Women’s History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions and achievements of women today and throughout U.S. history.
Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager Julia Roundtree Livingston recently spoke to Natalie Lamphier, president of the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers, one of the many bar associations across Illinois that supports female attorneys, who make up 41% of the state’s lawyers.
In addition to her role with the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers, Lamphier is a partner at Dussais Wittenberg Koenigsberger, LLP, in Chicago, where she represents clients in a variety of family law matters, with a focus on handling issues in contentious divorces as well as various issues involving allocation of parental responsibilities and child support.
Why are women’s bar associations important?
Women’s bar associations are important because they allow female attorneys a community of support, engagement, encouragement, and advice that can help us as we continue to grow and expand in what was once a male-dominated industry.
As a group of women, we share similar goals, experiences, and struggles. Women’s bar associations allow us to come together to support and encourage younger generations of women lawyers.
Of course, there has been significant progress in the last 20 years, but the reality is that women still earn [roughly] 83 cents to every dollar that a man earns. We, as groups of leaders, can support each other where other aspects in our various careers have failed us.
Recently, the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers hosted a mock trial with the Girl Scouts, an event that we put on every year. We had a record-high of 23 girls participating and 11 women attorneys to help them. The girls ranged in ages and levels of introversion. We coached them on how to do a trial and put on a full trial, and played the witnesses and coached them through their questioning.
One of the girls that I was coaching said she was really nervous. I told her that I always get nervous before I go in front of a judge, and she seemed surprised by that. I told her how I manage my nerves and that when I’m in court, I pretend that I’m someone else – like I’m acting out a role in a play of someone who is both prepared and confident.
She did her direct examination and delivered her questions confidently. It’s events like this that are not only valuable to the girls with whom we are working, but to us as a Board.
From a personal perspective, I have met some lifelong friends through participation on the Board of the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers, including many who do not practice in the same field as I do.
It has become not only a network of female lawyers whom I admire, can ask for advice, and send some of my own clients to on other cases, but also a group of women whom I am privileged to call my friends.
Who is a woman lawyer or judge who made a difference in your career?
I am a transplant from Minnesota, having attended both college and law school there. When I moved to Illinois, I had no friends, family, or network, and I didn’t know any of the laws of this state. I was both introverted and fearful.
In one of my first jobs, I met my now friend and colleague, Megan Gieseler. She is truly one of the best and most fearless litigators I have encountered in my 11-year career. She helped me learn some of the laws, improve my legal writing, and, most importantly, gave me confidence in the courtroom. Her advice was always simple and effective: “You can do this.”
She served as the 39th President of the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers and encouraged me to join the Board. She is and continues to be an inspiration to young women and young attorneys. More than anything, she loves being a lawyer.
What advice would you give women entering the legal profession?
I would echo the advice of my colleague – you can do this. As lawyers, I think we can all agree that it’s not an easy profession. We are all confronted with controversy at some point in our careers.
When I gave my speech at the Installation of the Board for the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers, I explained some things that I had learned from attorneys and other people with whom I have worked over the years. I would give this same advice to anyone entering the legal profession:
- Be Enthusiastic – This job is hard, and we have challenges, difficult clients, and bad facts. But we can all find joy in some aspect of the profession. Celebrate the wins – both big and small — with each other, your colleagues, and friends.
- Be Prepared – Always be the most prepared attorney in the room. If you are prepared, you will be unstoppable.
- Be Authentic – If anything, be kind and authentic in your personal and professional life. Be nothing but yourself. As women, as attorneys, and as people, we can appreciate both our similarities and our differences.
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