HARARE
–
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
on
Wednesday
appointed
new
deputy
ministers
for
the
ministries
of
Women
Affairs
and
Mines.
Zvishavane-Runde
lawmaker
Fred
Moyo
has
been
appointed
deputy
minister
of
mines,
deputising
newly
appointed
minister
Polite
Kambamura.
Moyo
is
reprising
a
role
he
previously
held
between
2013
and
2017.
Kambamura
was
promoted
to
the
mines
portfolio
last
week
following
the
abrupt
dismissal
of
Winston
Chitando
by
Mnangagwa.
Meanwhile,
Zanu
PF
legislator
for
Mt
Pleasant,
Kiven
Mutimbanyoka,
has
been
appointed
deputy
minister
of
Women
Affairs
and
Small
and
Medium
Enterprises
(SMEs).
The
appointments
were
announced
by
Chief
Secretary
to
the
President
and
Cabinet,
Martin
Rushwaya.
Boutique
Firm
Blows
The
Market
Out
Of
The
Water!:
Never
a
better
time
to
work
at
Bursor
&
Fisher!
They
Aren’t
The
Only
Ones!:
Groombridge,
Wu,
Baughman
&
Stone,
Glenn
Agre,
Selendy
Gay,
Irell
&
Manella,
HSF,
and
Hueston
Hennigan!
Some
Make
You
Go
Above
And
Beyond
For
The
Green:
Arnold
&
Porter,
Foley
&
Lardner.
The
Order
Is
Disorder:
Don’t
expect
the
U.S.
News
Law
School
ranking
to
make
a
lick
of
sense.
Nick
Reiner
hired
what
Los
Angeles
criminal
defense
attorney
to
represent
him
on
charges
he
murdered
his
parents,
director
and
actor
Rob
Reiner
and
photographer
and
film
producer
Michele
Singer
Reiner?
Hint:
The
attorney
is
no
stranger
to
high-profile
cases,
having
previously
represented
Kevin
Spacey,
Harvey
Weinstein,
and
Karen
Read.
No
one
likes
another
call
when
they’re
already
swamped
with
work,
but
Hueston
Hennigan
just
gave
all
of
their
associates
a
reason
to
be
happy
about
the
phone
going
off.
The
boutique
trial
firm
saw
some
huge
wins
this
year,
allowing
them
to
share
the
successes
with
their
colleagues.
Best
thing
about
it?
The
share
is
way
above
market
compensation!
While
we
do
not
have
a
scale,
a
tipster
let
us
know
that
they’ve
recently
begun
communicating
bonuses
today
to
associates
and
other
non-partners.
Each
associate
received
above
market
bonuses
and,
in
several
cases,
near
or
more
than
double
the
market
bonus!
For
everyone
in
the
know,
that’s
a
lot
of
money!
For
everyone
else,
you
can
look
at
the
market
scale
below
for
some
context
on
how
much
money
we’re
talking:
To
everyone
at
Hueston
Hennigan,
big
congrats
on
the
big
money!
And
to
the
firm
proper,
congrats
on
10
years
of
excellence!
We
like
hearing
about
bonuses
almost
as
much
as
you
enjoy
spending
them.
As
soon
as
your
firm’s
memo
comes
out,
please email
it
to
us
(subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus”)
or
text
us
(646-820-8477).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.
And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Salary
&
Bonus
Alerts,
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s
.
He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
is
learning
to
swim, is
interested
in
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected]
and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.
It
was
only
earlier
this
year
that
the
Biglaw
world
got
its
latest
mega
firm
following
the
merger
of
Herbert
Smith
Freehills
and
Kramer
Levin.
The
combined
firm
grosses
more
than
$2
billion,
and
they’re
putting
all
that
cash
to
good
use
—
associate
bonuses.
Earlier
today,
Herbert
Smith
Freehills
Kramer
unveiled
its
first
associate
bonus
scale,
matching
the
market
standard
with
both
year-end
and
special
bonuses
for
associates
in
good
standing.
