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Updated: Jan 11, 2023 136 Comments · by

Suit of the Week: L.K. Bennett

Suit of the Week

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Corporette's Suit of the Week: LK Bennett

For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.

Whenever I happen to be in the Time Warner Center in New York, I pop in the LK Bennett store and drool over the clothes — they seem well-made, interesting, and work appropriate. (I'd put them on the same level as Hugo Boss, which also has a drool-worthy store at the Time Warner Center.) 

I just realized they have a website, and this gorgeous tweedy suit caught my eye — I like the interesting seaming throughout, and the slight shape to the jacket. Lovely.

The jacket (Agra Tweed Jacket) is $475, the dress (Agra Tweed Dress) is $425, and the skirt (Agra Pencil Skirt) is $275.

Agra Tweed JacketAgra Tweed DressAgra Pencil Skirt

Sales of note for 10.10.24

  • Nordstrom – Extra 25% off clearance (through 10/14); there's a lot from reader favorites like Boss, FARM Rio, Marc Fisher LTD, AGL, and more. Plus: free 2-day shipping, and cardmembers earn 6x points per dollar (3X the points on beauty).
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale (ends 10/12)
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything plus extra 25% off your $125+ purchase
  • Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
  • Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
  • J.Crew – 40% off sitewide
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site, plus extra 25% off orders $150+
  • Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
  • M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
  • Neiman Marcus – Sale on sale, up to 85% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 50% off 2+ markdowns
  • Target – Circle week, deals on 1000s of items
  • White House Black Market – Buy one, get one – 50% off full price styles

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

    • zora

      definitely. ugh, so pretty. I actually would be more likely to just get the skirt and/or the dress. Well, since i’m buying with imaginary money, I think both.

      • Anonattorney

        And I love the jacket! How about you buy the dress and I’ll buy the jacket (with imaginary money), and then we can send things back and forth.

        • emeralds

          I love the jacket! Even with my imaginary money, I still already have a gray tweed suit jacket, though. Sigh…

    • TO Lawyer

      Ya this is beautiful. I want all three pieces. Actually I bought a couple LK Bennett dresses (with sleeves!) on sale and they are beautiful and wear so well. I feel like they’re definitely worth the $$

    • Ellen

      Yes, I also like the suit. It is VERY styleish. Great pick, Kat!!!! My onley concern personally is the PENCIL skirt may be tight on my tuchus this time of year, before I get into my new bikini.

      My freind Laurie called me from college last nite. She met another guy and is no longer even liveing with her ex. She told me marrage is NOT all it is suposed to be, b/c she now has to deal with thing’s that her ex use to deal with. FOOEY she says, stay single! she say’s. I told her I need to have children so I need to marry first. She said that it is NOT required any more. With tecknology, you can have kid’s without even having to have a man have sex with you. I told her I knew that, but she said you could pick a man out of a catalogue and concieve at a mutualy agreed place. The guy goe’s into a jar and then they take a turkey bayster and squeeze it into you on your fertile days. I said that is alot better than a sweaty guy huffeing and puffeing on top of you to get done what a turkey bayster does. She agreed and wished she had done the turkey bayster, b/c her ex turned out to be the real turkey after all now, b/c he will NOT suport her or her children or her horses, which are being borded at a horse farm nearby. FOOEY!

      Myrna is so sick of that guy from South America–he keep’s makeing a clicking sound with his tongue when she walk’s by. I remember Gonzalo doeing that also. I think it is a way to let a woman know you are interested in them. FOOEY b/c he was onley interested in grabbing my tuchus and my boobie’s not marrying me. He was also in the food industry, tho he was a mater-dee, and this one works on a cafeterial food line. I hope Myrna has better luck then me. She is not taken serious on her job even tho she has an MBA degree and has alot of quanetatieive skill’s I do NOT. FOOEY! Mabye I can get Sam to look at her and stop calling me. YAY!!!

  3. Anonymous

    Do any of the posters make quilts? Handmade? Machine?

    I’m thinking of getting into it and would love tips/resources suggestions

    • NOLA

      I’ve done handmade, but not for years. I have a couple of colleagues who do machine quilts and my aunt is into machine quilting in a major way. Where are you located?

