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January 5, 2022
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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October 26, 2021
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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August 26, 2021
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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June 21, 2021
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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December 1, 2020
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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September 16, 2020
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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