The Case for Law School Sororities
The Case for Law School Sororities (Debbie Epstein Henry, New York Law Journal, January 5, 2022) The truth is I never really liked law school. My favorite part of practicing law was lunch (which, admittedly, is equivalent to when my kids declared recess to be the best part of grade school). It’s no surprise that I stopped practicing law more than 20 years ago. Yet it is curious that I’ve become very involved with my law school. But here’s the thing. Aren’t we all yearning for a sense of community, an opportunity to make an impact, and a means to ensure a more promising future? These are just a few of the things that got me back. I hope the same will hold true for you.
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A Happy, Profitable Law Firm – No, Really
A Happy, Profitable Law Firm – No, Really (Debbie Epstein Henry, Chapter 11 and Table of Contents, The Post-Pandemic Law Firm, Published by Globe Law and Business, October 2021) As lawyers emerge from the cloak of COVID-19, when their home and work lives seemingly became one, they will seek to incorporate the learnings of the pandemic into their new work worlds. Winning law firms will be those who can build the benefits of flexible work into happier and more productive and profitable environments.
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Viewpoint: For leaders, the power of sharing creates a means to convey trust and compassion
Viewpoint: For leaders, the power of sharing creates a means to convey trust and compassion (Debbie Epstein Henry, Philadelphia Business Journal, August 26, 2021) I recently chaired a virtual board retreat as the new president of The Forum of Executive Women, a nonprofit organization comprised of the top 500 women in business in Greater Philadelphia. I had planned to start with an ice breaker, asking each of the 30 directors to share one word that best captures the feeling they are currently experiencing. That was before my father was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer.
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Viewpoint: 10 tips for pursuing your post-pandemic life with ambition, and a dose of reality
Viewpoint: 10 tips for pursuing your post-pandemic life with ambition, and a dose of reality (Debbie Epstein Henry, Philadelphia Business Journal, June 21, 2021) If you’re like me, you were surprised by how much you appreciated the less frenetic pace during lockdown. As you emerge from post-pandemic life, you may yearn to hold onto your recent learnings — for both work and home. The question then becomes — how do you pursue life with vigor and ambition but also a dose of reality? Here are 10 tips that I hope will help get you there.
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Setting 2021 Goals, with Booz Allen Hamilton CLO, Nancy J. Laben
Setting 2021 Goals, with Booz Allen Hamilton CLO, Nancy J. Laben (Debbie Epstein Henry, Axiom, December 2020) As budgets contract, workloads expand, and the world continues to grapple with a global pandemic and systemic racism, planning for 2021 is more challenging than ever. Amidst this uncertainty, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nancy J. Laben, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Booz Allen Hamilton, on November 11th, and we explored the topic Setting 2021 Goals While Managing Increased Workloads and Smaller Budgets. Ironically, the first event we did together back in 2015 was titled Risk Taking: It’s Time to Jump in the Pool. Given how apropos risk-taking is today, we revisited that topic and delved into lots of others. Nancy shared thoughtful, actionable ideas. Here are takeaways that can help you and your organization as you plan for 2021.
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What Makes A Virtual Lawyer Happy?
What Makes A Virtual Lawyer Happy? (Debbie Epstein Henry, New York Bar Association, September 16, 2020) Prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, most lawyers had not worked exclusively from home. While the newfound family time, flexibility and elimination of long commutes were readily apparent gains of remote work, once the indefinite term of remote work became a reality, it lost its luster for some. Those with space constraints and a less productive work setup at home and those who are compartmentalizers, who like a separate locale for work, were frustrated by the protracted time away from the office.
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Effective Networking and Increased Connection in a Remote and Hybrid Workplace
Effective Networking and Increased Connection in a Remote and Hybrid Workplace (Debbie Epstein Henry, Chapter 6, Business Development for a New Legal Ecosystem, Published by ARK Conferences Ltd, a division of Wilmington plc, July 2020)
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Framing Your Career & Designing an Effective Job Search
Framing Your Career & Designing an Effective Job Search (Debbie Epstein Henry, Chapter 4, Career Development for Women Lawyers, Published by ARK Conferences Ltd, a division of Wilmington plc, April 2019) Think of a framed painting. It’s a square shape and the frame may be gilded and about two inches thick. That’s the image I want you to keep in mind as we explore your career. The exterior perimeter of the frame is your job search. The interior perimeter contains your constraints in evaluating the right career. The painting inside is the career you design.
