Ed.
note:
This
is
the
latest
installment
in
a
series
of
posts
on
motherhood
in
the
legal
profession,
in
partnership
with
our
friends
at MothersEsquire.
Welcome
Jill
Roth-Gutman
back
to
our
pages.
Click
here
if
you’d
like
to
donate
to
MothersEsquire.
Imagine
yourself
having
a
relaxing
meal
among
fellow
lawyers
with
whom
you
have
something
in
common
other
than
attending
law
school
and
taking
the
bar
exam.
When
I
started
down
the
road
of
my
legal
career
almost
20
years
ago,
I
thought
it
was
impossible
to
find
such
a
community.
I
started
my
profession
as
a
government
attorney,
and
many
of
us
mostly
kept
to
themselves,
rarely
socializing
outside
of
work
hours.
I
also
had
children
a
few
years
into
my
career,
and
I
didn’t
know
of
any
working-mom
groups,
especially
lawyer-mom
groups
to
encourage
and
connect
with
in
a
similar
stage
of
life.
To
my
surprise,
I
am
now
part
of
more
than
one
community,
somewhat
because
I
have
my
own
firm
but
also
because
lawyer-mom
communities
do
exist
if
you
know
where
to
find
them.
Bar
Associations
The
first
community
—
the
route
I
pushed
back
on
20
years
ago
after
going
to
bar
events
as
a
young
attorney,
but
am
now
part
of
—
is
the
more
traditional
route.
Twenty
years
ago,
I
found
myself
one
of
the
few
female
attorneys
in
a
room
and
was
often
the
youngest
by
years.
I
didn’t
fit
into
the
ol’
boys
club.
About
two
years
ago,
I
decided
to
revisit
the
idea
of
joining
the
local
and
New
Jersey
State
Bar
Association
after
seeing
how
much
the
faces
of
those
practicing
had
changed
over
the
years.
I
specifically
became
more
active
in
the
NJSBA
Solo
and
Small
Firm
Section.
The
group
is
not
only
lawyer
moms
but
a
diverse
group
of
lawyers
that
multitask
always
and
offer
collaboration
on
practical
solutions
and
working
efficiently.
There
is
a
listserv
where
members
post
important
changes
in
the
law,
ask
questions,
and
offer
advice.
I
found
myself
even
picking
the
phone
up
to
ask
for
help
from
a
few
more-veteran
attorneys
—
help
that
is
priceless.
After
joining,
I
kicked
myself
that
I
didn’t
join
prior
to
opening
my
firm.
I
would
have
saved
countless
hours.
Lawyer
Moms
And
Social
Media
A
colleague
added
me
to
a
private
Facebook
group
for
statewide
lawyer
moms.
It
didn’t
even
dawn
on
me
that
a
group
like
this
would
exist
until
I
launched
my
own
firm.
In
2004,
I
was
attending
law
school
in
Boston
when
Mark
Zuckerberg
launched
Facebook.
It
is
safe
to
say
that
most
Facebook
groups
weren’t
up
and
running
yet,
especially
a
group
as
on
point
as
a
female
lawyer
group.
However,
in
the
past
few
years,
I’m
not
sure
how
I
managed
to
stay
oblivious
to
these
online
social
communities.
No
one
I
knew
was
talking
about
or
participating
in
them.
Members
post
parenting
questions,
and
ask
for
assistance
on
just
about
everything
in
and
out
of
the
legal
field.
A
few
months
into
joining,
a
mom
from
the
group
hosted
a
mom’s
night
out
dinner.
Since
I
was
trying
to
branch
out
and
network,
I
decided
to
go.
The
introvert
in
me
was
a
little
nervous,
but
they
embraced
me
as
if
we’d
known
each
other
for
years!
I
literally
laughed
for
two
hours
straight,
feeling
surprisingly
refreshed
and
energized
after
returning
home.
A
month
later,
I
couldn’t
stop
thinking
about
that
night.
