Celebrating Women's History Month

Why is it important to look back at history from a female perspective?
Women’s History Month allows us to celebrate achievements by women and for women from a female perspective. It also reminds us that society as a whole benefits when a powerless group obtains basic human rights. Women in the United States overcame tremendous obstacles to obtain the right to own property, the right to vote, and the right to pursue higher education. The 19^th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote, was ratified almost 144 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. By 2020, 100 years after the 19^th Amendment, the percentage of women in the United States who had completed four or more years of higher education was slightly higher than the percentage of men (38 percent compared to 36.7 percent). In January of 2020, women comprised approximately 50 percent of the workforce employed outside the home, although as a whole, female earnings were 84 percent of male earnings. Women’s History Month should encourage everyone — not just women — to advance basic human rights to improve the quality of life for all of us.

Who is the most influential woman you know and how has she inspired you?
Singling out one person is challenging! I have been inspired by many women: teachers, authors, activists, artists and attorneys. Eleanor Roosevelt influenced the world through her work on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that that all humans are "born free and equal in dignity and rights" regardless of "nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status.” Created in the 1940s, the Declaration influenced the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964 that became the basis for equal rights in the United States.

On a personal level, my first job after law school was working for Virginia Morgan, United States Magistrate Judge, who became a female attorney when the field was almost entirely male. She was the perfect attorney: bright, bold, fair, funny, and humble. She took time to understand the cases on her docket and treated everyone with dignity and respect, from pro se litigants to famous orators. She taught me that listening to each party and understanding each person’s perspective is just as important as applying the law.

What has been your greatest career accomplishment, particularly in a male-dominated legal industry?
As an attorney who provides advice and counseling, some of my greatest accomplishments involve averting a crisis or avoiding a lawsuit, which is gratifying to the client but not particularly thrilling to discuss. Remaining a full-time attorney in private practice from the time that I graduated law school until now has been a significant accomplishment, when so many of my peers left traditional law practice to work in other fields or alternative positions. The most rewarding part of my practice has been mentoring other attorneys and seeing them thrive.

How have you experienced or witnessed the power of the Dinsmore Women’s Initiative in your time at the firm?
My first woman-focused event at Dinsmore was held at a hotel in Louisville in the early 2000s, not long after I joined the firm. I was thrilled to walk into a large conference room filled with successful women attorneys who were all part of my firm. Being together as a group and hearing from a panel of partners discussing their careers and their clients was a tremendous encouragement. Each one had a different practice, a unique set of circumstances, and each was tremendously supportive of the others. The keynote speaker, a woman, discussed marketing from a woman’s perspective, something new to me at that time. Dinsmore’s support for women and other attorneys from other under-represented groups sets our firm apart and increases our ability to attract and retain strong legal talent.  We should be proud to see the number of women who have achieved partner here.

What has been your greatest career accomplishment, particularly in a male-dominated legal industry?
Becoming a partner at a large law firm has been my biggest career achievement so far. It is something that I set my sights on early in my career, and I am proud that I have made it this far. I have enjoyed honing my legal skills, gaining experience and building my clients over the years.

Who is the most influential woman you know and how has she inspired you?
My mother. Just recently becoming a mother myself, now I really understand the sacrifices and decisions that mothers – especially working mothers – have to make for their children. My mother has selflessly put her children and now her grandchildren first and made sure that we were not only taken care of, but also encouraged to grow into our own people. She had a quiet influence and did not necessarily push us a certain way, but always encouraged us to live life on our own terms. She has always been so selfless and able to put her needs aside for her children and other family members and friends as well. She is an inspiration. We need more people like her in the world.

Why is it important to look back at history from a female perspective?
Women have always been present in history and actively participating in and making history, whether or not it’s recognized or well known. If women were not making the decisions, they were helping to further goals, and helping to stand up for rights. It’s important to highlight women’s accomplishments. In the last 100 years or so, there have been lots of women inventors, women in science, politics, the law and in corporations who have not received the recognition they were due. There are so many bright and courageous women throughout history that we are now just hearing about. There are lots of women musicians, artists, lawyers, and judges – unsung heroes – who have been overshadowed and not given the recognition. It is important that we look back to our history and tell their stories because women could give so much inspiration to girls and also little boys out there. Women do not necessarily only inspire women, they can inspire men too. It’s important to celebrate women’s history, but emphasizing the fact that women’s history is not necessarily separate from history as a whole is important. Making “women’s history” more mainstream, is important. We are working toward that.

How have you experienced or witnessed the power of the Dinsmore Women’s Initiative in your time at the firm?
It’s about creating a community of women who help each other, mentor each other and provide guidance. The barriers in the law that women face are changing because more women and men are starting to become aware of some of the ways we can help promote women in our firm and help them to feel like our firm is the place for them. Over the years, many law firms and corporations have not been inclusive or welcoming to women. The Women’s Initiative creates a social setting, a friendly setting, but also a setting where we share substantive information to help women progress in their careers.

What has been your greatest career accomplishment, particularly in a male-dominated legal industry?
I started my legal career late. I decided to change my career path in my late 30s. It took hard work and determination, but I was able to combine my legal education and my science/engineering background and find a niche that I enjoy while making unique contributions.