The
bonus
scale
is
as
follows:
Bonuses
will
be
paid
on
February
13,
2026.
The
full
memo
is
available
below.
We
like
hearing
about
bonuses
almost
as
much
as
you
enjoy
spending
them.
As
soon
as
your
firm’s
memo
comes
out,
please email
it
to
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus”)
or
text
us
(646-820-8477).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].
They
shoot
first,
they
aim
later,
and
even
then,
they
miss.
Because
there
is
no
wall
between
the
White
House
and
the
Justice
Department
in
terms
of
interaction
and
political
process,
this
is
what
happens.
—
Gene
Rossi,
a
former
prosecutor,
in
comments
given
to
Reuters,
concerning
the
Trump
Justice
Department’s
many,
many
missteps
over
the
course
of
the
past
year.
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.
Sometimes
extra
money
comes
with
extra
work.
Foley
&
Lardner
is
paying
their
associates
handsomely
—
$25k
above
market
in
some
cases
—
but
you’ve
got
to
hit
the
2200
hour
mark
for
that
extra
compensation.
2100
gets
you
market
value
and
2000
or
below
gets
you
a
push
to
do
better
next
year.
While
there’s
no
questioning
that
the
firm
is
raking
in
a
large
amount
of
money,
$1,275,570,000
gross
revenue
in
2024
according
to
Am
Law
100,
the
firm’s
relatively
high
headcount
could
explain
why
the
hours
threshold
shows
such
stark
differences
in
pay.
Here’s
the
scale:
To
the
hard
workers
at
Foley
&
Lardner,
enjoy
the
money!
If
you’re
feeling
festive,
set
aside
some
of
that
cash
to
buy
a
scent
that
reminds
you
of
the
holiday
season.
Bonuses
are
scheduled
to
be
paid
by
the
end
of
January
2026.
We
like
hearing
about
bonuses
almost
as
much
as
you
enjoy
spending
them.
As
soon
as
your
firm’s
memo
comes
out,
please email
it
to
us
(subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus”)
or
text
us
(646-820-8477).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.
And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Salary
&
Bonus
Alerts,
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s
.
He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
is
learning
to
swim, is
interested
in
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected]
and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.
Ed.
note:
This
article
is
part
of
Parental
Leave
&
The
Legal
Profession,
a
special
series
for
Above
the
Law
that
explores
the
realities
of
parental
leave
and
return-to-work
in
law
firms.
From
planning
leave
to
reintegration,
from
the
role
of
managers
to
the
mental
load
of
Biglaw
parents,
these
articles
bring
research,
clinical
insight,
and
practical
strategies
to
help
lawyers
and
the
firms
that
employ
them
navigate
one
of
the
most
critical
transitions
of
their
careers.
The
Quiet
Shock
of
Coming
Back
When
Dana,
a
senior
associate,
returned
from
parental
leave,
she
expected
a
few
chaotic
days.
What
she
didn’t
expect
was
the
lingering
disorientation:
guilt
for
leaving
her
baby,
guilt
for
not
being
fully
present
at
work,
and
a
fear
that
she
no
longer
fit
neatly
into
either
world.
She
also
felt
the
pressure
of
returning
to
a
culture
that
sent
a
clear
message:
Say
yes
to
everything,
that’s
how
you
survive
here.
Working
parents
know
that
life
without
boundaries
isn’t
viable,
yet
law
firms
still
reward
constant
availability.
That
tension
fuels
enormous
anxiety
during
the
return.
Even
in
firms
that
offer
lengthy
leaves,
there
is
often
little
guidance
on
what
the
return
looks
like:
how
re-onboarding
works,
how
to
talk
to
partners
about
workload,
where
flexibility
exists,
or
what
a
healthy
ramp-up
might
entail.
The
leave
may
be
supported,
but
the
return
is
often
invisible.
Layered
on
top
of
the
transition
to
parenthood
is
a
shift
that
gets
less
attention:
the
transition
from
working
person
to
working
parent.
That
identity
change
is
profound,
and
rarely
named.