I
glanced
over
my
calendar
and
realized
all
of
my
planned
social
events
revolved
around
school,
my
children’s
activities,
and
their
sports.
So,
I
did
what
any
socially
deprived
mom
would
do:
I
contacted
the
colleague
who
invited
me
to
the
group
to
see
if
we
could
schedule
another
meet
up
and
invited
the
statewide
group
to
breakfast
at
a
restaurant
I
wanted
to
try.
Four
women
showed
up,
and
just
as
with
the
previous
dinner,
we
were
a
natural
fit.
The
conversation
was
easy:
we
were
all
moms,
all
lawyers,
all
living
in
the
same
geographical
area,
all
trying
our
best.
A
few
months
went
by
and
I
reached
out
to
the
same
four
women
again.
We
posted
an
invitation
in
the
Facebook
group
and
this
time
nine
of
us
attended.
We
picked
another
date,
no
pressure,
informal,
and
low
cost
since
everyone
pays
their
own
way.
Whoever
can
attend,
attends.
At
one
breakfast,
the
attire
ranged
from
yoga
pants
to
power
suits.
Since
we
aren’t
on
the
bench,
no
judgment
is
allowed.
In
this
demanding
profession,
we
bond
over
staying
on
top
of
our
cases,
households,
and
families.
We
multitask
at
the
office
and
at
home.
We
exchange
battle
stories,
share
tips
and
show
support
for
one
another.
We
create
a
space
where
working
moms
can
laugh,
share
stories,
ask
for
advice,
and
remind
each
other
we
are
not
alone.
Building
a
supportive
community
of
like-minded
lawyer
moms
isn’t
about
where
we
went
to
law
school,
who’s
going
to
become
partner,
or
competing
with
one
another.
It’s
about
having
empathy
for
one
another,
asking
for
advice
one
moment,
and
brainstorming
how
to
solve
a
complex
legal
issue
the
next.
Creating
Community
Similar
communities
exist
all
over
the
country,
from
the
traditional
bar
association
to
the
Facebook
legal
communities.
If
you
don’t
live
close
to
like-minded
colleagues,
joining
a
Facebook
group
is
a
worthwhile
option
to
ward
off
any
feelings
of
isolation
and
provide
valuable
connections.
The
MothersEsquire
group
is
a
good
place
to
start!
MothersEsquire
helped
me
launch
my
business,
connected
me
to
my
work
wife/accountability
partner,
and
introduced
me
to
one
of
my
favorite
parenting
books,
“Untangled:
Guiding
Teenage
Girls
Through
the
Seven
Transitions
into
Adulthood”
by
Dr.
Lisa
Damour.
For
those
living
in
New
Jersey,
feel
free
to
reach
out
on
LinkedIn.
I’d
be
happy
to
connect
you
to
a
statewide
group,
especially
if
you
are
a
solo
or
lawyer
mom
trying
to
do
it
all/juggle
everything.
I
promise
we
are
all
partners.
Jill
Roth-Gutman
opened
her
niche
family
law
and
estate
planning
firm,
Roth-Gutman
Law
in
Voorhees,
New
Jersey
in
2022.
She
works
with
a
diverse
group
of
families
and
individuals
on
wills,
powers
of
attorney,
special
needs
guardianships,
adoptions,
consultations
for
foster
parents,
and
being
a
Guardian
ad
Litem
in
contested
custody
cases.
In
2016,
Jill
became
a
Child
Welfare
Law
Specialist,
certified
by
the
National
Association
of
Counsel
for
Children,
a
credentialing
organization
approved
by
the
ABA.
She
has
been
practicing
law
since
2006.
When
not
practicing
law,
Jill
enjoys
volunteering,
road
tripping
and
spending
time
with
family
and
friends.
More
about
Jill
can
be
found
on
her
website
www.rothgutmanlaw.com
and
she
can
be
reached
at
jill@rothgutmanlaw.com.