Phoenix Women in Law Section Chair Reaches Out

The Phoenix, Arizona Women in Law Section, which is a part of the JRCLS Phoenix Chapter, has a new chair.  Her name is Tisha Huish.  Tisha has an amazing story.  She was raised by a Muslin mother and an English father.  She lived in several different countries growing up, which is why she speaks five different languages.  She converted to the LDS faith as an adult.

Tisha and her family

When she asked who belongs to Women in Law, she was told "women of faith who have been trained in the law".  She then asked, does that include all faiths?  The answer was yes.

That was all Tisha needed to know. She is now in the process of forming her committee.  I attended their first meeting.  One of its members is a woman from the Sunni denomination of the Muslim faith. Being there for that meeting was a remarkable experience. It was fascinating to see the similarities "women of faith who have been trained in the law" have. The differences were there, and they were appreciated as well. But, the similarities were amazing!

Tisha is continuing to get women of a variety of faiths on her committee.  Thank you for that, Tisha,  and for setting such a great example for all of us to follow.

A Fiat 500 in Hawaii

(Written by Nan Barker, WIL Committee chair.)

Is this a law related post?  Probably not, but I think I can place a legal issue in it somewhere.  So, why am I writing this post on this blog?  Because it's May.  I don't know about you, but every May is crazy.   The month rivals and sometimes surpasses even December.

In May, kids are finishing up school with all the activities associated with it: concerts, programs, finals, graduations, etc.  People in almost every area are trying to get things "finished" before everyone takes off for the summer.  Vacations are being planned. Most parents are panicking knowing their children will be home, all day, for the next couple of months.

Back to the point, why this blog post here and why is it entitled A Fiat 500 in Hawaii?

My husband, Dan, and I just returned from a week long trip in Hawaii.  Yes, we did it in May.  Crazy? You bet, but we were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary.  We went to Hawaii on our honeymoon and planned to go back on our 10th anniversary.  However, our 10th anniversary came in May.  So, we thought we'd try our 20th anniversary. Once again, it came in May.  Funny thing, huh? Well, several months ago we intelligently recognized the fact that our 30th anniversary would also come in May.  We decided we just had to buy the tickets, rent the condo and go.  We'd deal with the May issues upon our return.

We went.  We had a wonderful time and several remarkable experiences. One of those experiences involved a Fiat 500.  Before I say anything more, I need to apologize to any readers who may have a Fiat 500.  Enough said.

Me and the tin can on wheels.

Since it was just the two of us we decided to rent a compact car.  Our idea of compact and Alamo's were quite different. When the agent took us to our car,  I stopped in my tracks. Was that the whole car?  Was he crazy?  There was no way we were going to drive that thing.  Dan and I looked at each other.  And, after having spent 7 hours on a very cramped plane and another hour getting to the "enter the rental car" stage, we shrugged our shoulders and got in.

Driving the car was an adventure.  I referred to it as a tin can on wheels.  Dan said he felt like he was driving a go-cart.  Driving on the freeway next to semis was "invigorating".

Although we weren't staying in Honolulu, we were nearby one day when we decided to get something to eat.  We thought we'd try The Rainbow Drive-In, one of Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives restaurants (it's a food network show).  Of course we got lost, took the wrong exit, couldn't find the street (all this while using an ipad map for directions).  At one point, when we thought we were close, we got in the lane to turn left.  As it turned out, left turns weren't allowed there.  We found ourselves trying to turn left in an intersection, with a red light facing us, cars coming from many directions and a large semi-like truck heading right for us.

Here comes the legal part:  did we sign some sort of release when we agreed to take this car; do our children know where our wills are; what will people think when they read that two attorneys were killed when trying to find a Guy Fieri restaurant while driving a Fiat 500?

The truck stopped.  We survived.  We even found the restaurant.

The thing I finally grew to appreciate about the Fiat 500 was that even though it was May, and we were in Hawaii celebrating our 30th anniversary,  it made me feel like we were back in college.  Driving that car was not the responsible, mature, sensible thing to do.  But it sure made life exciting!  It turns out this May and that Fiat 500 made me feel young!

Meet Ginny Isaacson

(Ginny Isaacson is the JRCLS vice-chair of the Conference and Events Committee.)

I wanted to go to law school in the fifth-grade.  My dad was a lawyer and I announced at the dinner table one night that I was thinking about being a lawyer as well.  My dad was a general practice litigator and seeing his trial schedule made me realize that a different practice area would be a better fit for me.  Long ago, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in the government sector.  Since that long ago decision to go to law school, I truly have felt God's hand at every stage in my life. 

