In honor of women’s history month, I’d like to reflect on how a law firm can have an impact in supporting junior women as future leaders in the legal profession.

While women have outnumbered men in law school classrooms since 2016, there remain substantial disparities in the percentage of women appearing in court, taking on lead counsel roles, and in firm leadership positions. Locally, Judge Elizabeth Wolford, the Chief United States District Judge of the Western District of New York, was among the first to implement a rule in her chambers that strongly encourages litigants to permit more junior attorneys to engage in speaking roles in court, by examining witnesses and appearing for oral argument.

This is among the reasons that we encourage our associates to actively participate in every case. We want our associates to gain experience at every level, which we do by involving them in client meetings, settlement negotiations, examining witnesses at trial, arguing motions and appeals, and taking and defending depositions.  Recently, associate Ryan Lefkowitz appeared with me in a two-day evidentiary hearing where she cross examined two witnesses and did an excellent job. Lauren Maddox will participate in NYSBA Trial Academy in April, gaining additional valuable experience.

We assist our associates in developing their own practice, identifying a defined practice area and improving their marketing and client development skills. We provide opportunities for them to publish blogs and articles and participate in speaking engagements and CLEs. Every associate is assigned a partner mentor for ongoing development and feedback.

We encourage our associates to gain leadership experience within the community and the local bar associations. The firm has a commitment to supporting membership on non-profit boards and providing pro-bono work to those in need. Our associates serve on boards and committees for many professional associations and non-profit organizations including the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys, Monroe County Bar Association, Monroe County Bar Foundation, Villa of Hope, and Worker Justice Center of New York.

Several of our non-attorney staff members have set their eyes on going to law school in the future, and the collaborative environment at Adams Leclair provides the experience and encouragement for them to do so.  

While there is always more to be done, we celebrate the accomplishments and growth of all our attorneys and staff at Adams Leclair.

Stacey E. Trien is a partner with Adams Leclair LLP, where she concentrates her practice in civil litigation with an emphasis on employment law and contractual disputes. She can be reached at strien@adamsleclair.law or through the firm’s website at www.adamsleclair.law

Pictured: Back row, Mallory Smith, Partner Stacey Trien, Ella Humphrey. Front row, Lauren Maddox, Ryan Lefkowitz, Kelly Geary. Not pictured: Erin Casey, Mary Jo Korona

Pictured: Back row, Rebecca Maxwell, Mallory Smith, Ella Humphrey, Stephanie Scrivens, Kelly Geary, Amy Richardson, Sara Rule, Carin Cole. Front row: Lauren Maddox, Ryan Lefkowitz, Stacey Trien, Catalina McHugh. Not pictured: Erin Casey, Edie Cornish, Mary Jo Corona