Career Development Series
"Take Charge of Your Career"
A Unique Program for Career Success and Personal Wellbeing for Women Lawyers
4 virtual sessions from March 2024 – June 2024 open to all Female Lawyers fitting criteria below
Registration Deadline: March 15th, 2024
Each 90-minute session in this series is pending approval of 1.5 diversity and inclusion professional responsibility credits in Illinois.
Promo Code available for Public Interest Attorneys.
Why This Program Matters For You
After a few years of law practice, women have generally gained confidence in their legal skills and ability to learn and be creative about practicing law. At the same time, many women begin to understand that legal careers are not typically a straight line; and that personal, social and professional goals can sometimes be in conflict. Some women will want to stay in private practice while others would like to consider in-house work at corporations, start-ups, not-for-profits, or government, or stop working in the law.
At more advanced levels, women continue to face challenges about how to advance, whether to stay in their current practice setting or change, and how to develop the leadership experiences and business skills that are required to reach the top levels of the profession. In addition, women at this stage often experience the push/pull of home and work, with ongoing concerns about pursuing demanding careers with family, social life and outside interests.
Program Objectives
The "Take Charge of Your Career" online program focuses on the skills and mindsets needed for women lawyers to move into leadership roles, overcome challenges at critical career stages of their careers, and develop positive and proactive approaches for moving ahead in their careers. It will combine discussions with experienced leaders in the profession, guided conversations with coaches and alumnae peers, and interactive small group workshops, all designed to help women advance in their careers while also making choices that matter for personal well-being.
Target Audience
The program is being offered exclusively to two (2) cohorts of Female Lawyers: associates (2–7 years) and senior lawyers (8–20 years). There will be four (4) virtual sessions for each cohort and the topics for each workshop will be tailored to serve the needs of each cohort.
Sessions For Female Lawyers 2-7 Years After Graduation
Each session lasts 90 minutes
Developing A Grit And Growth Mindset
March 19, 2024
Success is most often a result of positive reactions to the problems and challenges that women lawyers face at all stages of their careers. People with grit have the ability to move through difficult work settings, and can develop a growth mindset that allows them to experience obstacles as positive challenges for success. Through guided conversations and group exercises, we will help you develop grit and a growth mindset for turning everyday negative experiences into positives for moving your career forward.
How Do I Put It All Together? Work, Family, Life
April 17, 2024
After just a few years of practicing law, a question that women often ask themselves is, "Do I stay or do I leave?" Using our unique research about women’s careers in the law, we will discuss what it means to have work/life balance, what sorts of resources can employers provide to support a personal work/life balance, what are the common dilemmas that women face at difference life stages, and how you can frame a work/life balance that is personally and professionally satisfying.
The Benefits Of A Difficult Conversation And How To Do It
May 14, 2024
The skills to engage in difficult conversations – with peers, team members, or leaders – are essential aspects of work. We use realistic scenarios to role play and discuss why people avoid difficult conversations, the value that difficult conversations create for you and for teams, when to speak up, and the techniques to conduct those conversations to satisfying resolutions.
The Power Of Networks For Growing Your Reputation and Client Relationships
June 18, 2024
Networks are building blocks for successful careers. Networks provide the opportunity to learn and exercise leadership skills, enhance your reputation with clients and in the larger community, and grow the business relationships that are essential to advancing careers. We use discussion, demonstrations, and other interactive exercises to show why creating and using networks is essential for moving your career forward.
Sessions For Female Lawyers 8-20 Years After Graduation
Each session lasts 90 minutes
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
March 21, 2024
Can I really do this? Am I ready? Those are questions women lawyers often ask themselves at the point when they are expected to take on leadership roles for major matters, practices and offices. This session focuses on understanding and developing leadership skills, overcoming personal blockers to becoming a leader, and effective ways to guide team responses, including disagreement or conflict, for high team performance.
The Power Of Networks For Client Relationships and Growing Your Business
April 19, 2024
At all levels of practice, networks are the building blocks for successful careers. Networks enhance your reputation with clients and in the larger community, and are the foundation for growing business relationships that are key to greater recognition within your firm or company and for advancing into senior roles. We use discussion, demonstrations, and other interactive exercises to show how to create and use networks in ways that are natural and also move your career forward.
