Gender: Female
Industry: Law
Age: Unknown
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A Golden Career

After successfully serving a year as President-Elect of New York State Bar Association, the largest voluntary state bar association in the country, Kathryn Grant Madigan became its president on June 1.   

Kathryn Grant Madigan is one of those few women who have taken the motherhood barrier and the glass ceiling in their stride – and shattered them.  A mother of two sons, Kathryn has a set a record of accomplishment bright enough to cause envy. 

While at college and pursuing her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  In the university, she played point guard for the women’s basketball team, and received the 1975 Pacesetter Award for being an outstanding senior.   

She did law at Albany Law School of Union University, and in 2000, she received the Kate Stoneman Award from there.  In the same year, she was also listed in America’s Best Lawyers and received the NYSBA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. 

She progressed within the NYSBA from a starting position of that of a member of the Executive Committee, and went on to serve as Secretary, Vice President, Member at Large, and Chair of the Elder Law Section.  Within this period, she also became the first woman President of the Broome County Bar Association as well as the youngest person to adorn that seat. 

At present, Kathryn is a Trustee of the Binghamton University Foundation and the United Health Services Foundation, in which she is a former chairperson.  She is a past chair of Harpur Forum, too.  

Kathryn is a partner of Levene Gouldin & Thompson, LLP, and is the first lawyer from the Sixth Judicial District to become president of the NYSBA in the last 35 years.  As soon as assuming chair, she announced plans to increase membership of the already 72,000 member strong NYSBA and launched a new blog that can be reached at www.nysbar.com/ blogs/president . 

People like her serve as role models to women everywhere, and without women like her this country would be so much less than it is. 

06-05-2007

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Retaining Women Attorneys

A new report on gender disparity in law firms serves as an eye opener.  Though women lawyers constitute around 44 % of the law firms’ associates, only 17 % of them are partners.  

The researches have found an interesting trend in law firms.  By the third year of their association with the law firms, women attorneys start leaving large law firms.  This exodus of women lawyers is not only ominous for the careers of women lawyers, it also hits the profitability of law firms badly.

Like other business organizations, law firms also must take steps to address this issue.  It may include certain drastic changes in restructuring of the law firms. 

In view of the women attorneys’ specific needs, the firms perhaps can do away with strict adherence to hourly billing.  They can also facilitate women attorneys to opt for part-time work.  Provision of unpaid leave and on-site childcare will also allow women attorneys to continue work without hassles.

Interested to know further?
Read:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4855928.ht ml

06-04-2007

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Why is it so bad if lawyers advertise themselves?

Aspects of ethics rules controlling the conduct of lawyers and law firms command perpetual interest and Eric Turkewitz’s May 29 update on the recent controversy over New York Advertising rules forwards some points that are quite relevant to the situation in other parts of the country.  As Eric quotes from the Response Memorandum in the lawsuit brought by Public Citizen:

“The rules do not define a “technique [ ] to obtain attention” or explain what sorts of techniques are “relevan[t] to the selection of counsel.”  Nor do they provide any guidance as to what lawyer characteristics are deemed to be “unrelated to legal competence” or what sorts of statements “impl[y] an ability to obtain results in a matter.”  The rules, by their plain language, are so broad in scope as to cover essentially every advertisement ever used by an attorney beyond a business card, letterhead, or resume.”

Very true – while professionals in other fields enjoy a marked lack of illogical restrictions on advertisement, the legal field imposes restrictions that give word-of-mouth the greatest power.  In our field, rumors can promote or assassinate a career any time.  So, if you are interested in the issue, check out Eric’s post at the New York Personal Injury Law Blog.  (http://www.newyorkpersonalinjuryattorneyblog.com/index .htm)

On personal injuries, here’s one you are bound to admire.  Peter Lattman’s post at Wall Street Journal Law Blog on 29th titled “Ultimate Fighting: Lawyer’s edition” (http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/05/29/ultima te-fighting-lawyers-edition/) tells of two lawyers from opposing sides who started brawling during in an employee-employer negotiation.  While their clients have settled the dispute between themselves – the lawyers are still fighting each other in a lawsuit over the brawl.

If you are planning to escape such situations as exemplified by those two lawyers here’s a great post from Stephanie at idealawg: “The big advantage to knowing your own biases.” (http://westall en.typepad.com/idealawg/)  The blog is so good that you had better check it out yourselves rather than me blabbing and killing the impact.

So, see you folks next week, but in passing, and while still on mindsets, there’s a new word in the market called “plaintiphobia.”  And yes, it is plaint-i-phobia.  The May 30 post in Deliberations (http://jury law.typepad.com/deliberations/) deliberates upon this word used by Cornell professors and the researches that led to its coining.  Like it?  I love it!

06-01-2007

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In Defense of Suspects

There is good news for suspects who cannot afford to hire a private attorney.  A new law firm will provide them with their services at low prices.

The new firm Criminal Law Center, P.C., is a brainchild of two experienced attorneys Demetrius Fannick and Nanda Palissery.  

It is a common knowledge that when someone is charged with a crime, he/she finds it difficult to get a good lawyer.  Unwillingly, they have to fall back on the services of public defenders who are too busy to give any personal attention to the client’s case.  Dependable, private attorneys are available, but their charges are beyond the suspect’s means. 

The development is especially good for New Bridge Center on Pierce Street, Kingston, as the firm, the first of its kind in the area, will be located there.  The law firm will handle a very large range of cases including that of drunken driving and homicide.

As per the norms, a single person, having no child, earning less than $9,800 a year is eligible for a public defender.  Practically, there are many who don’t fall under this category, but at the same time, they are not in a position to afford a private attorney, too.

CLC will try to rectify the flaw.  Its services are independent of the client’s income. 
In fact, Fannick and Palissery had thought of setting up the firm earlier, but country’s justice system did not allow it to happen in those days.

The firm will bring some sanity in the system and give relief to those who seek justice but cannot afford it.

05-31-2007

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Blazing the trail

Lauren Stiller Rikleen got the Barbara Gray Humanitarian Award from a Framingham based group that serves victims of domestic violence.  Rikleen, 54, is a partner at Bowditch & Dewey LLP and she had worked with Gray in 1989.

A formidable woman by all accounts, Rikleen was instrumental in founding the Metro West Harvest, an organization that collects leftovers from restaurants and hotels to feed the homeless.  However, besides feeding the homeless, and fighting for victims of domestic violence, she is a dedicated lawyer.

The Boston Bar Association elected Rikleen as president in 1998.  The first non-Boston lawyer to be so elected, she created a task force to study key challenges in balancing work and family.  The report of the study titled “Facing the Grail: Confronting the Cost of Work/Family Imbalance” enjoyed national acclamation.  The report, which can be found at http://www.bostonbar.org/prs/workfamilychallenges.htm, is a must-read.

Last year, Legal Works published “Ending the Gauntlet: Removing Barriers to Women’s Success in the Law” written by Rikleen.  The book deals with barriers and obstacles faced by women trying to climb the corporate ladder in a law firm.

I hope that we continue to see more of her writing published.

05-30-2007

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