Life in Law was recently asked by a young professional, “am I supposed to look at work emails while on vacation?”  This question is valid and likely considered by many at some point during their careers. The COVID-19 pandemic and months of social distancing have left many feeling the need for some respite from work – time to relax, recharge and reenergize. Regardless of your profession, title, or seniority, a vacation, however, often brings uncertainty about how to navigate your many commitments while away from the office. One issue that often arises is what to do about work emails while on vacation. Are you supposed to read them and respond to them? Is it okay to ignore them entirely?

Dear Nearing the Five Year Mark: Thank you for your excellent question but first, congratulations on making it to the almost five year mark of your legal career. Those first five years are the toughest you will face in your career. Not only are you continuing the never ending journey of learning the law, but you are also having to learn how to apply the law to real life situations, how to interact with clients, how to navigate the practice of law and what the privileges and responsibilities of being a lawyer really mean. Please know that you have come through the toughest part of your career and that the years ahead of you will be easier.

“My one piece of advice to up and coming women lawyers is get involved!!  Being a part of the larger legal community through involvement in your firm, the CBA, TLABC or other organizations is a great way to get to know others in similar situations and a great way to expand your network. I volunteer as an Advisor because I have been fortunate throughout the years to form relationships of my own with trusted “advisors” and look forward to giving back in the same way.” -Rose Keith, Life in Law Advisor and Associate Counsel at Harper Grey LLP The Life in Law team is made up of a diverse group of Harper Grey women lawyers who volunteer their time as advisors on a weekly basis answering phone calls, monitoring the live chat on our website and responding to questions through…

We are delighted to announce our support of the free LSAT Intensive course hosted by the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) at the Peter A. Allard School of Law. The course is offered by Dr. Hadiya Roderique (author of “Black on Bay Street”) and is an application-based course focused on logic games for black-identifying students who qualify for low-income status.

“Women really need to know we are all going through this together. Even if you are the best lawyer you can possibly be, on any given day you can be thrown a curveball…”