Managing Difficult Conversations As A Leader
May 17, 2024
A hallmark of leadership is being effective in difficult conversations and embracing techniques for managing conflict in positive ways towards shared solutions. Using realistic scenarios, this interactive session will teach through examples and group discussion about important communication skills to understand and implement with your peers, those who report to you on a regular or project basis, and the very senior leaders in your workplace.
Leading Through Challenging Decisions
June 20, 2024
Not all decisions are easily made, especially when a decision may not be well received by individuals or groups within the firm. This session will present several "real life" scenarios, such as when a critical personnel decision has to be made or when a firm-wide policy has to be adopted or modified. The session will cover techniques for framing decisions, the decision-making process, and how best to communicate decisions about change.
Program Faculty
The program's curriculum is designed and will be facilitated by the Red Bee Group. The training and coaching team includes former General Counsels/Chief Legal Officers of international companies, Executive Committee members of international law firms, Presidents of national bar associations, and Board Members of public companies and major not-for-profit organizations. Our guided cohort format allows “lessons learned” from highly experienced lawyers, using group exercises and discussions around real-life examples and key concepts for success. The Red Bee Group also draws from its unique portfolio of groundbreaking national and regional studies about sustaining long-term careers in the legal profession.
Stephanie Scharf, co-founder of the Red Bee Group, was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, a partner and member of the Management Committee at Jenner & Block, and founder of Scharf Banks Marmor LLC, a nationally prominent women-owned law firm. She is past President of the National Association of Women Lawyers, former Chair of the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, and former member of the Presidential ABA Diversity & Inclusion Commission. In addition to a J.D. degree, Stephanie also earned a Ph.D. in Behavioral Sciences, which informs her approaches to coaching, group learning, and data-based research about careers in the law.
Kelly McNamara, co-founder of The Red Bee Group, is former Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Discover Financial Services. Kelly serves on the Boards of Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Rush University Medical Center, and several nonprofit organizations. Among multiple diversity initiatives, she founded and developed the Diversity and Inclusion Education program at Scalia Law School, the first-ever diversity education program offered by a law school. Kelly is an experienced coach on leadership for individuals and group cohorts.
Wendy Shiba has served as chief legal officer of two NYSE-listed companies, after practicing at O’Melveny & Myers, and beginning her career as a law clerk on the Supreme Court of California. Wendy is a past President of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and a co-founder of the Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy. She previously served on the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, where she chaired the Women of Color Research Initiative. Wendy was also a member of the ABA Presidential Diversity & Inclusion Commission. Wendy is Chair of the ABA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Center. She has coached multiple attorneys individually and in group settings on various aspects of career advancement.
Thomas Bender is an exceptional leader and expert on firm management, and in the course of his career, has coached a wide array of lawyers. Before joining Red Bee, Tom served as Littler Mendelson P.C.’s co-president and co-managing director from 2012-2020 and was responsible for the overall strategic direction of the firm’s U.S. and global offices. Tom was also instrumental in advancing the firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts, which gained significant recognition by the media, legal industry and clients.
Roberta ("Bobbi") Liebenberg is one of the nation’s leading authorities for advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. She has implemented coaching programs, and designed best practices for both law firms and corporations seeking to hire and advance women and minority lawyers at all levels of the organization. Bobbi has served as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession; and as Chair of DirectWomen, the only organization dedicated to increasing the representation of women lawyers on corporate boards.
Christine Edwards is a former equity partner of Winston & Strawn, who also served as Chief Legal Officer at Morgan Stanley, and Chief Legal Officer at BankOne, a predecessor company to JP Morgan Chase. Chris is currently on the Board of the international company BMO Financial, and on the Board of its US subsidiary, BMO Harris. Chris is active at senior levels in a number of organizations that advance women in law and women in business.
Elisa D. Garcia, Senior Advisor with The Red Bee Group, is a former Chief Legal Officer of Macy's, Inc., Home Depot, Inc., and Domino's Pizza, and serves on the Board of Directors of Dollarama, Inc. An accomplished corporate executive and attorney with over 30 years of experience advising management and boards of directors, Ms. Garcia also serves of a Director of several non-profit organizations, including the Board of DirectWomen, a non-profit that prepares women lawyers for service on corporate boards.