IN THE EIGHT years that I have worked at Franklin Pierce Law Center, I have spoken with many women students who wonder what practice will be like in "the real world." They voice concerns about juggling families and careers, disparate hiring and pay practices, and how they can be themselves.

Women law students need positive role models. They need to know about women who love to practice law, who have successfully worked in environments where they may be one of very few women attorneys and who have managed the family/career balance. They need something beyond TV shows to find out how this is done – real women talking about real problems and real solutions.

And they need something beyond the negative. Although there are important studies showing gender inequities, there are also women who have made the profession work for them and who like what they do. Their voices need to be heard.

Over the years, the NH Bar Association has made important contributions in this area by studying issues of gender equity, creating its Gender Equality Committee and hosting programs that promote women within the bar – often co-hosting these programs with the NH Women’s Bar Association. These steps are terrific – they have provided data that women have used in negotiating for more equitable pay, highlighted important disparities and inspired others with their stories and demonstrated successes. For those women students concerned about what it is like to practice law in the 21st century, I invite them to become involved and attend these gatherings. Those who do are excited about joining the profession.

Several recent programs offered the kind of inspiration and leadership that is so important to new women attorneys – and even to many of us who graduated from law school more than a decade ago. In January, at the Midyear Meeting’s Women’s Breakfast, sponsored by the Gender Equality Committee and the NH Women’s Bar, NH Supreme Court Justice Linda Dalianis spoke about her work as a judge, a lawyer, a parent and a professional. Her words and examples about her life and work were inspiring, as was being in a room full of women who are leaders within and beyond the state.

The NH Trial Lawyers Association also contributed to showing how women can be successful attorneys in its full day "Women in Trial Practice" CLE in April. Eight women spoke with grace and humor about how much they like trial work, how they became leaders in national organizations, have negotiated firm politics, generated business and dealt with adversaries. Their stories were positive; their advice sound. They spoke of how we all need to pick our battles, find our passion, be willing to work hard, offer solutions, negotiate skillfully, take risks and make choices that reflect who we are at our core. Their words of advice applied to anyone, not just to women, and not just women trial attorneys. But even more powerful for women than the words of the speakers were their actions – they are serving as role models.

The panelists of that CLE, Justice Dalianis and attorneys Kimberly Kirkland, Mary Alexander, Eleanor MacLellan, Emily Rice, Leslie Nixon, Diane Nicolosi, Heather Burns and Elizabeth Mulvey, each have very different styles and approaches to how they present themselves. They showed the audience how to be yourself and be successful. And in delivering an opening statement, conducting a direct and cross exam, women trial attorneys demonstrated three excellent examples of courtroom expertise combined with complete authenticity. By showing, not just telling, us that they enjoy their work and are great at it, they motivated and inspired.

Afterwards, in speaking to law students who attended the "Women in Trial Practice" program, they all spoke about how they wished there were more of these. So did the attorneys in the audience. Many of us were not trial attorneys but interested in hearing from other women attorneys or interested in getting CLE credits. We received more than we paid for – a powerful message that law practice can be fun, engaging, noble, challenging and inspiring.

These recent programs give me great material to talk about with my female students expressing concerns about the practice of law. I can share with them the attorneys’ good experiences and offer those attorneys as positive role models. I can explain to my students how they can make practice work for them. I have support for the claim that they can avoid becoming cynical and disheartened by the profession. I hope that the NH Bar, the NH Women’s Bar and the NH Trial Lawyers Association continue their efforts that help these students and the profession as a whole.

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