    • zora

      I’d say find a local quilting group. Try through your local fabric shops. This is one of those things (like knitting) that I find so much easier to learn with other people where I can see them do it, rather than from a book. Plus, learning all the little tips and tricks that people find out through experience. Plus, more people, more fun! ;o)

      • hoola hoopa

        Agreed. Quilting is basic in concept, but in reality there are actually a ton of little tricks and techniques that make it so much better and more enjoyable. I recommend taking a class from a quilting shop, if you can. I’m an experienced seamstress but still found quilting to be new in many ways. Thankfully my MIL is a master quilter and gave me a ton of random tips.

        That said, this set of tutorials is helpful: http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/p/beginning-quilting-series.html And youtube is surprisingly helpful once you know what you’re looking for. It’s amazing the number of videos quilters have shared. Good stuff.

    • Philanthropy Girl

      I started quilting as grief therapy about 2 years ago. I do everything by hand. My mom is a sometimes-quilter and my aunt is a hardcore quilter – they’ve been my best resources. Finding classes and videos/tutorials on hand piecing was really difficult (hand quilting is a bit easier). There is a lovely book called Hand Quilting by Jinny Byer that I found interesting and useful as well.

      Pinterest is full of great free patterns and tutorials.

      Definitely hit up some local fabric shops and see if they are teaching a class that might interest you, or if they have connections to a local quilt club or guild. Also consider calling the Home Ec department of your local county extension office. They may know of clubs or classes that would benefit you.

      I loved just diving in. I enjoy being self-taught, and then picking up tricks when I struggle with something. Have fun!

    • academama

      Picked it up as a stress management technique and it is a fun hobby. I like to machine piece and hand quilt. I find the hand quilting the most relaxing part and actually really enjoy “whole piece” quilting, where you just sew over designs on a piece of fabric because it minimizes what I think are the tedious parts of quilting – measuring, cutting and laying out.

      I recommend finding an independent fabric store (local quilt shop = LQS in blog shorthand) and a few blogs and books to start off. I like handmadebyalissa dot com’s modern quilt style – she started quilting just a few years ago but has made so many amazing and simple modern quilts and has already published a couple of books.

      Also, before you invest big bucks and space into fabric hoarding (ahem, speaking to self here), make sure you love things made from fabric and not just fabric. I like the tactile pleasure of good cotton and the visual pleasure of pretty, dainty, pastely, girly designs on fabric…but neither of those match my house style so it turns out I have all this fabric that’s basically only good for giving away as baby quilts. Which is fun but it would be nice to have self-made stuff in my own home too. ;)

    • Sutemi

      I piece tops and my mother handquilts them, I don’t have the patience for handwork.
      Start with patterns involving squares and rectangles before moving on to mastering triangles (seams on the bias). The internet is full of traditional and modern quilt patterns which I like better than learning from books.

    • Amelia Pond

      I love quilting! My grandmother taught how to do basic stuff when I was in High School and I inherited a lot of her quilting stuff after she died so I don’t have experience with classes etc. But you definitely want someone to teach you the basics because it will be a lot easier than learning from a book [although that is totally possible, I have learned a lot of the more advanced techniques through books]. I suggested starting out making some small wall hanging–even if you never hang it up– it is a manageable size to practice on and not nearly as overwhelming as starting out with a bed size quilt. I also suggest getting a general book that explains the basic techniques so you have a reference book and you don’t constantly have to google things.

      As far as the actual final “quilting” I recently handquilted a wall hanging which was definitely an endeavor because I am not very good at it. But, you can also do the quilting for pretty basic patterns [straight lines or simple curves] just on your regular sewing machine.

    • Mpls

      I machine sew the top together, and have machine quilted, but no hand quilting. You can often pay someone else to do the quilting of all the layers together, if you want a more complicated design (or just don’t want to do it).

      I second the suggestion of finding a local quilt shop with a block of the month club of some sort. Or some other beginning quilting class. Log cabin quilts, or strip/block quilts are a good way to start. You’ll need to get a rotary cutter and mat – it’s the best way to accurate cut pieces to size – but those are all tricks that it’s best to have someone show you in person, otherwise there will be a lot of trial and error.

