Burns & Levinson, a Boston-based
law firm, recently hosted its second successful event on September 13, as part of the Burns & Levinson Women’s Forum. The
evening featured a discussion with retired United States Federal Judge Nancy Gertner. Fresh from the bench,
Justice Gertner spoke candidly of gender dynamics in the courtroom, of
challenges facing women trial lawyers and of the responsibility of those who
have attained positions of power to speak up and continue to work for equality
of opportunity for their junior colleagues.
Judge Gertner noted that, too often,
when attorneys from private law firms would appear in front of her the junior
attorneys who actually did the work would sit behind their senior male
colleagues who would argue the motions. “Currently 15% of women in the legal
profession are equity partners,” says Gertner. “My generation felt like we were
carrying the banner for everyone. Today’s generation of women attorneys need to
keep that banner held high.”
Ellen Zucker, a partner at Burns & Levinson,
commented on the night: “Smart,
impassioned and now freely irreverent, Judge Gertner lead an inspiring
conversation about women in the law. While we might miss her as part of the
judiciary, this talk confirmed (if there was any doubt) that she has a lot to
offer the legal community in this next phase of her professional life. We were
delighted to have her join us.”
The Burns & Levinson Women’s
Forum holds regular events around topics of interest to women attorneys.
Initiated by the women partners at the firm, the Burns & Levinson Women’s
Forum is designed to offer a place for conversation among experienced women
lawyers on topics of importance to the women in their profession in their
communities.
The next event is scheduled for late
January 2012 and will feature a discussion about women in-house
counsel.
This event is invitation-only and
limited to senior women attorneys; click here to inquire about being added to the invitation
list.
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