Who is the most influential woman you know and how has she inspired you?
The first woman coming to my mind is my mom. My mom is the woman who inspired and influenced me the most in my life. My mom is someone who can conquer any hardship she faces. After she retired at the age of 55, she and my dad moved away from the city where they spent most of their adult life and moved back to her childhood home to be closer to family. In the new city, they started a new life and started building ties in the new community. My mom started a second career and became vice president of the company. Recently, she turned 80 and retired a second time from the workforce. She is hardworking and full of energy. Her positive outlook on life and perseverance are something I strive to have. She set a great example for me in life.

Why is it important to look back at history from a female perspective?
Women have been making contributions to our society throughout history but often do not get the recognition they deserve. A well-known example is Rosalind Franklin, whose work was central to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA. She didn’t have the honor of winning a Nobel Prize as did her male colleagues, James Watson and Francis Crick. A lesser-known example is Lynn Margulis, one of the greatest biologists of all time, who is not as widely recognized as Charles Darwin or her own ex-husband, Carl Sagan. However, her contribution to the understanding of life is not less than that of Charles Darwin. Lynn Margulis' name is as synonymous with symbiosis as Charles Darwin's is with evolution. Symbiosis complements the theory of evolution and can explain what evolution cannot. In the male-dominated field of science, Darwin’s Origin of Species is hailed as the Bible of biology and is rarely, if ever, criticized for its limitations. Natural selection is a game of exclusion. Origin of Species might tell the story of evolution of life, but ironically, it certainly does not tell the story of the “origin” of species. Symbiosis, however, provides a more complete picture of how life begins, but is not given nearly the credit it richly deserves. Without looking back at history from a female perspective, the view of history would not be a complete one.

How have you experienced or witnessed the power of the Dinsmore Women’s Initiative in your time at the firm?
Dinsmore is a great place for women employees to work. I have witnessed some of my female colleagues advance in their career while starting a family. Dinsmore provides flexibility and room for women attorneys to balance work and life.

What has been your greatest career accomplishment, particularly in a male-dominated legal industry?
I am in IT, so not only do I work in the male-dominated legal vertical, I also work in a male-dominated IT industry. That has definitely provided challenges and growth opportunities. Those who know me well will likely tell you that I have always been persistent (or stubborn, depending on who you talk to). I call it perseverance. Working in a male-dominated industry has helped me hone that trait. I have been at Dinsmore for the majority of my career, starting as a litigation paralegal in 1998.

Seven years ago, I was provided with an exceptional opportunity for a significant pivot in my career. I began working with our then-COO, Suellen Young, to lead client- assessment efforts and develop a program to ensure compliance with client and regulatory requirements. Through these efforts, a better-defined security team and program were developed and the team and the program ultimately became my responsibility. Dinsmore’s commitment to ensuring the security of client data enabled the firm to become ISO 27001 certified in 2019. ISO certification is an enormous undertaking and a tremendous achievement. The dramatic pivot of my career and the position it put me in to escort the firm through changes to meet the rigorous requirements are some of my greatest career accomplishments.

Who is the most influential woman you know and how has she inspired you?
This is a tough question! How do you pick just one influential woman? I find inspiration in those around me, and I have been blessed to have many influential women in my life. To start, I work hard to emulate the calm demeanor and kindness of my amazing 85-year-old mother who raised nine children — some with special needs — and taught me the power of positivity. I marvel at the accomplishments of my sister-in-law, who balances her family and her career, and also navigates the male-dominated legal field and is now a court of appeals judge in Kentucky. My other sister-in-law taught me to always look for the good in others and the joy in making genuine connections with people. I could go on about the many strong women in my life who teach me every day how to be a better person. I think everyone has wisdom to impart, if we just take the time to learn from those around us every day.

In terms of my career and certainly my time here at the firm, I would have to say Suellen Young has had the most influence on me professionally. Suellen saw a spark in me, put her faith in me and gave me the opportunity to spread my wings. She was an exceptional mentor who worked hard to elevate women. Though I never heard her outwardly declare this, I witnessed it in her actions. I work hard every day to mentor and develop my team, create an atmosphere of collaboration and positivity and make work enjoyable. We all spend a significant part of our lives at work. We should enjoy the people and the atmosphere in which we work. It’s a crucial element to life’s happiness.

Why is it important to look back at history from a female perspective?
It can be easy to feel defeated as a female professional when you know that across the U.S., women’s salaries average only 82 percent of what their male counterparts earn — and even less for women of color — and to see low representation of women in positions of authority, both politically and in the private sector. But, it is important to look back and see that the gender pay gap has closed, due to the hard work of the women who came before us, and more women are navigating their way to the top, breaking the proverbial glass ceiling. This is motivating! Change is happening. We need to celebrate advancements we have made at the same time we commit to moving forward with positivity. I have been inspired by the women at Dinsmore who are office managing partners, board members and chairs, as well as chiefs, directors and managers of our administrative team. It is important we continue this trend to bring gender equity to the table, which helps our firm to be stronger with diversity of perspective, experience and thought.