I met my husband, Tom, during law school at BYU and we got married after graduation in May, 1997, right before we took the Utah bar. While Tom finished up a clerkship in Salt Lake City, we applied for jobs in Washington, D.C. (where I am from) and in Utah.  We both ended up getting offers in D.C., he at a big firm, while I was offered a clerkship at the Senate Judiciary Committee.  During my six-month clerkship, I was assigned to the intellectual property unit.  After my few months there, I knew I didn't want to have a career on Capitol Hill. 

A colleague told me that the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) was hiring trademark attorneys and I applied.  The wheels of federal government bureaucracy grind slowly and it was six months before I heard from the Trademark Office.  I temped at a big firm before I got an offer to work at the PTO.  I had found my home.  I loved the people, the work, the law and the office.  I worked full-time for four years and then had twin boys in June, 2002.  I took six months off and started back on a part-time schedule working two days a week.  I found a wonderful nanny for my boys.

My first day back at work, I told my husband that I felt like I was on vacation.  I worked part-time for five more years until I had my third son in July 2007.  At this point, my nanny decided she was done and I couldn't find anyone else that I was comfortable with to stay home with my son.  I made the decision to leave my job and stay home.  I was fortunate that my husband had a great job and I could make that choice.  I still miss my job.  Even though it was a difficult decision, I believe it was the right one for my family at that time. 

Before I left the Trademark Office, I felt very strongly that I needed to sit for the Maryland bar.  That was the last thing I wanted to do with a nursing baby.  However, when I filled out the paperwork, I realized how much more difficult it would have been for me to sit for the attorney's exam had I not been employed at the time.  I passed the bar and I occasionally help my husband with trademark matters at his office.   

Now that my youngest is in Kindergarten, I always thought that I would go back to the Trademark Office.  However, my twins are ten and I realize that I only have eight more years with them before they leave home.  I can be patient and make this season of my life about them.    

Dean Rasband at BYU Law School has often said that he believes a law degree is also a leadership degree.  I feel like that has been true in my life.  I was the president of our local Parents of Multiples club, served as the chapter chair of the DC JRCLS chapter, I volunteer at the school, chair the cub scout committee and chaired the 2013 JRCLS Annual Conference in Washington, DC in addition to all the various church leadership callings through the years.  I am making an effort to get involved in the community.  My dad drags me to our very small local bar meetings, where I am such an oddity--a stay-at-home lawyer who practiced trademark law with no immediate desire to return to work.  Even though I am not formally working, these activities make me feel that I am involved and continuing to progress.

I am not sure if I will ever practice law again, but I know that I will be inspired to go and serve or work where I am really needed.  I know that I am fortunate to have that luxury to choose.  Early on in our careers in Washington, D.C., we started attending JRCLS meetings and events and became active in the DC chapter.  Being a part of the law society has been a blessing during my entire career and especially during this time that I have been at home full-time.  I can associate with the law in a way that fits with my time and schedule.  The law society helps me feel connected even though I am not working. 

It is still hard to know what to say when people ask, "Where do you work?" when they find out I am an attorney.  I long to say a firm or the agency where I worked.  I wish I had a better answer.  Sherri Dew said in a recent fireside that women should say when asked that question, "I am shepherding my children to exaltation."  I am not sure I can say that because I know that all mothers and fathers have that same goal, whether they work or stay at home.  However, I remind myself that God has a plan for me and I know it is an amazing plan.  I turn 39 years old in a couple of weeks.  I just have to be patient and let each season of my life unfold as it is supposed to and enjoy the journey along the way. 

Receiving a Legal Education in Russia

(Written by Svetlana Sedova, a member of the JRCLS Russia Moscow Chapter.  She received her JD from Moscow State University in 2001 and works as a legal coordinator for the LDS Church in Russia.)

Formal education in Russia dates back to 1755, when the first Law Department was opened at the Moscow State University. Russia has continental legal system as opposed to common law in America. As Russia’s legal system is still evolving after the collapse of the USSR, law are constantly changing, and most of the current laws were passed in the last 20 years.

Moscow State University

During Soviet era, all higher education was free, and all universities were state-owned, creating a lot of competition among those willing to be accepted to the universities, especially at the best ones. It all changed in the contemporary Russia after many private universities emerged. Seeing the demand for legal education, most of them opened law departments, accepting every student willing to pay for his education, irrespective of their academic achievements, for as little as $100 a month.  Prospective employers quickly reacted to that, preferring students from the top state-owned universities with solid educational programs and very competitive entrance exams. These state universities also continue to offer free tuition to those who receive higher scores at the entrance exams (usually half of all accepted students).

