11. Women in Law, with Judge Alia Moses and Nicole Westbrook
In Episode 11 of the podcast, we discuss issues that women face as legal practitioners. Guests Judge Alia Moses and civil litigator Nicole Westbrook talk about how their shared passion for the law forged their respective career paths and offer guidance for navigating the personal and professional perils common to the practice of law. Judge Moses is the first woman federal judge in history to be seated on the federal bench for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Westbrook’s litigation practice at Jones and Keller is focused on complex commercial law; she got her start as a law clerk for Judge Moses.Topics3:03 Career beginnings4:46 Experiences as “baby lawyers”6:56 Practice areas where men outnumber women8:46 Judge Moses’s interest in the bench9:43 Major issues facing women in law14:40 Work-life balance15:51 COVID’s effect on flexible workspaces and schedules19:10 Is remote law work good for women? 20:00 Year Eight “partner track” or “mommy track”23:30 Women judges at the federal versus state level25:23 Working with men28:50 Generational differences36:20 The “jealous mistress” of law37:42 #metoo42:36 Mentorship46:00 Advice for young women entering law49:18 Signature signoff questionQuote“My advice is to pursue a culture, not a paycheck, especially out of some of the larger law firms like the type that the judge and I went to. You’re very much pressured to go into the biggest law firm that you can find and make that big check—and, of course, we all are swimming in debt and so it seems like a good idea at the time. I would strongly encourage you to be more exacting than that and to really focus on the culture, and what role do you see yourself doing, and what do you want to do.” (Nicole Westbrook) Recommended ResourcesNicole Westbrook (bio)U.S. District Court Judge Alia Moses (profile)Building a Pipeline to a More Diverse Appellate Bar (article)