      My mom (and a number of my aunts) are into quilting, so I have a lot of resources to go to if/when I have questions. If you’re in MN, let me know and I’ll give some suggestions about where to look for help.

      • Mpls

        Also – there are a ton of quilting blogs out there. G o o g l e around to find a few you like and look back through their posts. Figure out what kind of quilts you like – traditional, geometric, scrap, crazy, lots of embellishments, colorful, etc. You’ll put a lot of planning, time, and work into it, so it should be something you like!

        For example – I love geometric quilts that have an orderly/logical use of color, or stain glass quilts, but I’m not a fan of the traditional quilts that evoke that shabby chic aesthetic, or the ones that use the Civil War era color schemes (it’s a thing), or the sampler quilts that have a bunch of squares with different designs in coordinating fabrics.

    • gov anon

      I’ve made them for years. Both by hand and machine. These days I do more machine work because it’s faster, but I always have a little hand project next to the couch.

    • CapHillAnon

      I’m a bit late to the conversation, but I love quilting. I really love designing fresh, modern quilts. I use a machine for the tops and a combination of machine and handwork for the quilting. I took a one-session class for the basics a few years ago, and I used books to learn the rest. (I enjoy the challenge of figuring things like this out, though. It’s probably much more efficient to join a group or take a quilting course.)

      The best guide I used starting out (and a great collection of modern quilts) is the book Modern Quilts Workshop by Weeks Dingle and Bill Kerr. I chose a couple of their quilts to do, in small sizes, to learn how it is done, and loved how they turned out. Then I started designing my own. Good luck. It is a lot of fun, and so gratifying when they turn out well.

  4. gaah!

    I had a suit like this, but tan. It was my pregnancy hide-a-size suit. From the Proenza Schouler (can’t spell, especially that) line for Target. It was lined! It only worked for that purpose, but was money well spent. This makes me really miss it!

    • Orangerie

      No. I’d go with a solid color (dark navy, charcoal or black preferable over lighter tones) in a season-less wool fabric.

  6. Sydney Bristow

    I really like this one!

    Can anyone recommend any books on becoming a better writer? I’m currently reading How to Write a Sentence by Stanley Fish. I’m going to get Strunk & White. I’ve seenStephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird recommended elsewhere and they are on my reading list. Any others I can add?

    • Lyssa

      If your concern is legal writing (I have it in my head that you’re a lawyer, but if I’m wrong, my apologies), there’s a book called “Making Your Case” by Antonin Scalia and Bryan Garner, which is all about writing for judges and which I found helpful.

      • Sydney Bristow

        Good memory. I’m not focused specifically on legal writing but appreciate the recommendation. I have a Bryan Garner book that I haven’t started yet, but I don’t think it is that one.

        I’d like to become a better writer in general. I am thinking about everything including emails, blog comments, cover letters, etc. I think I’m good at clearly expressing myself out loud but lose that ability when I try to write it down. I’m also thinking about starting a blog about the things I’m learning from all the books I’ve been reading, which would force me to practice but I’d like to avoid embarrassing myself.

        • Anonattorney

          I’d also be interested in similar recommendations.

          The best writing advice/lesson I got was in law school, from a professor teaching an upper division class. We were graded on four different memos that were essentially issue-spotters. The memos had VERY strict word limits, though, so it was difficult to try and get all the issues into the memo. That meant I had to spend hours revising my sentence structure and cutting out words. Every sentence had to do three or four things, I had to eliminate all passive voice, and I had to chop all unnecessarily frilly sentences or words.

          I now try to apply that same method to the rest of my writing. Write everything you want to say, and then cut it down to the essentials. I also think of it as the Coco Chanel approach to writing (write everything you want to say, and then take a couple things out).

          • Sydney Bristow

            Passive voice is my nemesis. I always think I know what it is but then fail to find it in my own writing.

