Women Lawyers Celebrate Women’s History Month

In honor of Women’s History Month, Attorney at Law Magazine invites women attorneys to talk about the practice of law, their unique experiences as women in the legal industry and how they help (or hope to help) future generations of women achieve success in this profession. Thank you to all the women who participated.

Lisa B. Kim

Lisa Kim serves as the California Privacy Protection Agency’s top privacy protection legal expert, providing analyses and legal and policy recommendations to the Agency’s board and executive director and advising on privacy issues across all the agency’s divisions. Kim led the agency’s team in drafting new regulations that operationalize the California Privacy Rights Act’s amendments to the California Consumer Privacy Act.

AALM: Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve overcome in your career.

LBK: I had my first kid when I was just three years into my law practice, and then my second came unexpectedly a year and half later. With two kids under two, I struggled with how to perform at the level I was expected to at work, while still being the mother and spouse that I wanted to be.

Lisa B. Kim
Lisa B. Kim of California Privacy Protection Agency

I’ve learned over the years that in order to succeed in both the workplace and in the home, you have to know your limitations and be kind to yourself and those around you (especially those in your support system). You have to ask for help and build your support network to support you both physically and emotionally. And, you have to draw boundaries and make sure to know your priorities.

Your workplace (and I mean job and not career) can be like the ocean. If you don’t know where you want to go and what you want in life, you drift around. Sometimes it’s not a bad thing because you’re not sure what you want and as you drift, you find yourself enjoying the journey. Other times, you do know what you want, but you’re distracted from steering and you end up someplace you don’t want to be; or even worse, a storm comes along and you are knocked way off course.

For me, I’ve learned that I have to keep my focus on what I think is really important in life, which isn’t always my job, and make sure to course correct along the way. My experience has been that when I do this, I have a greater appreciation and ownership over my circumstances.

Your workplace (and I mean job and not career) can be like the ocean. If you don't know where you want to go and what you want in life, you drift around."

AALM:How do you support future generations of women lawyers?

LBK: I love to mentor law students and more junior attorneys in the profession, especially young mothers who are adjusting to juggling the responsibilities of being a mom and also an attorney. I often speak on panels and meet with law students and/or attorneys that reach out.

AALM: Share a quote or philosophy that has inspired you.

LBK: “Power at its best is LOVE implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is LOVE correcting everything that stands against LOVE.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In recent years, I’ve been inspired by the “Commitment Card” that MLK’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference required volunteers to sign. Among other things, those volunteers pledged that they would seek justice and reconciliation, not victory; sacrifice their personal wishes for the greater good; demonstrate courtesy to all; and perform regular service for others and for the world.

In this contentious and divisive day and age, it’s been a good reminder of how I can practically live my day-to-day life to make a difference.

Christina Morgan

Christina Morgan is a shareholder at Vial Fotheringham LLP in Mesa, Arizona. With over 15 years of experience, Morgan focuses her legal practice on HOA law and complex civil litigation.

AALM: Tell us about your best female mentor.

CM: My first and most significant mentor was Ronne Nunley, my boss during my job between college graduation and law school. Ronne wrote federal and state grants that funded substance abuse prevention, including rallying community support for the first clean indoor air ordinances in eastern Kentucky—the heart of tobacco country.  Each time I turned in a report, press release, or another document, she asked me about its overall purpose and the target audience, influencing my approach to writing today. I admire Ronne for showing me the power of writing and speaking with deliberate purpose. However, the biggest lesson I learned from Ronne is that we are stronger together. Collaboration can lead to bigger and better results. Once Louisville passed its clean indoor ordinance, major cities followed suit nationwide.

Christina Morgan
Christina Morgan of Vial Fotheringham LLP

AALM: Tell us about the female legal icon you admire most (real or fictional).

CM: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG). She was the second-ever female U.S. Supreme Court justice, champion for women’s equal rights, and continues to be a notorious pop culture icon. I am equally impressed that RBG raised her daughter while she attended law school and her son while working as a professor. Having a legal career and a family is possible! I had the privilege of meeting RBG in law school. Ironically, it was the same week that I found out that I was pregnant with my son. I was full of mixed emotions about managing my studies and the uncertain future of my career. The timing of her visit could not have been better. As a short woman, I also love that she was full of fire and stood 5’1″ tall.

AALM: Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve overcome in your career.