As
one
partner
shared
after
her
third
leave:
“You
don’t
come
back
as
the
same
person.
But
you
might
come
back
clearer,
stronger,
and
more
sustainable
if
you
stop
fighting
the
fact
that
things
have
changed.”
Why
It
Feels
So
Hard
The
challenge
of
returning
is
multidimensional
–
logistical,
emotional,
physiological,
and
systemic.
You’re
navigating
two
major
roles
at
once.
Holding
the
demands
of
your
career
and
early
parenthood
simultaneously
is
complex.
Your
brain
is
still
adjusting.
Research
shows
there
are
ongoing
neuroplastic
changes
over
the
first
postpartum
year,
and
those
cognitive
shifts
create
unfamiliar
feelings
as
you
settle
back
into
work.
The
workplace
hasn’t
evolved
fast
enough.
Many
firms
operate
on
an
unrealistic
“ideal
worker”
model
who
is
always
available,
despite
the
realities
of
caregiving.
The
tension
that
arises
does
not
reflect
a
lack
of
commitment
or
capability
but
the
systems
and
culture
you’re
returning
to.
Step
One:
Rebuild
Confidence
Gradually
Some
lawyers
experience
a
dip
in
confidence
when
they
return,
not
because
their
skills
eroded,
but
because
they’re
holding
two
enormous
responsibilities
at
once.
Rather
than
overextending
yourself
to
“make
up”
for
being
gone,
start
with
intention.
Choose
one
or
two
matters
where
you
can
quickly
add
value
and
rebuild
momentum.
Schedule
early
check-ins
with
key
partners
or
clients,
not
to
justify
yourself,
but
to
reestablish
clarity
and
connection.
Confidence
grows
from
competence,
not
perfection.
And
the
capacity
to
nurture
and
lead
are
not
opposites;
they
often
strengthen
each
other.
Step
Two:
Redefine
What
“Full
Capacity”
Means
One
of
the
most
damaging
myths
is
that
you
should
“bounce
back”
to
your
old
pace
immediately.
Your
normal
has
changed
for
now.
But
this
is
a
season,
not
your
permanent
reality.
A
gradual
ramp-up
with
lower
billables
for
a
few
weeks,
more
remote
days,
or
easing
into
major
matters
can
create
a
sustainable
foundation.
Research
from
the
Center
for
WorkLife
Law
shows
that
phased
reintegration
improves
both
retention
and
performance
for
new
parents.
If
your
firm
doesn’t
offer
a
phased
ramp-up
option,
propose
one
as
a
strategy
for
delivering
consistent,
high-quality
work
during
this
transitional
period.
At
home,
give
yourself
the
same
grace:
ask
for
a
lot
of
help.
Delegate,
outsource
when
possible,
and
allow
some
tasks
to
be
“good
enough.”
Sustainability
over
martyrdom
is
the
goal.
Step
Three:
Protect
Your
Mental
Health
The
return
period
is
a
vulnerable
time.
Sleep
deprivation,
identity
shifts,
and
cognitive
overload
can
mimic
early
burnout.
Professional
women
in
high-pressure
fields
are
at
increased
risk
for
postpartum
anxiety
and
depression
during
the
first
year
(Rihm,
et.
al.,
2025).
If
you
notice
persistent
irritability,
overwhelm,
or
guilt,
reach
out
early,
whether
to
a
therapist,
coach,
doctor,
or
trusted
peer.
Ensuring
you
have
these
resources
is
not
a
weakness;
it’s
foundational
to
effective
leadership.
Advocate
for
support
at
work
too.
Join
a
working-parent
ERG
if
your
firm
has
one.
Use
coaching
or
parental-leave
resources.
And
if
these
supports
don’t
exist,
your
request
may
be
the
catalyst
for
building
them.
Step
Four:
Create
a
Home
System
That
Works
for
You
A
sustainable
return
requires
a
sustainable
home
ecosystem.
Discuss
logistics
with
your
partner
or
support
system
before
you
go
back:
who
handles
daycare
drop-offs,
sick
days,
bedtime
routines,
or
last-minute
emergencies?
