Clarity Legal made its debut as our newest dedicated recruiting practice area earlier this year, and more recently, on the legal event circuit last month at the NAWL Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon! The event took place on July 19th at the Grand Hyatt New York. Our first event was a great success, very rewarding and an inspiring experience all around. Being part of a woman-owned recruiting agency, Clarity Legal valued greatly the opportunity to not only be a sponsor of this event, but to meet so many inspiring female attorneys in attendance. Christine Hogan, who is an active NAWL member and part of Clarity Legal, encouraged us to participate, and attended with Team Legal. She breaks it down a bit more below in the event recap. Keep reading to get the full scoop!
What is NAWL, and what inspired you to attend this event? The National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) has been around since 1899 – yes, you read that right! It is a collaboration of men and women supporting the development of female leaders in the legal profession. NAWL provides resources such as blogs, journals and events to encourage women attorneys to advocate for themselves and to pursue advancement opportunities. The greatest resource is the network of the organization – there are members from all over the world, working in-house or in firms. Some are running firms, others are in the midst of a sabbatical. These women are representing every practice area, and are at different career stages – that creates an invaluable support system for female attorneys, as well as an environment where everyone feels welcome.
I [Christine] am an attorney-member of NAWL and attended this event while I was practicing. I was amazed at the turnout and thoughtful content of the meeting! After joining Clarity Legal, a certified women-owned firm, I thought the NAWL Annual Meeting would be the perfect venue to introduce ourselves to some of the most impressive women in the legal market.
How many attendees were there? They were expecting approximately 800 attendees, and about that many came. Attendees were representing firms and corporations as well as independent members looking to network. It was a perfect place for Clarity Legal to lay our stake in the ground! With Clarity Legal being the newest division of Clarity Staffing, it was exciting to spread the word organically about our services to such an inspiring and reputable group of women. We had a great time communicating to the attendees that we’re here to help them find their next step, or find great hires to build the best team possible within their firm.
What is the format of the event? The morning started with a light breakfast reception and there were two breakout sessions. The main event is the Award Luncheon in the main ballroom, where notable NAWL members receive special recognition for their achievements.
What, in your own words, are key issues faced by female attorneys seeking new roles that Clarity can help support? The legal industry has made amazing strides over the last decade – many firms and corporations have instituted formal diversity and women initiatives, including longer paid maternity leave and flexible working arrangements. However, my observations during a decade of practicing law myself, have been that women are still more hesitant to showcase their achievements than their male counterparts. Surely this is improving tremendously, but as conversations across the industry are shifting, many women in law can benefit from supportive guidance rooted in their best interests and long-term goals. Clarity Legal can add value on two fronts – first, we spend time with each candidate going through their resume, background and matters or deals that they have worked on, coaching them on how to best highlight their experience and explain any missing pieces in their resume. Second, we are true advocates for our candidates and present them to our clients with clarity, confident that we have sourced the strongest candidates for the role with the best opportunity for long-term success for both the firm and the attorney.
Thanks, Christine! We appreciate you telling us about Clarity Legal’s debut on the event circuit, and how much value Team Legal can add to organizations seeking to build their legal teams. Looking forward to hearing more about what Clarity Legal is up to later this year!
Want to stay connected with Clarity Legal and learn more? Send us an email to be the first to hear future Clarity Legal announcements!
Legal@claritystaffing.com
*Clarity is a member of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants*