Since becoming Montage Legal Group’s Lead Attorney in Washington, DC, I have had the opportunity to attend numerous networking events for all kinds of lawyers – business lawyers, small firm lawyers, and women lawyers, to name a few. These social events have been hugely rewarding, both professionally and personally, especially as a freelancer, where work is inherently solitary. It is great to meet other attorneys to bounce ideas off of, to compare war stories with, and to every so often kick back with a glass of wine.
The networking events in the DC area are plentiful and frequent, but it occurred to me that an event from a major contingency was absent – lawyers with children. Lawyers with children – particularly young children – face unique challenges, as we all know. There’s the childcare. There’s the parental leave. There’s the sick days coinciding with court appearances and the soccer games conflicting with a client meeting. There’s the fork in the road decision that many parents face as to whether or not to take a break from a demanding career. There’s certainly a lot to talk about.
Borrowing from what has been a huge success in Orange County, California, I decided it would be a great idea to bring the “Mommy Esquire” group to the Washington, DC area. Mommy Esquire is a group that promotes fellowship, education, and networking for lawyers with young children. Our first networking event, sponsored by Montage Legal Group, will be held on April 25, from 6:30-8:30pm at Blackfinn Saloon in downtown DC (1620 I Street NW). If you are interested in attending, please rsvp to ShannonF@montagelegal.com.
Download the flyer for the first Washington, D.C. Mommy Esquire event here: Mommy Esq DC.
Shannon Forchheimer is the author of the popular blog, But I Do Have A Law Degree, and is the Washington, D.C. lead attorney for Montage Legal Group.
Shannon graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2005 and subsequently practiced at Skadden Arps in New York City and Dickstein Shapiro in Washington, D.C. After the birth of her second son, Shannon left law firm life. While at home full-time with her young sons, Forchheimer started a popular blog, “But I Do Have A Law Degree,” which was voted one of the “Top 5 Lawyer Mom Blogs” by FindLaw’s Legal Blog, Greedy Associates.
In 2012, Shannon joined Montage Legal Group as its Lead Attorney for Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. Shannon recently created D.C. Mommy Esquire to promote fellowship and bring together lawyers with young children.
Contact Shannon at ShannonF@montagelegal.com.