed so far, and weeping and wailing and the gnashing of teeth often occurs in the
often-vile comments at the end of blog and online articles. The New York Times alone
has published 82,900 articles, not a few of them just since the recession began.

So what is a committed prelaw student, let alone a woman who might want to go in and
out of practice, to do? I have taught about debt and career management since 1990 and
will create here a Top 10 List for that specific student—the person who may or may not
want to be/stay in law, work full-time or part-time, for which the average debt of $150K
does not work.

1) Shadow attorneys to see if what they are doing is what you want to do with your
degree.

2) Meet as many attorneys as possible in as short a time frame as possible while you
are making a decision about if/when/where to attend law school.

3) Go to used book stores that sell legal texts and read them. See if the reading skills
you’ve developed are adapted to that level of in-depth, dense reading. Learn to
speed read and increase reading comprehension.

4) Check your credit report. Graduate school loans depend largely on the credit-
based GRAD PLUS loans which require credit worthiness. It can take up to six
months to clean up errors on one’s credit report. Start early.

5) Live on a reduced income before you go to law school. Learn how to budget
wisely, finding the ways to cut/eliminate costs that work in your area/situation,
prior to law school. No one needs the stress of learning that while under the
stress of law school.

6) Save money, if possible, for external fixed costs that student loans are not meant
to cover (trips home/abroad, new cars, new suits for placement break interviews,
emergencies, medical issues, etc).

7) Research law schools carefully. There is a list of questions everyone should know
the answer to about a law school prior to applying at www.uvu.edu/prelaw/
forms/researchinglawschools.

8) Evaluate the financial impact of a scholarship award wisely. Make one
assessment as if you will be able to keep that generous, but grade-based,
scholarship; make another plan in case you are not able to keep that scholarship.
Compare the total costs to each other.

9) Often a person can get a full-ride at a law school where the LSAT/GPA means are
much lower than your accomplishments. That means a person can graduate (if
the scholarship is a 3-year, full-ride) virtually debt-free. However, evaluate the
doors that open or close by being a graduate of that particular school, if that is
ascertainable.

10) Talk to alumni from any school you would consider going to in order to
understand their experience with placement, debt repayment, mobility within
and between states and job settings.

(One of the goals of this bog is to address seven different focus groups:  full time practice; part time practice; on hiatus; practicing with children at home; students; using your law degree in your community and family; and, singles.  If you have any suggestions about topics you would like to see addressed in these areas, please let us know through the Comment section below.)