High school students who want to pursue legal career start preparing for the entrance exams one or two years before graduation in such areas as Russian language, history and social science. Students who successfully pass entrance competition are enrolled in the Legal Department at their university from the very beginning, and study mostly those disciplines that are connected to the law (different fields of the law, history, philosophy, logic, Latin and English language, etc.). After four years they receive a Bachelor’s degree in law, and can continue their legal education for two more years to become Masters of Law. Further education includes postgraduate education and Higher Doctorate degree.

Students study 5 days a week (which is different from 6 days a week in high school) and have several lectures (in large groups up to several hundred students) and smaller classroom sessions each day. The program is very intense, and many students do not work, studying full-time. Also, students write several term papers every year. Every semester is finished with exams, where students draw tickets with the topics and answer them verbally to the examiner. Usually they have 20-30 minutes to prepare and then give a comprehensive review of the topic, usually followed by question and answer session though with some courses, such as Civil Law, the tradition has been to not allow any preparatory time. There is a slow movement towards more written tests at some universities, though verbal testing is still valued very highly as an integral part of legal training. Some field training is also offered. In order to receive the diploma, students have to pass several final so-called State Exams and present their graduation thesis.

All that said, one can work as an attorney in Russia even without any legal training, as legal services are not subject to licensing or passing a bar exam. Exception is made for the attorneys-at-law who want to represent companies and individuals in the courts--they need to pass a qualification exam and receive a status of an “advocate” (In-house attorneys can represent their companies in the court without having an advocate’s status).

Even though there seems to be an overflow of attorneys in the last years with all the new private universities, it is still considered very respected, exciting, and prestigious profession, sought after my many prospective students.

Thanks, Svetlana.  It was wonderful to be taught by you!

Networking, Stay-At-Home Mom Style

(Written by Desiree Nordstrom, a WIL Committee member.)

There will come a time when a stay-at-home mother/attorney will realize that all that time dedicated to her children is opening up.  Many will want to return to the practice of law. Yet, it can seem daunting having been out of the legal “loop” for so long.  That is why it is important for a stay-at-home mother to continue to network during her at-home years.  It is hard to make that a priority when your children come first.  But, here are a few suggestions that may help prioritize networking.

Communication With Established Contacts. Stay in touch with the co-workers, clients and colleagues in the legal field before putting your career on hold. Doing this will require little effort.  A phone call, a text message, or an email will go a long way. This is simple because it does not require attending a luncheon or event outside of your home!

Extend Your Network.  Do not rule out building a relationship with someone outside of your preferred practice area.  You never know when a connection will come in handy.

Lunch, Maybe With Kids.  Make an effort to set up lunch meetings.  After all, being face-to-face with a colleague will help build a valuable relationship. You can trade babysitting with another mommy you know. Even better, if the colleague is child friendly, take your kid(s) with you! I recently attended a networking lunch with four female attorneys and three children.  It was great to relate on all levels, i.e. legal, family, and spiritual.

An Evening Out.  Talk to your spouse about attending evening events.  You will be more likely to attend those events if they are on your calendar.  Also, it will help your husband plan to be home with the kids if it is a calendar to which he is connected.  My husband gets notification of events on my Google calendar.  It helps us juggle life.  I have found that going to evening events is not only beneficial for my sanity, but it also ensures that I accumulate the continuing education required by the State Bar.

Internet Networking.  There are many social networking sites that can be used to network including LinkedIn, Facebook and Avvo. Keep your profiles updated, contact colleagues and contribute.  Contributions can be made by writing articles and tutorials in your area of expertise. Five minutes a day, or less, can fulfill this from home.

Networking can be hard for every attorney, let alone the stay-at-home mommy.  Networking should not be about finding work or business alone.  Focus should be put on getting to know those you are networking with and creating a relationship.  Building those relationships will go a long way when you are ready to jump backing in to the legal field when the children are grown.

Australia Part II: Law School, Women Attorneys, the Law Society

(Taken from an interview with Helen Black, JRCLS Australia Adelaide Chapter chair.)

What is law school like in Australia?

I applied for a place in the 4 year undergraduate law degree at the University of Notre Dame Australia and was very excited to be accepted - and just a little bit terrified. I had been out of education for a very long time and felt that Disney movies, a wide repertoire of Wiggles songs and excellent nappy changing skills had done little to prepare me for law school.  I was wrong. Life experience helps so much in the study of law. For example you understand what a mortgage really is when you have been paying one for years!

I loved law school.  I was able to fit in my timetable around my children's school hours and it felt so good to be intellectually challenged again. I love my children and I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to be a mother, but I also wanted fulfillment in other areas of my life. Being a mature age student in my 30's I found study was so much easier. My lecturers were amazing and I still remain friends with a number of them to this day.

