Law Students

Michele Coleman Mayes ? Questions I Wish I?d Asked?Things I Wish I?d Known

By Ms. JD

On November 20-21, Ms. JD?s Third Annual Conference on Women in Law ? Avenues to Advancement ? took place at Chicago?s Northwestern University School of Law.  The conference brought together highly accomplished legal luminaries and budding young attorneys hoping to gain valuable tools and insight as they prepared to enter a profession that, though continuing to provide a wealth of opportunities, has experienced significant layoffs in light of the nation?s economic downturn.  Preparation and inspiration were two recurring themes of the conference, and Friday night?s keynote address from Michele Coleman Mayes, General Counsel and Vice President of Allstate Insurance Company, provided a wealth of both.  Though I cannot hope to recreate the wit and humor that accompanied Mayes? speech, I can attempt to convey the heart of her message.  As law students and delayed associates sat attentively in the forum of Northwestern Law School, Mayes shared these words of advice ? questions she wished she had asked and things she wished she had known as she progressed through her legal career:

1.      How much of your identity can you keep?  When selecting a place of employment it is important to check out its culture and values, and seriously assess whether it is a place where you can at least be authentic.

2.      Do you know how the organization perceives you?  If you fail to take stock of how an organization perceives you, many assumptions and decisions will be made about and for you.  Ultimately, you will need to decide whether or not to address these perceptions depending on their short- and long-term impact on your career.

3.      Do you have your professional and private priorities in order? Though your priorities may change over time, you need to take step back and take stock of what you really want and conduct an honest assessment of the opportunities put before you.  In this examination, you have to be willing to take risks.  Otherwise, you will not stretch or grow.  In making these assessments, however, it is important to conduct sufficient due diligence and to reach out to mentors.  On this note, Mayes emphasized the importance of ?strategic mentoring? and having people to teach you the ?informal? rules of the road.  Developing your own personal ?Board of Directors? is critical to your success.

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Full post as published by Ms. JD on December 10, 2009 (boomark / email).