CM: Pregnancy and the first two years of my son’s life coincided with the start of my legal career. It was a marathon. I carried my son during my second year of law school. I loaded up on classes before he arrived, knowing he would need my attention. I gave birth between my second and third year, and due to the timing, I turned down a summer internship with the U.S. Army JAG Corp. My son turned 1 right before I took the bar exam and started a judicial clerkship. A few weeks after he turned 2, I began working as an associate in one of the largest firms in my state. I wish I could say it was any easier as an associate. It became easier as my son became older, but I continue to do my best to balance having a family and a career. 

 

As a short woman, I also love that she was full of fire and stood 5'1" tall."

AALM: How do you support future generations of women lawyers?

CM: I advocate for mentorship programs within law firms, especially my own. It does not need to be formal or limited to mentoring associates. We have had female staff members go to law school who began their careers as file clerks. It starts with simple conversations about the tools they need to advance their legal careers. Mentors, including male colleagues, can offer women opportunities for careers in law.

AALM: Share a quote or philosophy that has inspired you.

CM: Being a lawyer is often tough; sometimes, we must remember to be kind to ourselves. My favorite quote from “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz is along that vein: “Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.”

Toni Jaramilla

Toni Jaramilla of Toni Jaramilla, APLC

For over 25 years, Toni Jaramilla has been practicing exclusively employment law on behalf of workers in cases of sexual harassment, gender and race equality, discrimination and retaliation. Her civil rights practice includes representing victims of police excessive force and wrongful death. She litigates cases to trial, resulting in millions of dollars in settlements, jury verdicts, and arbitration awards. She has been recognized with numerous awards and she lobbies at the state Capitol and helps draft stronger legislation to protect California workers, particularly in the area of sexual harassment and gender equality.

AALM: Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve overcome in your career.

TJ: My parents immigrated from the Philippines to the United States. Growing up in a working class, immigrant household, I was not born into privilege or wealth. As a woman of color, I had to endure gender and racial bias in various settings including school and work, and now as an attorney, in the legal profession as well.

AALM: How do you support future generations of women lawyers?

TJ: I support future generations of women by always providing mentorship, support, and friendship. I have dedicated much of my career working on issues of increasing gender and racial diversity in the legal profession. I helped in the development of internships, fellowships, scholarships, grants, and educational programs that inspire diversity and encourage attorneys from diverse racial and gender backgrounds to become leaders and thrive in their careers.

AALM: Share a quote or philosophy that has inspired you.

TJ: “There is a solution to every problem.” Lawyers are not only fighters of injustices, we are also problem solvers. With persistence and creativity, we can solve many, if not all of them.

Aimee Guzman Davenport

Amy Guzman Davenport
Aimee Guzman Davenport of Stinson LLP

Aimee Guzman Davenport is an environmental partner with over 20 years of experience in environmental, energy, and administrative law matters. She enjoys helping clients deliberately assess risks so they can make smart decisions to expand and thrive.

AALM: Tell us about your best female mentor.

AGD: I learned from many strong women after losing my mother at a young age. Terry Satterlee, a retired environmental attorney from Kansas City, was one of my most influential mentors. She instilled an openness and confidence in me that encouraged me to seek original solutions to complex problems. She taught me to find comfort in taking risks and trust my abilities to lead when the right path isn’t obvious.

AALM: Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve overcome in your career.

AGD: I didn’t have ideal role models or a particularly stable environment growing up. This meant that later in life, I had to spend time learning essential interpersonal skills, as well as building healthy habits. Assimilating in educational and organizational environments often felt difficult because I lacked a solid foundation. These experiences and setbacks I overcame helped me develop an enduring resilience and confidence that I rely on daily.

AALM: How do you support future generations of women lawyers?

AGD: I love to pay forward the mentoring I received from Terry and others. I seek out other young women of color who are developing their practice and I try to assist however I can. Even small acts like making an introduction to another professional who can help a young woman in her field or contributing to a rising star’s campaign for elected office. I enjoy sharing a cup of coffee and chatting about life experiences with young women interested my career path. I try to be accessible for young women in law and find ways to signpost the pitfalls before they reach them.

I try to be accessible for young women in law and find ways to signpost the pitfalls before they reach them."

Betty Williams
Betty Williams of Law Office of Williams & Associates, PC

Betty Williams

Betty Williams is a civil and criminal tax attorney, representing clients nationwide and abroad in a wide range of California and federal tax matters. She has been practicing for 20 years, and has extensive speaking and volunteer leadership experience at the local, state and national levels, including serving as the current vice president of the California Lawyers Association and serving on two committees for the American Bar Association.

