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Work Life Balance

Social Media and Substantive Law Practice

October 26, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Last night, I glimpsed the future of work at my kitchen table. It was 10 pm, and I’d just returned from the grocery store when I happened upon my daughter, math book and worksheet spread on the table, laptop  by her side open to a Facebook page.  Naturally, I exploded – “What are doing on [...]

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The Way of Life

September 29, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

In just a few hours, my sweet Mira will step to the front of the synagogue on the occasion of her bat mitzvah.  Before family and friends, she will chant the parshat (Torah portion) where Moses speaks to the Jewish people for the last time before they cross the Jordan into Canaan. But Moses cannot accompany [...]

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Why Saying “You Didn’t Build That” Stings Start Up and Solo Lawyers

July 26, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

I’m willing to give President Obama the benefit of the doubt that he didn’t intend to trivialize the accomplishments of small business with his controversial you didn’t build that  speech.  Still, for solo and start up lawyers, the President’s words sting. While there are plenty of solo lawyers who embraced the concept of hanging a [...]

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Ohio Lawyer Kathleen Havener Launches Woman2Woman Referral Network

July 12, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Up until this month, if you were looking to hire or refer a woman lawyer, finding one wouldn’t have been as easy as you might think.  At one time, the ABA’s Litigation Section Woman’s Advocate Committee maintained a referral network but no longer does.  And as I posted here, NAMWOLF, an association for women and [...]

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Why Does Having It All Mean Working for Others All The Time?

June 22, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

This month’s issue of the Atlantic brings yet another voice in the endless, evolving discussion of  Why Women Still Can’t Have It All, and what can we do about it?  Although I appreciated the honesty of the piece, I don’t understand why people as smart as the author, Ann Marie Slaughter, a former honcho in [...]

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Late Nights With Maury [Maurice Sendak]

May 8, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Today’s NYT Obituary pays tribute to Maurice Sendak as the children’s author who “wrenched the picture book out of the safe, sanitized world of the nursery and plunged it into the dark, terrifying and hauntingly beautiful recesses of the human psyche.” Maybe so from a critical perspective, but not for those of us who listened [...]

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How Online Bytes Enhance Offline Bonds

January 11, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Last week, my older daughter attended her first Sweet Sixteen while my younger one prepared to audition for the school play. Our house was abuzz with giggles and shrieks of excitement and supportive encouragement as my older daughter tried on dresses for her friends and plotted about gifts and gossiped, while my younger one sang [...]

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Built This Way

November 2, 2011 by Carolyn Elefant

This morning, I made lasagna for dinner, as my two furry companions waited eagerly to lick the bowl. Due to my involvement in an extensive regulatory proceeding, once again this week, I won’t be home until 8 p.m. and since my husband has a meeting, he’ll be back even later. My daughters are now 12 [...]

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Why I’m Glad I Never Counted

August 30, 2011 by Carolyn Elefant

As a parent, I’ve made so many mistakes that it’s difficult to keep track. I over-promised and under-delivered, sent school forms in late and never, ever did the school trip thing, let alone cook organic meals, assemble two dozen spiders out of oreos and pretzels or organize playgroups like the moms profiled in Good Enough [...]

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Social Media: Best Mother’s Day Gift for Lawyer Moms

May 8, 2011 by Carolyn Elefant

So, social media for lawyers has been experiencing a bit of a backlash lately. Some of it, deservedly so — and that’s from someone who’s co-authored a book on the subject. By now, many lawyers are not only recognizing, but beginning to agree that despite the hype from self-professed experts social media doesn’t make lawyers [...]

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