Ed.
note:
This
is
the
latest
installment
in
a
series
of
posts
on
motherhood
in
the
legal
profession,
in
partnership
with
our
friends
at MothersEsquire.
Welcome
Susan
Peters
to
our
pages.
Click
here
if
you’d
like
to
donate
to
MothersEsquire.
You
worked
incredibly
hard
to
get
to
this
place
professionally
and
develop
your
skills.
For
2025,
make
it
a
priority
to
raise
your
profile
and
get
more
work
that
you
want!
As
a
former
litigator
turned
public
relations
and
communications
professional,
my
advice
is
to
promote
yourself
at
all
stages
of
your
career,
whether
you
are
a
brand-new
lawyer
or
have
been
practicing
for
a
while.
Profile
raising
is
key
for
lawyers
looking
to
cement
long-term
success,
build
influence,
and
position
themselves
as
leaders
in
their
field.
Lawyers,
especially
busy
mother
attorneys
ask
me
all
the
time:
Why
should
I
care
about
self-promotion?
Why
do
this
with
what
little
free
time
I
have?
Isn’t
my
work
product
good
enough?
Sadly,
the
answer
is
no
—
profile
raising
is
crucial
for
women
for
many
reasons.
There
is
a
huge
gender
gap
in
self-promotion,
which
incredibly
begins
as
early
as
sixth
grade,
and
a
study
finds
that
female
workers’
deep
discomfort
over
touting
their
skills
and
experience
adds
to
gender
gap
in
promotions
and
pay.
We
have
to
fix
this!
Why
Should
I
Promote
Myself?
Some
Key
Considerations
Lawyers
with
strong,
visible
profiles
are
more
likely
to
attract
new
clients.
A
well-established
public
presence
signals
expertise
and
trustworthiness,
making
clients
more
comfortable
in
choosing
them
for
legal
representation.
Profile
raising
helps
lawyers
manage
and
shape
their
public
image.
By
actively
engaging
in
thought
leadership,
commenting
on
newsworthy
topics,
social
media,
or
public
speaking,
lawyers
control
how
they
are
perceived
by
the
public,
peers
and
clients.
In
a
crowded
legal
market,
raising
your
profile
distinguishes
you
and
sets
you
apart
from
the
competition.
Being
known
for
a
particular
expertise
or
leadership
in
the
industry
often
gives
you
a
competitive
edge
in
securing
high-profile
cases
and
clients.
Additionally,
a
well-known
lawyer
can
leverage
their
public
profile
to
build
a
wider
network
of
peers,
clients
and
industry
contacts.
These
relationships
can
lead
to
collaborations,
referrals
and
new
business
opportunities.
A
strong
profile
also
makes
lawyers
attractive
for
media
interviews
(the
fun
stuff!)
and
speaking
engagements.
This
helps
further
elevate
your
status
as
a
thought
leader.
Lastly,
lawyers
with
elevated
profiles
are
more
likely
to
receive
referrals
from
colleagues,
clients,
and
other
industry
professionals
who
recognize
their
expertise
and
trust
their
reputation.
Some
Suggested
Tactics
On
How
To
Do
It
I
am
often
asked
what
are
the
most
effective
ways
to
raise
my
profile
with
the
least
amount
of
time
and
effort.
While
everyone
is
different
and
excels
in
different
areas,
some
of
my
top
suggestions:
Thought
Leadership
and
Content
Creation
One
of
the
most
impactful
ways
to
raise
your
profile
is
through
thought
leadership.
Writing
articles,
blogs,
or
op-eds
on
topics
relevant
to
your
practice
areas
allows
you
to
showcase
your
expertise
and
become
a
go-to
source
for
the
media.
Publishing
in
industry
or
legal
publications
or
contributing
to
platforms
like
LinkedIn
can
position
you
as
authoritative
voices
in
your
field.
Have
limited
time?
Focus
on
topics
that
align
with
your
daily
work
or
cases
that
you
are
currently
handling.