Unspoken
assumptions
create
resentment;
clear
agreements
create
stability.
Research
shows
that
women
still
perform
most
of
the
“cognitive
labor”
at
home
even
in
dual-career
households
(Daminger,
2019).
This
invisible
work
of
anticipating,
planning,
and
coordinating
is
one
of
the
biggest
contributors
to
overwhelm
during
the
return-to-work
transition.
We’ll
be
devoting
a
full
article
to
the
mental
load
in
February:
how
it
impacts
lawyers
specifically,
why
it’s
often
ignored
inside
firms,
and
what
can
actually
help
to
address
it.
For
now,
know
that
redistributing
invisible
labor
can
dramatically
reduce
stress
and
increase
capacity.
Community
matters
here
too:
neighbors,
friends,
and
other
working
parents
at
the
firm
can
create
a
support
network
that
buffers
the
unpredictability
of
early
parenthood.
Step
Five:
Let
Yourself
Reassess
Returning
from
leave
is
not
the
time
for
sweeping
career
decisions,
but
it
is
a
time
to
pay
attention.
You
may
gain
clarity
about
your
priorities,
leadership
style,
or
long-term
goals.
You
may
discover
that
certain
roles
energize
you
more
than
before,
or
that
changes
are
needed.
You
don’t
have
to
decide
everything
now.
But
staying
curious
about
what
this
transition
is
teaching
you
can
be
grounding.
The
Bigger
Picture
Some
firms
have
made
meaningful
progress.
Many
have
not.
Individuals
cannot
fix
systemic
problems
alone,
but
choices
you
make
matter
in
realms
such
as
setting
boundaries,
ramping
up,
and
caring
for
yourself.
In
the
next
article,
we’ll
shift
to
the
organizational
lens:
the
business
case
for
supporting
working
parents,
and
why
the
firms
that
do
this
well
win.
Marny
Requa,
JD is
an
academic,
coach,
and
consultant
with
global
experience
and
gender
equity
expertise. Dr.
Anne
Welsh is
a
clinical
psychologist,
executive
coach,
and
consultant
with
a
specialization
in
supporting
working
parents
in
law.
Both
are
certified
RETAIN
Parental
Leave
Coaches,
engaging
a
research-backed
methodology
to
support
and
retain
employees
as
they
grow
their
families.
Whoever
said
bigger
is
better
did
not
know
about
elite
boutique
law
firms.
While
Biglaw
might
be
the
standard
bearer
for
associate
compensation,
time
and
again
we
see
small
but
mighty
firms
blowing
that
standard
out
of
the
water.
Even
if
you
add
in
the
special
bonuses
making
the
rounds
in
Biglaw,
the
bonuses
at
Groombridge
are
bigger.
Congrats
to
associates
at
the
firm
on
their
impressive
bonuses.
Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
compensation
updates,
so
when
your
firm
announces
or
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus/Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].
I
wish
I
could
write
something
positive
given
the
time
of
year.
I
really
do.
Normally
I’m
downright
cheerful
around
the
holiday
season.
This
is
often
apparent
in
my
writing;
I
can
prove
it.
Sorry,
though.
For
2025,
I
just
can’t.
We
have
a
president
who
is
a
worse
Christmas
villain
than
Ebenezer
Scrooge,
the
Grinch,
and
those
thieving
German
terrorists
from
the
original
“Die
Hard”
all
rolled
into
one.
So
I
suppose
I
am
going
to
have
to
point
out
exactly
how
un-Christmassy
Donald
Trump
really
is.
Well,
we
have
to
start
somewhere,
so
if
you’re
the
type
who
thinks
we
need
to
keep
the
“Christ”
in
“Christmas,”
first,
reevaluate
your
entire
existence.
Second,
look
at
literally
anything
Jesus
Christ
said
in
the
Bible
and
tie
yourself
into
knots
trying
to
align
that
with
anything
whatsoever
that
Trump
has
said
or
done
as
president.
