Mothers' Association addresses the challenges faced by lawyer-mothers

An interesting article here on the difficulties faced by mothers in the legal profession. The article profiles MAMA (Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association) which has exist in Austin, San Diego, Honolulu, Washington, D.C. and Seattle, with further chapters being developed in 25 additional cities, including Hartford, Conn.; Providence, R.I.; Orlando; Cleveland; and St. Louis. Attorney Rachel Black first launched the group in Seattle, and found that there was immediate interest in a group that discussed and represented the needs of lawyering mothers. "Fifty women showed up at our first public meeting," said Black, "and more and more kept coming. This organization has really tapped into some urgent issues." One of the group's goals, for example, is to convince law firms' governing committees that work at home after 9 p.m. is just as valuable as work at one's desk at 5 p.m. The acceptance of flexible work schedules is essential to the ability of parent lawyers to maintain a balance between their work and family responsibilities.

Mothers' Association addresses the challenges faced by lawyer-mothers articles.philly.com Thu, Aug 18, 2011