Page 26 - Delaware Lawyer - Winter 2019

FEATURE
friends with people outside of your firm and outside of your field. I did that a lot. I volun- teered for non-profit boards and made lots of connections that I think helped me to get on the bench earlier, because I was well-known. It’s about visibility. Find your group. Be confident.
Sometimes, I felt like I had imposter syndrome, like I should just be happy with whatever I was given or allowed to take. I would say don’t think like that. Be confident in your skills. People are willing to help you if you put yourself out there.
TM: It helps you to be known,
but it also helps for other peo-
ple to see you and realize, “I
like you and I can work with you.” People don’t realize their own biases. Sometimes groups tend to stick with people they are comfortable with, but if they see you out and about and you are going to different
committees and organizations, they have an opportunity to get to know you.
PW: We talk about inclusion, but in the end, we can’t make that change; the ma- jority has to make that change. I agree
with Natalie — you have to include yourself. In the firm, you have to go into some- body’s office. Because if you are a woman of color, they may not have contact with persons like you in their everyday life. It might be surprising, but it’s true. On a professional level, you have to make them com- fortable with you. We have to take those steps.
Also, look for an environ- ment that is not sink or swim. Law firms are very sink or swim. If you are not good at finding mentors and sponsors, in addition to all the other work you have to do, you are going to sink. And if you’re sinking, you shouldn’t feel like you have to stay and fight. At
the end of the day, look for environments where there is a culture of inclusivity or someone that you trust.
For me, it was a diverse male partner that I knew I could count on. He was
24 DELAWARE LAWYER WINTER 2019