This
makes
content
creation
less
time-consuming
but
still
highly
relevant.
Speaking
Engagements
Speaking
at
conferences,
panels,
and
webinars
offers
a
direct
way
to
demonstrate
your
knowledge
and
build
your
professional
reputation.
If
you
are
newer
to
practicing
or
nervous
about
getting
started,
look
for
smaller,
local
engagements
or
virtual
events,
which
require
less
travel
and
time
commitment.
Bar
associations,
legal
organizations,
and
women-focused
networks
can
often
offer
great
opportunities.
Preparing
a
few
key
presentations
on
familiar
topics
allows
you
to
reuse
and
refine
your
material,
reducing
the
prep
time
needed
for
each
new
event.
Awards
And
Recognitions
Actively
pursue
professional
awards
and
recognitions!
Sometimes
women
are
more
shy
or
nervous
about
submitting
for
these,
but
you
should
not
be!
These
accolades
offer
third-party
validation
of
your
skills
and
achievements.
Either
you
or
your
marketing
professional
should
identify
relevant
awards
and
submit
nominations
for
yourself
(and
others).
Social
Media
Social
media,
particularly
LinkedIn,
provides
an
excellent
platform
to
share
your
insights,
successes,
and
opinions.
By
consistently
engaging
with
relevant
content
and
sharing
professional
milestones,
women
lawyers
can
build
a
robust
digital
footprint
that
amplifies
their
personal
brand
with
minimal
time
invested.
Networking
Networking
is
critical
for
elevating
your
profile.
However,
this
doesn’t
mean
that
you
must
attend
every
event
—
that
leads
to
burnout
and
overextension.
Be
strategic
—
choose
key
industry
events,
join
niche
groups
(like
MothersEsquire),
and
cultivate
a
small
but
powerful
network
of
mentors,
peers,
and
influencers
in
your
area
of
law.
Depending
on
what
stage
you
are
at
in
your
career,
it
is
important
to
stay
connected
and
visible.
These
groups
foster
a
sense
of
belonging
in
a
profession
that
can
feel
isolating,
especially
for
mothers
juggling
multiple
roles.
Balancing
a
legal
career
and
motherhood
comes
with
unique
challenges,
such
as
managing
demanding
schedules,
client
expectations,
and
family
obligations.
Networking
with
peers
who
also
cope
with
and
understand
these
struggles
gives
much-needed
emotional
support
and
camaraderie.
These
groups
also
create
a
unique
safe
space
to
share
experiences,
offer
advice,
and
celebrate
successes.
In
our
group,
discussions
often
come
up
on
topics
of
importance
to
lawyer
moms
such
as
navigating
parental
leave
policies,
maintaining
work-life
balance,
or
dealing
with
bias
in
the
workplace.
Members
are
really
generous
about
sharing
their
resources
like
tips
on
time
management,
childcare
solutions,
or
strategies
for
returning
to
work
after
maternity
leave.
It
is
also
a
great
resource
for
referrals,
as
members
regularly
solicit
recommendations
for
lawyers
serving
the
specific
practice
area
and
jurisdiction
that
they
need.
MothersEsquire
has
been
a
great
group
for
networking
and
has
allowed
me
to
connect
with
lawyer
mothers
at
all
different
stages
of
their
careers,
from
law
school
students
to
mothers
with
adult
kids
out
of
college.
By
combining
these
tactics
and
sometimes
getting
out
of
your
comfort
zone
a
bit,
you
can
meaningfully
raise
their
profiles,
even
within
the
constraints
of
a
busy
legal
career
and
often-hectic
family
life.
Susan
Peters
is
the
founder
of
Greybridge
PR,
which
provides
public
relations
and
communications
assistance
for
legal
and
professional
service
firms.
She
was
a
litigator
in
New
York
City
for
over
eight
years
before
switching
careers.
She
is
also
a
member
of
the
board
of
MothersEsquire.
Staci
Chris
Kathryn
