With the theme Passion Forward, the sixth annual Ms. JD Conference on Women in Law aimed to empower women attorneys to pursue their ideal careers. The event, which was held in Austin from Feb. 21 to Feb. 22 and cosponsored by the Center for Women in the Law at the University of Texas School of Law, featured several interactive sessions on relevant and important topics for legal professionals. A California-based nonprofit, Ms. JD was founded in 2006 by law students at several of the nation’s top schools, including UT law school, to strengthen the presence and role of women lawyers. It organizes events around the United States several times a year, conducts original research, and provides an online library of articles and blog posts.
Above: Attendees at the Ms. JD Conference on Women in Law, held in Austin on Feb. 21, participate in a networking and icebreaker game.
During the first session of the Ms. JD conference, titled “Find Your Passion,” attendees reflected on their Myers-Briggs test results in order to have a clearer understanding of what type of professional work would complement their personality type, strengths, and preferences. The second session, “Display Your Passion,” provided instruction on how to promote oneself professionally and included discussions on effective, short social media writing, creating successful news op-eds and blog posts (as well as some of the pitfalls of such activities), and involvement in local bar associations and nonprofits. In the third session, attendees had the opportunity to work with professional trainers—such as the chief diversity officer of New York Law School and an attorney with Microsoft Corporation—on how to turn their passions into a personal brand. More information is available at ms-jd.org.