        • LizNYC

          I think feedback from another writer or editor would be your best friend here. Would you be open to taking a writing course at a local college or something like that. The absolute best professor I had at j-school made copious notes on everything we turned in, from what he loved to what he didn’t. If you could find someone like him, to really critique your writing, then I think you’ll get better. (Goodness knows I hear his voice in my head every time I write!)

      • Lady Tetra

        I also like Point Made by Ross Guberman. It has a legal writing focus, but it helped me understand the basics of persuasive writing and arguments in general.

        • Sydney Bristow

          Thanks! I forgot about that book. I attended a CLE that he taught, which was fantastic.

    • gaah!

      What about a local writers group? My neighbor is a writer — she writes every day and that is what she does. My parents have a neighbor is a writer (she recommends bird by bird). They are very engaged in their craft and the key is writing and rewriting.

      I think we can all and we can all write better, but it’s like running: doing it regularly makes you better. They have recommended the group as a way to have to write regularly and the feedback is largely practical whereas the books are theoretical.

      My resolution this year was to write more and I have (which is not to say that I’ve written much). We’ll see how the revising goes — there is nothing more painful than re-reading your early drafts of something.

      Good luck!

      • Sydney Bristow

        Thanks for the idea. That sounds really scary to my shy self but something I might look into. Regular feedback would be useful.

        I’m trying to work writing into my daily routine. It’s been a struggle but I think it’s important to do.

    • Portia

      I’ve really benefited from drafting emails with this: http://www.hemingwayapp.com. It helps me keep things clear and concise.

      I also think it’s very difficult to be a good writer without being a regular reader. Sometimes when I have writer’s block I’ll read over something especially well-written, like one of Oliver Wendall Holmes’ opinions, and afterwards I’ll find it much easier to put my own thoughts in writing.

      • Sydney Bristow

        That looks awesome! Thank you!

        I read quite a bit and finish 1-2 books a week, most of which are non-fiction. I read books that I find interesting and they aren’t necessarily well-written. Any other suggestions for things to read that are especially well-written?

        • Portia

          I’m with you! I read a lot of popular young adult fiction, which I find relaxing and interesting (I love dystopian novels), but that doesn’t always do much for my writing.

          Some of it’s personal preference and some of it depends on what, specifically, you’re trying to write at the time, but some people I think had/have an especially impressive command of the English language, besides Holmes: Thomas Jefferson, William Faulkner, David Foster Wallace, Antonin Scalia, Oscar Wilde, Nabokov, F. Scott Fitzgerald.

          • mama of 2

            I’d recommend Michael Lewis (Moneyball, Blind Side, etc.). He is an absolutely terrific non-fiction writer.

    • MJ

      Hey Sydney,

      Bird by Bird is more about writing as in being an author. As in how tomake yourself sit down so that you get the words on paper, and how best to revise them. But it’s a fantastic read. Anne Lamott is one of my favorite authors. LOVE HER. It’s not really similar to the other books you mentioned.

      • Cb

        It is more focused on reflections on the act of writing than how to improve one’s writing. I have a bird by bird post-it note on my computer.

    • DontBlameTheKids

      I’m late to this party, but writing in all forms has been a big part of my life. Before I became a lawyer I was an editor (non-fiction), and now in addition to being a lawyer, I do freelance writing on the side, and blog of course.

      The books you mention are great, and mine are dogeared and falling apart. In addition to the “how to write” books, I think it is absolutely crucial that you read everything you can get your hands on about everything in the world. Fiction, non-fiction, cook books, magazines, newspapers. In addition to that, write 500 words a day. Reading for pleasure and writing for pleasure–that’s what made me a decent writer. That, and a few teachers (one in high school, one in college, one in law school) that really pushed me to become better.

      Be careful with writing groups. Some are great. Some are not. Don’t just accept their advice at face value.

  7. Anon Prof

    Question for the lawyers:

    My sister is going through a very nasty divorce. Her lawyer seems to be doing nothing. It’s been a year, her husband has been ordered to pay child support and temp. maintenance but barely pays the child support, doesn’t give any maintenance at all. The only thing he does do – thank g*d – is continue to pay for the house she lives in with their kids. It’s been about a year of this. My sister is a stay at home mom with small kids.

