Washington Lawyer - March 2019 - 28

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SPEIGHTS (continued)

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She's been at Morgan Lewis for 30 years now and has seen a positive shift
in the work-life balance for women lawyers. "With some of the younger
lawyers, I think the roles for women and men are a lot different than
what they used to be," she explains. "With respect to some of my younger
colleagues, the women's spouses or significant others tend to be a little more
engaged in the family life than in the past. That's not to say that there still
is not a challenge for women lawyers. But I do think there is a little bit more
enlightenment now about the roles of women and men in the family," says
Speights, who's divorced with two adult children.

5:30 - 7:30 a.m. I get up every morning to the smell of coffee because I grind

"As lawyers, we are handling some real important and heavy things. You
can get both mentally and physically fatigued. We have to be concerned
about our wellness. I'm adamant about making time for me - working
out, for example. I also really enjoy things like manicures, pedicures,
massages, and going to the hair salon. I have standing appointments
every Saturday for all of that. I did that even when my kids were young."

thing I do is go to the dining facility and eat two boiled eggs and drink a
green smoothie. Sometimes I catch up with colleagues who are also in the
office. Sometimes I schedule an early client call. I check my to-do lists,
which I usually make the night before.

In spite of her tremendous workload, which involves traveling around the
world or the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, as well as talking with
clients in Asia and Europe, Speights was able to give us a rundown of her
daily life on those rare occasions that she's in the office.

my coffee beans at night and set my coffee maker for 5 a.m. The first thing
I do is walk and feed the dog. Then I sit down and have a cup of coffee and
check emails. A lot of times, those emails are from colleagues in London or
Asia because it's the middle of the day for them. I also read the headlines in
various newspapers like the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the
Wall Street Journal. Then I also read the trade journals like Employment
Law360 and Bloomberg News.

7:30 - 9 a.m. I get to the office. I like to get in early because it's quiet. The first

9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Much of that time is spent talking with clients, whether
it's conference calls, video conferences, or standing team calls. A lot of my
clients like having weekly calls. Then I'm usually talking to general counsel
and attending board of directors meetings by video or phone call conferences. Usually between these hours, there is not an open space on my
calendar. The meetings are usually back to back.

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COVENTRY (continued)

Nevertheless, given the hectic schedule and enormous workload
associated with the legal field, the 45-year-old lawyer and mother of
three manages to strike a harmonious work-life balance - even while
her husband, Greg, travels frequently to Canada to be a caregiver for
his parents.
"Everyone has a different sense of what work-life balance looks like," she
says. "It's always a struggle trying to match the idea with the reality, especially when kids are young. I imagine that I'm not unique in feeling that I
don't spend enough time with the kids, that I don't spend enough time
sleeping, or that I don't spend enough time at work."
Her strategy? Staying in the present. "When I'm at home, I'm at home. I'm
not thinking about work," Coventry explains. "When I'm at work, I'm really
not thinking about home. Throughout my day there are texts to Greg or
a few others. But for the most part, I try to be fully engaged with what's
going on at that given time."

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28 WASHINGTON LAWYER

MARCH 2019

Coventry's diary below gives a snapshot of a recent work day:

5 a.m. Seven-year-old daughter wakes me to say she's sick and then goes
back to bed. I practice the cello for seven minutes, then get ready, fill the
Advent calendar with LEGO mini-figures, pack lunches, write a grocery list,
and feed the dog, fish, and cat. Transfer pattern markings to fabric and pin
two seams for Greg's Dr. Strange costume for Awesome Con.

6:10 a.m. Wake younger kids and give them breakfast, baths, clothes to wear,
and instructions regarding care of their teeth. Find their missing library book
and mittens. Text Greg. Daughter gives me a note to send on her behalf to
her members of Congress; she's misspelled "justice" but it's legible.

7 a.m. Into car and drop off kids. Go to office. Review and respond to
work-related emails as well as some emails regarding stepping into a bigger
volunteering role for the Girl Scouts. Email elder 20-year-old son who's home
from college and is still asleep.

8:30 a.m. Client meeting, then assign tasks to associates. Emails, emails,
emails. Send off daughter's note to Congress.

10 a.m. Conference call, followed by staff year-end reviews. More emails.
Finish preparing the minutes of most recent meeting of section council

http://www.dcbar.org/

Washington Lawyer - March 2019

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