11.18.08
Posted in status of women at 8:53 am by Marianne Trost
The National Association of Women Lawyers released its annual survey on the Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms yesterday. The survey results are a compilation of data collected over the past year from 137 of the Am Law 200. At the risk of overgeneralizing the 25 page report (of which I co-authored the sections on women initiatives, business development, and diversity) key findings include:
Women continue to be markedly under-represented in the leadership ranks of firms.
Women are promoted to equity partner only about half as often as men.
Women of color are much less likely to be in partnership positions than white lawyers of either gender or men of color.
At every stage of practice, men out-earn women lawyers.
Laterals account for two-thirds of the women who were promoted to partnership. (raising the question of whether making a
lateral move is a better strategy toward partnership than staying at one’s original firm)
Almost all Am Law 200 firms have implemented women initiative programs. (It’s too early to tell their effect on women retention and promotion in law firms.)
To view a copy of the survey results go to http://www.nawl.org/Assets/ocuments/2008+Survey.pdf
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11.13.08
Posted in business cards, networking at 9:24 am by Marianne Trost
Here are two tips for effectively using your business card at a networking event.
Tip One: Write something on the back of your card when you give it to someone. The notation on the back will help trigger the person’s memory about where they met you e.g. “met at such and such event”, or what you do e.g. “estate planning lawyer” (if it doesn’t already say that specifically on your card), or the topic of conversation e.g. “knows someone at the such and such organization”. Such notations significantly reduce the possibility that the person receiving your card will look at it a week later and ask, “Which person was this?” (Note: We have all had that happen to us, so you can bet it happens to the people you give your card too.)
Tip Two: When you take a card from someone else, write a notation on the back that will remind you of who that person is. The notation can be anything e.g. “opening a wine store” or “knows someone at such and such” or “interested in this or that”. You will be amazed at how that notation will remind you of who that person is even YEARS later.
For some reason, our brains usually don’t recall names after one introduction but they do recall stories or scenarios for months, sometimes years. That’s why making a notation on a business card is so important. It’s an important aid for the brain. To emphasize this point, think back on the last networking event you attended. Think of someone new that you met there. Do you remember their name? Likely not. Do you remember what you were talking about with that person? Likely.
So, the next time you are at a networking event, make a notation on the business cards that you give and on the business cards that you receive. If you do, you will significantly increase the odds that you (and they) will remember at a glance of the business card who you are or what you were talking about. Believe it or not, you will be able to read the notation on the back of a business card and most likely remember the person that gave it to you even a few YEARS later. That’s how powerful a tool a notation can be.
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