AALM: Tell us about your best female mentor.

BW: Attorney Kresta Daly has served as a phenomenal female mentor to me, particularly in the area of criminal defense. She has served as co-counsel with me on cases and mentored me in my service as a panel attorney under the Criminal Justice Act, which consists of attorneys appointed to represent indigent defendants in federal criminal cases in which the Federal Public Defender’s Office has a conflict of interest.

AALM: Tell us about the female legal icon you most admire (real or fictional).

BW: I think the female icon who has helped women significantly during my lifetime is Oprah Winfrey, because of the range of issues she exposed her audience to for decades, and as an example of an African American woman who fought the inequitable corporate pay structure and opened her own business to run her own way. Over the course of her career, she has served, educated, encouraged, and advocated for women across the globe, and significantly for those without a voice.

AALM: Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve overcome in your career.

BW: When I was first practicing, I was a single mother with two young children. I had to balance the demands of raising a family with my professional responsibilities.

AALM: How do you support future generations of women lawyers?

BW: I give presentations or speak at events when asked, encouraging young and diverse lawyers, including women, with their careers. I serve as a mentor for the California Lawyers Association’s Taxation Section Odyssey Mentorship Program in a one-on-one capacity with men and women lawyers, and I have supported and encouraged one woman employee throughout her legal education.

AALM: Share a quote or philosophy that has inspired you.

BW: Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you’re right.

Nina M. Roket

Nina Roket
Nina Roket of Olshan Law

Nina M. Roket is a co-managing/administrative partner, co-chair of the real estate group, and chair of the commercial leasing practice at Olshan Law. Roket is a nationally recognized commercial real estate lawyer focused on leasing and conveyancing, finance transactions, and restructuring situations. Roket is a trusted advisor to family offices, entrepreneurs, companies, and investors.

AALM: Tell us about your best female mentor.

NMR: Throughout my career, my mentors and sponsors were men. Incredibly talented and supportive men who were and remained my colleagues, clients, and individuals I am so grateful to have as mentors. It wasn’t until later in my career that I met a woman who exemplifies my aspirations. She paved the way for all aspiring and accomplished women. She is an icon in my industry – a force, brilliant, passionate, the smartest person in the room, and when she enters a room, she is immediately noticed and seen. She’s hard-working, strong, tough, genuinely caring, extremely generous, and devoted to her family. 

AALM: Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve overcome in your career.

NMR: My career path was filled with learning and growing opportunities rather than challenges. As a young mother, I learned the importance of navigating the professional and personal divide and finding a way that worked for me to have both rather than having to choose. As a young associate, I learned the importance of appreciating my value, asking for what I deserved, and knowing the importance of creating opportunities for business development.

As a young partner, I learned to speak my mind, even when I was in the minority, and learned from leaders how to navigate and negotiate challenging competing interests. I continue to grow and learn by surrounding myself with colleagues, clients, and friends that push me to grow and place me in challenging, new, and unique environments. 

AALM: How do you support future generations of women lawyers?

NMR: When I see a talented and deserving woman lawyer, it is an absolute must that I do what I can to help support, sponsor, and grow that talent to ensure there is a path for her to succeed professionally and personally. That includes creating a work schedule, and environment that fosters her professional development while not at the expense of her personal life and commitments.

I learned the importance of appreciating my value, asking for what I deserved, and knowing the importance of creating opportunities for business development."

Sharon R. Markowitz

Sharon Markowitz
Sharon R. Markowitz of Stinson LLP

Sharon R. Markowitz, a partner in the Stinson LLP Minneapolis office, represents clients in a range of litigation matters – including class actions and high-exposure, complex litigation – and counsels clients on how to minimize their litigation risk. 

AALM: Tell us about your best female mentor.

SRM: Sheva Sanders, a health care and life sciences partner at Stinson LLP, has been a great mentor to me. The reasons are too many to count, but here are a few: She genuinely cares about her colleagues and her clients as human beings. It’s easy to get caught up in the headiness and sometimes adversarialness of my work. But in my better moments, I am inspired to be more like Sheva. She knows her strengths, she leans into them, and she is not afraid to acknowledge them to others. She knows her weakness and is humble about them, but she doesn’t beat herself up over them.

AALM: Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve overcome in your career.

SRM: For years, I spent almost 100% of my time on bet-the-company litigation arising from the 2008 RMBS crisis. It was awesome. I got to craft complicated legal arguments, weave together expert testimony from a dozen experts, play a leadership role in the joint defense group, and do sophisticated work that attorneys with my tenure are rarely lucky enough to do.