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Make Your Ask a Give
Make Your Ask a Give (Deborah Epstein Henry, 50 Lessons for Women Lawyers – From Women Lawyers, 2019). Asking is uncomfortable. Many of you may be natural at developing relationships, but when it comes time to making an “ask” – whatever that ask may be – you fall short. Part of it may be a fear of failure that you ask for something that you don’t deserve, or someone else deserves it more, or you can’t deliver on it. It also may be a concern about jeopardizing relationships or trying to translate personal relationships into professional ones. Or, perhaps you are shy and not comfortable developing relationships in the first place, let alone making an ask for something that you want or need. Yet, not being able to ask – for that opportunity to represent a client, go on a pitch, or be considered for a job, promotion, leadership role or increased compensation – can impede your success. So how do you get there? Follow these tips and you should be on your way to mastering the art of the ask.
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Ambition: Women Powering Up
Ambition: Women Powering Up (Thomas L. Sager and Deborah Epstein Henry, Diversity & the Bar, January/February 2013) Webster’s Dictionary defines ambition as “an ardent desire for rank, fame and power.” That is not what senior executives and managing partners should be looking for in identifying future successors. Those who embrace this definition and use it as the lens through which to evaluate potential leaders are limiting, to an employer’s disadvantage, its talent pool and leadership pipeline. However, if ambition is defined as “an ardent desire to lead and influence the actions of others,” the pipeline opens, especially for women.
Read moreStrategic Networking – Learning to Identify, Connect, and Benefit your Network
Do you worry that your network has gone stale? That you’ve let it lapse for too many years? Do you think you need to step up your networking – but you don’t know where to start? Do you feel you’ve exhausted your networking efforts but you haven’t had the success you want or need? If the answer is “yes” to one or more of these questions, then you need a new framework to mine your network and unearth your contacts. By getting organized, conducting outreach, applying discipline, and extending yourself generously, you can tap into your network in a way you never could have imagined. You will also help others, fi nding great reward in reconnecting with old contacts and developing new ones too. Here’s how. Strategic networking – learning to identify, connect, and benefit your network (Debbie Epstein Henry, Chapter 6, New Directions in Legal Services, Published by ARK Conferences Ltd, a division of Wilmington plc, August 2017)
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The Evolving Legal Talent Pool
Twenty years ago, a lawyer’s career path was linear and unforgiving. Particularly in the large law firm environment, the expectation was that if you wanted to succeed, you needed to stay on track. That translated to no career breaks, no alternative schedules, and no deviations from substantive practice that would make a lawyer appear anything other than committed and focused on career progression. The Evolving Legal Talent Pool (Debbie Epstein Henry, Chapter 5, New Directions in Legal Services, Published by ARK Conferences Ltd, a division of Wilmington plc, August 2017)
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I’m honored to have received the Anne X Alpern award in Pittsburgh
HARRISBURG (April 4, 2017) — The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Commission on Women in the Profession will present its annual Anne X. Alpern Award to Deborah Epstein Henry, a recognized expert, consultant and public speaker on women, careers and the legal profession.
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Striking the Self-Promotion Balance: Demonstrating your Value Without Being the Obnoxious One in the Room
“You know those people at the office meetings and cocktail parties who tell you how great they are. You remember those instances of people bragging and how off-putting it was. In fact, you are struck by how vivid those impressions are and how those moments stay with you.”
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Developing a Healthy Appetite for Risk in Your Career
Developing a Healthy Appetite for Risk in Your Career (Deborah Epstein Henry; Inside, A publication of the Corporate Counsel Section of the New York State Bar Association; (Fall 2016, Vol.34 No.2)
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Women in Law Hackathon at Stanford Law School
Our winning team at the Women in Law Hackathon at Stanford Law School (June 24, 2016)
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Responsive Initiative: A Fresh Twist on Innovation
Responsive Initiative: A Fresh Twist on Innovation (Deborah Epstein Henry, Best Lawyers, Spring 2016)
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