Or,
ya
know,
read
the
nativity
story
about
how
Jesus
was
a
migrant
himself.
He
didn’t
wind
up
spending
his
first
night
in
that
manger
for
funsies.
You
don’t
even
have
to
go
into
the
New
Testament
though
to
find
out
that
God
is
not
down
with
being
dicks
to
people
from
other
places.
One
of
many
examples,
from
Leviticus
19:34:
“You
shall
treat
the
stranger
who
sojourns
with
you
as
the
native
among
you,
and
you
shall
love
him
as
yourself.”
Boy,
that’s
very
unambiguous!
It’s
official:
Trump’s
horrible,
dehumanizing,
untargeted
immigration
crackdown
is
not
very
Christmassy.
Well,
we
all
know
that
generosity
is
a
big
part
of
the
Christmas
spirit.
After
all,
that’s
how
Scrooge
finally
turned
it
around
after
a
lifetime
of
being
a
cheap,
miserly
bastard.
Oh,
shit,
the
DOGE
cuts
to
USAID
have
already
killed
600,000
people
as
a
result
of
preventable
infectious
diseases
and
malnutrition,
two-thirds
of
them
children,
with
millions
more
deaths
on
the
horizon
unless
funding
is
restored.
Trumpers
might
say
(even
though
it’s
not
very
Christmassy)
there
was
no
choice
but
to
cut
USAID.
Yet
this
funding
was
only
costing
an
average
U.S.
taxpayer
around
17
cents
per
day.
And
cutting
it
has
done
absolutely
nothing
to
reign
in
government
spending.
Actually,
the
national
debt
continues
to
hit
record
highs
and
has
increased
faster
under
Trump
than
at
almost
any
other
time
in
American
history.
Symbolism
is
the
least
important
thing
about
Trump’s
approach
to
Christmas
when
people
are
dying
and
suffering
and
the
integrity
of
the
United
States
is
being
auctioned
off
to
the
highest
bidder.
Still,
symbolism
matters.
His
supporters
applaud
because
he
sometimes
says
he
supports
Christians
and
throws
a
few
Christmas
trees
up
at
the
White
House
after
illegally
demolishing
the
entire
wing
where
most
of
the
Christmas
decorations
used
to
go.
But
Trump’s
reaction
to
the
murders
of
beloved
filmmaker
Rob
Reiner
(who
directed
“The
Princess
Bride”)
and
his
wife,
Michele
Singer Reiner,
the
week
before
Christmas
pretty
much
says
it
all.
Trump
blasted
the
departed
Rob
Reiner,
and
blamed
him
for
causing
his
own
brutal
murder,
which
Trump
basically
said
he
brought
on
himself
through
his
criticism
of
this
administration.
Compared
to
this,
an
Ebenezer
Scrooge
administration
would
be
a
Christmas
miracle.
With
Trump,
we
are
so
far
past
the
Scrooge
level
of
humbug,
I
don’t
think
the
ghost
of
Herman
Cain
dragging
the
chain
of
Godfather’s
Pizza
boxes
that
he
forged
in
life
could
turn
this
around
with
the
help
of
three
time-traveling
Christmas
spirits.
I
guess
try
to
find
some
Christmas
cheer
where
you
can.
Have
a
candy
cane.
Drink
a
hot
toddy.
Find
some
comfort
in
the
ones
you
love,
if
they
haven’t
been
unjustly
deported
yet.
Jonathan
Wolf
is
a
civil
litigator
and
author
of Your
Debt-Free
JD (affiliate
link).
He
has
taught
legal
writing,
written
for
a
wide
variety
of
publications,
and
made
it
both
his
business
and
his
pleasure
to
be
financially
and
scientifically
literate.
Any
views
he
expresses
are
probably
pure
gold,
but
are
nonetheless
solely
his
own
and
should
not
be
attributed
to
any
organization
with
which
he
is
affiliated.
He
wouldn’t
want
to
share
the
credit
anyway.
He
can
be
reached
at [email protected].
Kathryn