But all good things must come to an end (if you can call anything related to the greatest economic crisis of our lives “a good thing”). And when that litigation ended, I had almost no other work. After that, I had to reinvent myself again and again. During the pandemic, I leveraged my experience dealing with Force Majeure issues. Later, I expanded into some areas of employment litigation while my employment-law colleagues were inundated with vaccine-mandate issues. And so on.

In each case, I had to see the need, call upon my experience to meet that need, and then supplement that experience with an “I-can-learn-anything-and-I-can-enjoy-anything” attitude.

AALM: How do you support future generations of women lawyers?

SRM: I try to develop relationships with female associates early so that they feel comfortable coming to me when they have problems. When they do come to me, I try to be thoughtful in my advice and follow it up with, “What can I do to help?”

I also chair the Women’s Partner Employee Resource Group. One of our primary goals is to improve retention and well-being amongst female associates. For instance, we are planning a series of roundtable events to allow associates to ask questions and hear from female partners about how to make private practice work for them.

I try to show associates how they can have a great life in private practice. Sometimes, that means bragging about how rarely I work on weekends; sometimes, it means confessing how stressful I find an opposing lawyer and how (and why) I am resisting the urge to spiral into needless disputes; sometimes, it means advertising how Stinson has always supported me (including by unquestioningly voting me into the partnership just a few months after I returned from four months of parental leave, on a reduced schedule). I want younger lawyers to see that private practice can be the best job on earth – intellectually, morally, and socially – if they make it so.

AALM: Share a quote or philosophy that has inspired you.

SRM: Sheva Sanders once said, “If you want to succeed, you need to start by defining what success means to you. Otherwise, you may be working toward the wrong goal.” For years, that principle has kept me on the path of a happy career and a happy life – one that is aimed at what feels like success for me and not someone else.

Rebecca L. Palmer of Rebecca L. Palmer Law Group

Rebecca L. Palmer

Rebecca L. Palmer is the managing partner of the Rebecca L. Palmer Law Group. Her practice includes complicated divorces, adoption, complex financial issues, and custody cases. She is a Supreme Court certified family mediator and brings experience in all resolution methods.

AALM: Tell us about your best female mentor.

RLP: I am truly grateful for my village of women mentors, especially Karen Williams, Meredith Level, and my sister-in-law, Julie Palafox.

Meredith and I went to law school together and practiced law side-by-side for many years. Outside of practicing law, Meredith was a community activist, raising her unwavering hand in service and investing in future leaders. Meredith chaired the Junior Achievement of Central Florida Board of Directors, helped to launch the JA Academy for Leadership and Entrepreneurship, and launched a virtual finance curriculum for students. Meredith went on to serve on the Women’s Leadership Council with Heart of Florida United Way. Ultimately, she lost her battle with cancer.

 

Meredith taught me to love deeply, fight for the causes I believe in, and immerse myself in community service.

AALM: Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve overcome in your career.

RLP: Throughout my career, I’ve had to carefully balance a considerable caseload, raise two children with my husband, a partner in a large law firm, and take care of my parents. Today, I run a business and manage a team in addition to client work. When I started as an attorney, there was no extended maternity leave – I had to work from home while caring for newborn children. I quickly learned how to prioritize my agenda, schedule, and family life effectively; this meant long hours to produce high-quality work to establish myself in the workplace. However, over time, I found my groove and have taken a more assertive stance in boardrooms and committees to help other women lawyers avoid the struggles I faced in my career.

AALM: How do you support future generations of women lawyers?

RLP: I actively mentor young women lawyers by providing advice, leadership, and opportunities to jumpstart their careers. In the past, I served as the president of the Central Florida Women Lawyers Association, which gave me a larger platform to mentor and inspire women lawyers. Meeting and talking to these other women made me feel more comfortable and helped the association prioritize a mentality focused on career advancement and finding the right work-life balance. My goal is to build women lawyers up and allow them to reach their full potential, away from the traditional mindset of the legal industry.

AALM: Share a quote or philosophy that has inspired you.

RLP: Prince once said, “to create something from nothing is one of the greatest feelings, and I would—I don’t know, I wish it upon everybody. It’s heaven.”

I’ve always admired and respected those who get up every morning to create new things, work hard and drive the world forward. For me, it’s rewarding to help my clients with their family law needs and discover the best path forward. We all have gifts, don’t be afraid to use them!