Are there very many women attorneys in Australia?

Women make up more than half of the law school cohort in Australia and there are many women lawyers in Adelaide. In family law, women lawyers are the majority.  Statistically women tend to leave the practice of law in greater numbers than men do, for reasons that are still being debated, but the glass ceiling seems to be alive and well. It is a demanding career and not for everyone. But it is also very rewarding.

Did/do you run into any difficulties as a woman attorney?

I have found the legal community to be wonderfully accepting and supportive, particularly other senior male practitioners within the church who mentored and encouraged me. When I graduated I was the only LDS female practitioner in the entire state of Western Australia (where I was living) which is about 4 times the size of Texas. Two years ago my family moved to South Australia where there are about 4 LDS women practicing law.

After graduating from law school many women within the church were openly critical of my decision to practice and work full time which was a bit hurtful. But you can't please all of the people all of the time!

What have you enjoyed most about being the chair of the Adelaide Chapter?

We are currently in the final countdown towards organising the Annual JRCLS Asia-Pacific Conference right here in Adelaide on 7 - 9 June 2013 which is shaping up to be a fantastic event. Our organising committee have put together seminars on Saturday with presenters from all over Australia. Friday night registration is being catered by 'Masterchef' Poh Ling Yeow!

We are holding a black tie Charity Art Auction and Dinner Dance in the cell blocks of the historic Old Adelaide Gaol on Saturday night. Local artists have donated art pieces to be auctioned and the money raised will benefit Catherine House - a charity that assists homeless women with children in South Australia.  The old gaol is a convict relic and was still being used until the late 1980's. The ambience is a bit spooky and lots of fun!!

If anyone reading this is interested in coming, we would love to welcome you to Adelaide! Click this link for more information: https://sites.google.com/site/jrclsconference2013/.

(There are other female chapter chairs in the Australia Asia area.  They are: Mary Ann L. Ojeda, Philippines Manilla Chapter; Soraya Barker, New Zealand Hamilton Chapter; and, Hilary Seymour, New Zealand University of Waikato.)

Australia Part I: Meet Helen Black, the Adelaide Australia Chapter Chair

(Taken from an interview with Helen Black.)

Why did you want to be a lawyer?  

My mother always said I was the most argumentative of her children! (I am one of 9 children).  Usually (back then) it was said in an exasperated tone of voice - but my parents are very proud of me now.  I decided that law suited me, more than I had a desire to become a lawyer. Unlike many people I did not have a strong drive towards a particular career but I knew I wanted to do something that meant I could make a difference.

When my husband, Warwick and I were married (back in the mists of time) my husband was in medical school (which takes 6 years in Australia) and so I worked to support our growing family through the early years and decided to postpone my own university education until he was finished. After Warwick went on to do another 6 years of specialty training "my turn" ended up being 12 years and 4 children later! My husband has been totally supportive of my decision to go to law school and I am so grateful for his encouragement. His shoulder is excellent for crying on when the computer crashes on the last paragraph of your assignment.

What type of practice do you have?  

I started out doing articles in a general law firm with the intention of sampling a number of areas of law before deciding what I wanted to do.  One piece of advice I give young law students is that the practice of law is very different to the academic study of it. Just because you don't like a subject at law school - don't close your mind to that area of practice. I didn't like studying family law at university but I have ended up practicing solely in family law and I love it. I am a Senior Associate in a small, specialist Family Law firm in Adelaide (which is in the state of South Australia), and I drive a car to work every day - no riding kangaroos!

Can you share with us a little bit about your family?  

My husband Warwick is a psychiatrist who works to provide mental health services to rural and remote areas. We have four children, Chelsea 24, Lachlan 19, Caitlin 17 and Duncan 15.  Lachlan is at university and my youngest 2 are still at high school.  I am only 5'3" but my boys are both over 6'2" and still growing. I think its the Australian sunshine that makes them grow like weeds. They are amazing people and I love them so much!  My husband and I love to travel together and enjoy exploring new places. 

Yes, there are koalas in the trees near where I live. They can be very noisy and make a sound like pigs oinking (not kidding). Yes there are kangaroos out in the countryside - but not in the suburbs and we don't ride them!
Not all of the wildlife in Australia will kill you and California has more shark attacks than we do. It gets very hot in the summer but it also gets cool in the winter which a lot of visitors seem to forget and are very surprised that its cold in the middle of July. We have BBQ pool parties for Christmas and go to the beach for New Years. I love being an Australian!

Stay tuned for Australia Part II: Law School, Women Attorneys, the Law Society