Dear Chicago Chapter Members,
So much has happened since our last edition of CCC. The summer, somehow, just evaporated in a heartbeat, and here we are at the busy fourth quarter, which finds so many of us figuring out various persisting and new remote work challenges, kids’ schools, and all kinds of other pressures on the work and home fronts.
As I was putting pen to paper on this CCC late last week, a long-term mentor of mine and member of the Coalition, Vicki Donati of Crate and Barrel (who gave me permission to share this!), sent me a kind check-in note about my kids – I have a 6 year old and 10 year old who are remote learning. In this e-mail, Vicki mentioned how this time is “definitely one to test our flexibility and growth mindsets.” My oh my, is that true. I’ve been giving these words a lot of thought. This really is such a challenging time, and my friends and colleagues who continue to thrive through it all seem to share an aptitude for welcoming or, at least, being accepting of change and those elements that are outside of their control, flexible and yet bold in how they approach their challenges and responsibilities, and kind to themselves throughout. I try to learn from these impressive women – admittedly with varying degrees of success sometimes! I think we all feel better when we practice our flexibility and growth mindsets – and I wish all of you, and myself, those days (or moments) whenever possible!
Our fall programming line-up coincidentally happens to be all about flexibility and growth. Our Programming Committee recently put on a timely program about managing career transitions and professional development during the pandemic; our Associates Committee is planning a much anticipated program on managing remote attorney review processes; and our Leadership Forum Committee, with help from our Community Outreach Committee, has planned an outstanding, first-ever virtual Leadership Forum. So many of our members recently have been honored with incredibly impressive awards – with more great news to pass along on this front soon (as soon as certain embargos are lifted!).
Please read on to learn all the latest news from our Chapter, and please remember to always feel free to reach out to me – and to any fellow Coalition woman – at any time with any ideas or just to network or say hello.
Have a wonderful Wednesday, and stay well,
Chicago Coalition Chapter President
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Chicago Chapter Happenings |
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On September 10th, we hosted a webinar focused on Career Development during COVID-19, featuring Certified Career Development and Career Transitions Coach Amy M. Gardner. This virtual, interactive workshop gave us strategies for taking back control of our career and building long-term career resiliency. If you missed the webinar, it's available for viewing on our website.
On September 23rd, we will host a program focused on Virtual Performance Reviews and the New Normal, featuring Sonia Menon, Chief Operating Officer of Neal Gerber & Eisenberg, and Christina O. Alabi, Assistant General Counsel / Vice President of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Our panelists will share their experiences facilitating performance reviews and will give insight on how attorneys can confidently prepare for this novel process. Register now if you haven't already!
And we're pleased to announce that we've just launched registration for the 2020 National Leadership Forum! For the first time, the local Coalition Chapters are collaborating to offer a two-part Leadership Forum. The Chicago Chapter program will take place on Thursday, November 5, and will feature keynote speaker Kailei Carr, host of the acclaimed podcast, Beyond the Business Suit. Don't delay, register today--the first 200 to register by October 5 will receive a surprise party pack in the mail to make your virtual event even more special!
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Congratulations to the following Coalition members recognized as part of Crain's 2020 Notable Women in Law. This distinguished list recognizes women who, despite a global pandemic and national reckoning over long-standing issues of racism and social justice, have skillfully adapted and are advising clients on the onslaught of legal questions that have arisen in 2020. These women also consistently reach beyond their firms to support young girls, law school students, and disenfranchised voices. Of the 124 honorees, 73 are Coalition members! We offer our thanks and congratulations to the following women:
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We also congratulate our long-standing Chapter member and Outreach & Inclusion Co-Chair Gray Mateo-Harris on her exciting new position of Equity Partner at Fox Rothchild. Congratulations, Gray! |
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Stay tuned for upcoming correspondence recognizing women who have received other recent accolades and awards. If you or a colleague has received special recognition, please let us know by emailing chicago@thewomenscoalition.com so that we can feature your accomplishment in an upcoming newsletter.
