Washington Lawyer - July/August 2021 - 24

FEATURE
It automatically
appealed to me that
there would be a
cohort of people in
all different practices
that I would get
to learn from and
talk to.
ANDREA MANGONES
Kids in Need of Defense
Take your leadership skills to the next level and be part of the 2021
Leadership Academy. Applications open in July. For details, email
leadershipacademy@dcbar.org.
Aiken was drawn to the academy because it honors John Payton, a
former partner at WilmerHale. " He was admired at the firm not only for
his commitment to justice, but [also] for the way he treated people, "
Aiken says.
" To be a part of the academy is such an honor because it is really an
unprecedented program. While it is run by lawyers, it covers so much
more than lawyers. They touch on what it takes to be a leader and with
that comes a lot of other things, such as self-reflection, maintaining selfcare,
and maintaining boundaries, " she adds.
For Phillips, the training was a real game-changer, giving him the confidence
and courage to continue to put himself in leadership positions.
So much so that subsequent to his time in the academy, Phillips ran for
secretary in the 2021 D.C. Bar elections and won.
Tonée Jones, a recent graduate of the University of the District of Columbia
David A. Clarke School of Law, was a D.C. Bar writer in residence. She is a
paralegal specialist at the U.S. Department of Justice's Tax Division.
Georgetown Law Shapes Future Changemakers
By Jeremy Conrad
L
eadership is a commonly overlooked
skill necessary in the practice of law.
Whether working as corporate counsel,
practicing within a large firm, or run -
ning a solo practice, lawyers are called upon
to formulate and advance non-legal arguments
that help build consensus and formulate
strategy in ways that are deeply
impactful. Although leadership traditionally
has not been a part of the law school curriculum,
things are changing.
Last fall, Georgetown University Law
Center's virtual Lawyers as Leaders class
drew the highest enrollment of any class in
the school's 150-year history, says William
M. Treanor, dean of the law school. " We've
been very focused on addressing that
gap and see it as the future in legal
education. "
More than 300 students signed up for the
class that featured conversations between
Treanor and eight prominent legal minds
about their life and professional journeys.
" We're proud to offer specialized tracks for
future leaders in technology law and policy,
public interest law, global law, and business
law, " Treanor says. For example, Georgetown's
Business Law Scholars program, now
in its fourth year, helps students entering
the business world " build the same leadership
skills that business schools teach. "
The program culminates with a leadership
seminar, which is rapidly becoming an
institutional think tank.
Professor Hillary Sale, associate dean for
strategy at Georgetown, says leadership is
particularly important for area law students
and lawyers. " We have a lot of students who
want to go out and be leaders in some
fashion, and we have a lot of alumni who
are powerful leaders. We are centered in
one of the greatest places for leadership in
the country . . . We really want to connect
to that, " she says.
Many law school students will not graduate
directly into leadership positions. However,
at Georgetown and elsewhere, programs
that help upcoming attorneys develop
the skills necessary to do so effectively can
help give tomorrow's leaders a running
start.
24 WASHINGTON LAWYER * JULY/AUGUST 2021
Courtesy of Andrea Mangones
Washington Lawyer - July/August 2021

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