Building Meaningful Pro Bono Experience as a BigLaw Attorney

Building Meaningful Pro Bono Experience as a BigLaw AttorneyBuilding Meaningful Pro Bono Experience as a BigLaw AttorneyContrary to those who think theyre mutually exclusive, gaining meaningful zum vorteil von bono experience at a firm that supports it can be a great complement to a thriving BigLaw practice. At Gibson Dunn, attorneys have been on the front lines on such notable issues as the Travel Ban and the Family Separation bestellung, bringing a new dimension to their practices.In this post, Gibson Dunns Pro Bono Counsel, Katie Marquart, talks with Los Angeles associates Negin Nazemi, Corporate Associate, and Abi Garcia, Antitrust and Competition Law Associate, about pro bono work and BigLaw.Katie Many law students go into law school thinking there is a hard distinction between public interest and BigLaw work. Ive seen firsthand that this is a false dichotomy at the right firm, you can balance a thriving and fulfilling, cutting-edge BigLaw practice with meaningful pro bono work, leveraging the immense resources of a law firm (fueled by billable work) to magnify your impact. Gibson Dunn has always believed in the importance of dedicating pro bono resources to fight for the communities around us. We actively encourage our associates to take on pro bono work in addition to their regular practices, both to give back and to gain valuable individual experience that enhances their legal skills. As one example, over the last several years the firms pro bono work on behalf of immigrants and refugees has been unprecedented in its scale and scope. In 2018, Gibson Dunn dedicated more than 45,000 pro bono hours to immigration-related matters.Each year, our attorneys take on dozens of individual immigrants as pro bono clients- helping them navigate our complex immigration system in order to seek a chance at a better, safer life. These cases are life changing not just for the clients but for the attorneys who work with them and, in the process, get to know them and their stories. As a firm, weve also been able to coalesce around some of the larger immigration-related issues of recent years, including the Travel Ban and the Family Separation Crisis. It is in moments like this, working at a place like Gibson Dunn- where we can harness the passion, creativity, and dedication of lawyers all around the world for a collective goal- that I feel especially lucky to have this job.What welches it like to be a lawyer in the days following the Travel Ban?Negin It was quite a whirlwind. I was on the ground at LAX in the days immediately following the Executive Order doing whatever I could to pitch in. One thing that really stood out in my mind was the support that the volunteer attorneys received from the protestors on-site at LAX. The protestors were incredibly kind and went out of their way to provide the volunteer attorneys with water, food, and even laptop chargers. At one point, the protestors began chanting Let the lawyers in which brought a smile to all our faces.But for me, the first real indication of the impending chaos came on Saturday morning when I received word through an acquaintance that her relative had been detained in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. As you recall, the Executive Order was signed on a Friday and went into effect on a Saturday (when government offices are generally closed), which had the effect of magnifying the chaos and disorder flowing out of implementation of the decision. This relative was elderly, spoke little English, and had a serious medical condition. The Executive Order had been signed after she boarded the plane from Iran, and as a result, when she landed in Dallas, she was detained and set to be deported back to Iran the next day. Thankfully, we were able to quickly mobilize Gibson Dunn attorneys out of our Dallas office to meet with her relatives, file a petition for writ of habeas corpus and emergency TRO, and ultimately obtain her successful release from detention.What was it like working on the ground in Texas in the midst of the Family Separation Crisis? Abi I arrived in Texas about a week or two after the Family Separation Policy story had broken in the media. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that there was a desperate need for attorneys. Many of the immigrant parents we spoke to had not spoken to their children in over a week, had no idea where they were, and had no idea why they were taken from them.Overall, I was in South Texas for about two weeks, working with about 10 different parents who had been separated from their children. Every day new issues would arise. Sometimes the problems were purely legal in nature, and taking the time to research and identify an obscure U.S. code provision would be the silver bullet. In other situations, the problems were legal but also required creativity and tenacity to resolve the issue. I constantly think back to those two weeks, about the work we did, the work that is leise left to do, and the need for people to get involved. The experience was something I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and the skills I honed have enhanced my own litigation practice. Please share your most meaningful pro bono story.Negin I had the opportunity a few years ago to work on an affirmative asylum matter for a musician who had fled his home country for fear of his life. He was a member of a well-known rock band, and the government of his home country viewed their music as a threat to its religious and political precepts. After threats against himself and his family continued to escalate, the musician fled to the U.S. and was ultimately referred to Gibson Dunn for pro bono assistance. As a corporate lawyer, I had never worked on an immigration matter before however, we were able to leverage the incredible support and resources at Gibson Dunn to help ensure that we were giving our client the absolute best representation possible. The matter was a true labor of love for the entire team, and we were elated wh en asylum was successfully obtained (on Christmas Eve, no less). To this day, it is incredibly gratifying to know that our work played a parte in enabling this person to continue pursuing his dream of creating music without fear of censorship or government retaliation.Why do you engage in pro bono work?Abi As a Mexican-American who grew up close to the border, with family along both sides, I have always been mindful of helping those who did not have the same advantages I had growing up. My dad is a doctor in a densely Hispanic populated area in Texas and has always taught me to give back to the community you work and live in. My mother has always stressed the importance of family and community, volunteering with her prayer group.Pro bono provides me with the chance to help others in my community, to connect with them,, and, ultimately, to provide a positive impact on those who may be struggling. One of the most important wins I have had in my legal career was obtaining asylum for a child, after he was harassed and threatened by MS-13 members. Pro bono work allows me to be a part of these amazing peoples lives. Watching these children grow up, joking around with them and learning about their favorite subjects in school, and, ultimately, helping provide them with the opportunity for a better life is an experience that cannot be matched.To learn more about Gibson Dunns pro bono work, click here.This is a sponsored post by Gibson Dunn. To see the firms full profile, click here.

