Burns & Levinson, a Boston-based law firm, recently hosted its second
successful event as part of the Burns & Levinson Women’s Forum. The evening
featured a discussion with retired United States Federal Judge Nancy
Gertner. Fresh from the bench, Justice Gertner spoke candidly of gender
dynamics in the courtroom, of challenges facing women trial lawyers and of the
responsibility of those who have attained positions of power to speak up and
continue to work for equality of opportunity for their junior colleagues.
Judge Gertner noted that, too often, when attorneys from private law firms
would appear in front of her the junior attorneys who actually did the work
would sit behind their senior male colleagues who would argue the motions.
“Currently 15% of women in the legal profession are equity partners,” says
Gertner. “My generation felt like we were carrying the banner for
everyone. Today’s generation of women attorneys need to keep that banner held
high.”
Ellen Zucker, a partner at Burns & Levinson, commented on the
night: “Smart, impassioned and now freely irreverent, Judge Gertner
lead an inspiring conversation about women in the law. While we
might miss her as part of the judiciary, this talk confirmed (if there was any
doubt) that she has a lot to offer the legal community in this next phase of her
professional life. We were delighted to have her join us.”
The Burns & Levinson Women’s Forum holds regular events around topics of
interest to women attorneys. Initiated by the women partners at the firm, the
Burns & Levinson Women’s Forum is designed to offer a place for conversation
among experienced women lawyers on topics of importance to the women in their
profession in their communities.
The next event is scheduled for late January 2012 and will feature a
discussion about women in-house counsel.
This event is invitation-only and limited to senior women attorneys;
inquiries on being added to the invitation list are welcome.
About Burns & Levinson LLP
Burns & Levinson is a full-service law
firm with more than 125 attorneys based in Boston, with additional offices in
Providence and New York, as well as in the Merrimack Valley, Metrowest and South
Shore areas of Massachusetts. The firm has grown steadily and strategically
throughout the years and has become a premier law firm with regional, national
and international clientele. Its leadership has grown and expanded as well, and
women are in positions of leadership in several of the firm’s departments. The
firm has expertise in corporate law, finance, venture capital, private equity,
tax, bankruptcy, lending and leasing, real estate, business litigation,
government investigations and white collar crime defense, intellectual property
– including patent law and a large private client group – including estate
planning, probate and trust litigation, divorce and other family law issues. In
addition, the firm has a wholly owned subsidiary office in Montreal, Quebec, to
service its Canadian clients. For more information, visit Burns & Levinson
at www.burnslev.com.