Megan A. Picataggio

Megan A. Picataggio is a partner in Ball Janik LLP’s construction and litigation practice groups. Her practice focuses on construction litigation, including large-scale construction defect litigation and general construction disputes.

AALM: Tell us about your best female mentor.

MAP: I am perpetually grateful for the village of women who have supported my growth and who continue to be there for me during the ongoing and everchanging balancing act of work, family life, and motherhood. One mentor in particular gave me the best advice, “Stop apologizing for your ambition.”

Megan Picataggio
Megan A. Picataggio of Ball Janik LLP

AALM: Tell us about the female legal icon you admire most (real or fictional).

MAP: Ruth Bader Ginsberg. She fought tirelessly for gender equality under the law and in the legal profession. She did not accept things as they were in her time – she chose to change them. 

AALM: Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve overcome in your career.

MAP: With a practice in construction – whether it be a client meeting or a hearing, I have often been the only woman in the room. That used to be daunting, now I see it as an opportunity.  

AALM: How do you support future generations of women lawyers?

MAP: The mentorship of future generations of women lawyers is incredibly important. To me, it is vital to focus on not just development but advancement in the profession to foster an environment that benefits future generations. My involvement with great organizations like the National Association of Women in Construction has allowed me to work with women in the construction industry, including emerging leaders, to make an impact in our industry. 

AALM: Share a quote or philosophy that has inspired you.

MAP: “Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Stop apologizing for your ambition.”

Lori Marks-Esterman

Lori Marks-Esterman is the litigation practice group leader at Olshan Law. She is an experienced commercial litigator representing private and public companies in complex corporate disputes and has  25 years of experience.

AALM: Tell us about your best female mentor.

LME: My greatest mentor is my mom. She was a bookkeeper for a construction company for over 30 years. While I was growing up, she was one of the only working moms I knew. She worked, of course, for the money but also because it was professionally satisfying for her. My mom taught me early on that women have choices – and that choosing the path that works for you may not be the most popular one. I learned that, as with most things in life, whichever path you choose will undoubtedly bring compromise and sacrifice.

 

Lori Marks-Esterman of Olshan Law

I learned years later that she had opportunities to take on additional responsibilities within her company that would have increased her compensation but would have required her to work farther from home. She told me the choice was easy for her – being close to home to be available to me and my brother took priority. This resonated with me – the difficult choices working women face every day.

I had the opportunity to work with my mom on a litigation matter recently. I represented a developer in a construction dispute, and there were accounting spreadsheets at issue that I was having trouble deciphering. I reached out to my mom for help, and she walked me through the data. She was enormously helpful, and it was a personal and professional highlight for me to work with her.

AALM: Tell us about the female legal icon you admire most (real or fictional).

LME: Ally McBeal. She had the fortitude to leave her previous job due to sexual harassment and was a proud female legal tour de force. She was fierce and fearless.

AALM: Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve overcome in your career.

LME: Being a mother of three children, a commercial trial lawyer with an active, fast-paced practice, and chair of Olshan’s litigation department means I wear many hats and constantly juggle these roles. While this is often challenging, I wouldn’t change a thing; I find each of these roles to be deeply fulfilling. I have learned that you can’t be all things simultaneously, and you can’t do it all and be everywhere simultaneously. I delegate when I can, lean on my resources (including excellent colleagues and my very hands-on husband), and pick my priorities at any moment.

AALM: How do you support future generations of women lawyers?

LME: I am involved in several organizations to support women in business and law. I am a member of 100 Women in Finance, regularly participate in UJA professional women’s events, and have also been active in advancing legislation promoting women and minorities on corporate boards and efforts to address the toll the pandemic has taken on women’s careers. I co-founded a networking group, Women in Alternatives, to collaborate with and advance the careers of women professionals.

Within Olshan, I actively promote inclusive practices at the firm and work on finding opportunities that advance the careers of women attorneys. When I became an equity partner, I volunteered and was Olshan’s first and youngest female litigation department chair. I am a member of the firm’s executive and compensation committees. I sought out these roles to be in a position to effect change, and I have been an advocate for pay equity and fair treatment. I work hard to be an empathetic role model and mentor, drawing from my experiences to create a smoother path for women at the firm.

AALM: Share a quote or philosophy that has inspired you.

LME: “How can I help?” I apply that mantra to my clients, my partners, and the younger, developing attorneys in the firm. 

I sought out these roles to be in a position to effect change, and I have been an advocate for pay equity and fair treatment."