Dressing for the office How cute is too cute

Dressing for the office How cute is too cuteDressing for the office How cute is too cuteUnless you work for Candy Crush, chances are good that you have to temper your inclination to be adorable in the workplace. That said, we all want to personalize our workspaces and make them feel friendlier or funnier, and many of us like to add a bit of quirkiness to the more traditional 9-5 corporate uniform.Here are some ways to be cute in the workplace without seeming unprofessionalTry not to repeat yourselfI welches recently fortunate enough to meet style icon Tim Gunn who mulled over my question of how cute is too cute? Gunn believes that if youre dressing or styling yourself in a way that is 10-15 years younger than your chronological age, you probably should stop.While Gunn doesnt believe theres one way to dress thats age-appropriate, one imagines that wearing the tops or pants or accessories that served you well in college might not be the best choice when youre working for a living. If y oure wondering if its too cute for work, chances are good that it is.Define cuteMy friend Karen is extremely smart and extremely stylish. When I posed the how cute is too cute question to her, she thought about it for a while. She then reminded me that we all have different ideas of what the definition of cute is. Something vaguely whimsical might not register on my radar, while it might offend someone in a button-down profession.Before putting your own quirky imprimatur on your office or work wardrobe, pay attention to whats accepted or frowned on.Define age-appropriateI had a chat recently with the 90-something still active chairman of Echo Design, Dorothy Hyman Roberts, whos worked for her familys business for nearly seven decades. Roberts gave me some subtle side-eye when I presented the cute question to her and explained that different things seem cute depending on your age or stage.Then again, Roberts is at the office at 830 a.m. four days a week making me feel like a total sl ouch. I think in this instance we might be forgiven for completely tossing out the notion of the right way to look or act your age.Put it on a corkboardIf youre most interested in decorating your workspace, realize that its important to take your colleagues, co-workers, clients, and bosses into account. So, maybe instead of wallpapering your cube with every meme or comic youve ever seen or printed along with a life-size Idris Elba poster, you should try to limit it to anything that fits on a particular space.While youre at it, review your board every couple of weeks or months to make sure youre not unternehmensverbund onto or displaying something that makes you seem politically incorrect or woefully out of touch.Test it out firstMeanwhile, if you have an office or are about to move into one, you might want to test out the placement of your diplomas and tchotchkes before you do. Gunn recently partnered with Command Brand on coming up with smarter ways to decorate your space, even tem porarily.I like the idea of this gallery wall project, which is impressive and has enough personality to spark conversation, but not giggles.Dont let it out of your sightIm not sure if stand-up comedians have business cards, but Ill bet they have funny ones. If youre not sure how your humor will be received, try to keep an eye on it. In other words, test out jokes or punchlines or slogans before incorporating them into your conversation or professional visuals.Something might be cute once but could potentially grate on someones nerves if heard or seen too often.

From Mechanical Engineer to Rock Star

From Mechanical Engineer to Rock Star From Mechanical Engineer to Rock Star James Young finished second in his high school class at Calumet High School, Chicago. The result? An education in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Of course, when he graduated he had the usual goals most people do. Establish a solid career in the field of engineering. Make a good living.Oh, and be part of a mega-band that would go down in the annals of classic rock history.You see, this is guitarist James Young, one of the founders of Styx, which has sold mora than 30 million doppel-lps worldwide, with one album and song even going all the way to number one. Even today, more than 40 years after starting the band, they totenstill get thousands to show up at their concerts throughout the year.Before he became a rock star, Styx guitarist James Young also received his degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Image Manuel NautaBut once upon a time h e was just a guy who grew up watching the space program evolve and had an aptitude for math.Seeing a satellite get out there, our space program, it couldnt help but influence you, says Young, who was born in 1949. The miracle of flight always interested me, the Wright Brothers, all of it. And the engineering path interested his father even more. He was insistent on me getting an education. He had a construction business and there was even the thought that maybe I could be helpful to him there. At the least, he had saved up the money for school and just wanted me to have a degree.But Young, who had been playing in bands since his early teens, wasnt going to give up his other dream just yet, even if it meant driving a cab to support it. I grew up in the city so for me, driving people around was an adventure, he says. At this time, the music gigs were small, however. We would do a lot of live performances anywhere we could play, he says. You do cover tunes and mix in originals. You try to get more and more fans.It was the song Lady, which reached number six on the Billboard Chart in 1975, that catapulted the 24-year-old Young and his bandmates into new territory, seeing them eventually become one of the biggest bands of the 1970s and continuing to hit the charts in the 80s and 90s. And they still pack them in to this day, with 17 shows on the schedule in August alone, stretching coast to coast. The live performances are my favorite part, Young says. Its intoxicating, its addictive, its wonderful.Styx still performs to sold out crowds today. Image Manuel NautaDuring this time, Young has seen his engineering training come into play more than he ever would have guessed. You have computers for engineering, the stage shows. Im someone in the band who would really know if someone is selling us a bill of goods when it comes to technology, he says. Theres so many things at work on a tour. Lighting, temporary structures, moving gear back and forth. You always want to be a ble to help the show go on and sometimes need to make a quick assessment.Beyond the training he received in college, engineering created friendships that endure today and allow him and his engineering pals to continue to bounce ideas off of each other. Even the first distortion device I used came from friend Dave Yoshinari from school, he says. It was greatIts clear Young has a great appreciation for his engineering education, and he stresses that technological knowledge has never been more vital. The world is becoming more technologically complex and young people need a way to see through the clutter to whats important, he says. If you had told us back in the 60s about what would exist today, we might not have believed it.Eric Butterman is an independent writer. For Further DiscussionIf you had told us back in the 60s about what would exist today, we might not have believed it.James Young, Guitarist, Styx