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Quarantine Photo Challenge Highlights |
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As the COVID-era continues, so does our Quarantine Photo Challenge! For our "back to school" edition, we are sharing a few photos of our members juggling demands of work and school, in whatever form that may be taking this fall: Malaika Tyson (McAndrews, Held & Malloy) equips her kids for the classroom (left); Sonya Rosenberg (Neal Gerber Eisenberg) preps her crew for remote school (center); and Maria Maras (Accenture) shares a moment to celebrate the completion of a puzzle with her daughter (right).
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If you’d like your COVID-era coping skills featured, you’re not too late! Please send photo or a selfie with a brief description to chicago@thewomenscoalition.com.
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NERISSA DIAZ
ASSOCIATE, GORDON REES SCULLY MANSUKHANI
Why did you join the Coalition?
I joined the Coalition when I began working at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP. Many of my colleagues and mentors at the firm shared their great experiences with the organization and I was excited to join. In my own experience, I have found the Coalition to have excellent programming, addressing all the different aspects of practicing law as a female attorney. I have performed community service, practiced meditation, and listened to the advice of leaders in the legal profession on numerous topics. I have met and continue to meet extraordinary women, who inspire and I am honored to call friends. The Coalition is a wonderful organization with great people who care about each other, the profession, and world we live in.
What committees are you active on?
I am a member of the Associates Committee and my firm’s associate delegate. Along with an awesome group of women (the Judge’s Panel subcommittee), we put on this year’s 8th Annual Judge’s Panel, with Judges Hall, Kendall, and Fernandez, addressing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, during social injustice, during a pandemic, and in the future, which was held virtually in June.
Give us your elevator speech… or “Call me if you have…”
Call me if you have any civil litigation or trial matter. I have worked as a defense attorney since graduating law school. I was on a trial team that took a defamation case to verdict and pushed through a preliminary injunction hearing that lasted for weeks and operated as a trial regarding a non-compete agreement and other alleged employment violations. I successfully completed the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy at Stanford Law School. While I focus on insurance defense matters, ranging the spectrum, including toxic tort and breach of contract, I do not shy away from opportunities to help others in new ways. I am curious, detailed, and passionate about the work that I do.
Tell us something interesting about you that people may not know.
I have been dancing since I could walk. My parents’ always had music on in the house. When I went to school, I concurrently took classes in ballet, jazz, tap, acrobats, gymnastics, hip hop, and Puerto Rican folkloric dance. In high school I was the captain on our Poms team. In college, I took more classes, performed in shows, and co-founded Mezcla, a dance team that performed a variety of traditional and modern Latin dance routines. In law school, I only had time to dance when I went out with friends. But, upon becoming a lawyer, I became a certified Zumba instructor. My husband also got me multiple versions of a game called ‘Just Dance’ so I can keep learning new choreography and we took dance lessons before our wedding. I still enjoy and look forward to dancing at events with family and friends.
Share your favorite book or podcast – or an at-home resource or tip you’ve found particularly helpful.
I recently started reading “The New Billable Hour – Bill More Hours, Be More Productive, and Still Have Work Life Balance” by Ritu Goswamy, Esq. It is such an easy, practical, and short read. Reading is a way to de-stress in and of itself, plus this book has the added bonus of speaking to very busy lawyers with advice on how to continue to do better every day.
Additionally, finding some time to move around, even for just a few minutes, – whether it’s walking, running, yoga, dancing in your living room, or stretching in the morning or at night – can make a huge difference on your physical and mental energy and health.
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Setting up your Member Profile |
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If you haven't already, we encourage all members to take a moment to set up their personal profile on the Coalition website! These profiles will all feed into a database searchable by all members, and include fields for area of practice, years practicing, and more. The more information we have included, the more useful the tool will be.
To get started, visit the Chicago Chapter page and click “Member Login” in the upper right. (For detailed instructions and some helpful user tips, please click here.)
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This issue's quote comes from Vice President Malaika Tyson, thinking of any of us who find ourselves a bit burnt out by our current circumstances:
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive;
and to do so with some passion, some compassion,
some humor, and some style.
- Maya Angelou
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