    He is also hiding money – claims to have gotten an 80% pay cut at his family business, has been spending all his money on weekend trips and expensive dinners, and now is threatening to declare bankruptcy every day. Her lawyer says there is nothing they can do b/c hiring a forensic accountant to prove all this would be too expensive and she has no money. My sister suspects husband has secret bank accounts but lawyer only just now submitted a restraining notice on the one account they know about. Lawyer wasted no time spending her retainer and keeps sending her bills. She has no more money because husband gives her less than she needs for groceries every week. I can’t really help financially and rest of the family thinks she should never have filed for divorce and won’t. She finally got the lawyer to get a money judgment and a judgment for part of his fees which husband was ordered to pay but husband hasn’t complied. When she asked lawyer to make a contempt motion for the non payment, lawyer said it would have to wait for trial because they haven’t done depositions yet and he didn’t want the judge to order them straight to trial. When she asked that he at least write a letter to the judge letting judge know about husband disregarding court orders, lawyer said that “isn’t professional.”

    Obviously, my sister made a huge mistake hiring this guy. But she basically can’t fire him because she has no money to hire anyone else and no one will accept the case without a retainer. I don’t think he is a bad person per se, but he just seems over his head and disinterested in doing his job because he isn’t getting more money.

    What are some of the things she can ask him to do that he isn’t doing???? I can’t believe that the law would let husband just get away with all this. Husband is careful to make at least partial child support payments so his driving license won’t get suspended. That may the only thing he takes seriously. Other than that he seems to be getting away with everything else. My sister married this guy young and doesn’t always make the best decisions, but it’s getting really desperate for her and I am trying to help her formulate a plan of action. What would you wise women advise in this situation?

    • Lyssa

      As a former family law attorney, I completely understand your (and her) frustration, but wouldn’t be too hard on the attorney. Unfortunately, this is often the way things are in family law. It sounds outrageous, but it’s very hard to prove things that you know are true without solid evidence (as is usually the case when there are “secret” bank accounts) and hard to get people to completely comply rather than just sort-of doing so.

      If he’s actually not paid some child support, then it shouldn’t matter that he’s paying a little; what he doesn’t pay will keep accumulating. Look into the rules regarding how that would impact driver’s licenses (should be easily googled for that state)- I’d bet that there’s a provision that would allow you to move on it even if he’s paid some. Also, if you have a reasonable belief that he has an account at any given bank, you can subpoena their records on him. She’s also likely entitled to anything that would evidence his wages – W-2 forms, tax returns, pay records, etc.

      But, at the end of the day, the attorney is right that if the person is good at hiding things, a layperson (or even a forensic accountant, which is extremely expensive) can’t just find them. And the attorney is definitely right that writing a letter to the judge to let him know that the fellow’s not keeping up is not going to help. Judges absolutely hate that sort of thing, and it is definitely not professional. It would hurt her case in the judge’s eyes.

      I’m not sure that the concern about being ordered to trial if you file a contempt motion is valid, but of course, I’m not familiar with how things are done in that court (some judges don’t care to leave things hanging for ages, others are really big on clearing their dockets). A motion for contempt would seem appropriate, though there’s always the issue of whether skirting right up to the line is really contempt (i.e., if the order to pay fees did not say when it must be done, it’s hard to say he’s in contempt for not doing it).

      You can criticize the attorney for not taking depositions yet, if they’re needed for trial, but bear in mind that, if she hasn’t paid him for his service so far, it’s hard for him to put the time into depositions (which are very time consuming) when it’s possible that he won’t see the money for them. Most advice would tell him to drop her as a client if she’s not paid, but that’s often hard to do for the lawyer (lawyers get drawn in and feel bad about the client’s situation, too).

      You can’t declare bankruptcy on domestic obligations, by the way, so assume that that is bluster on his part. (though it could potentially impact the mortgage, I’m not sure).

      I’m really sorry to hear that she’s going through this. Ultimately, family law is just really, really hard. There are just never good answers when people have to turn to outside forces to manage their family problems. I’m thankful every day that I’m not doing it anymore. I hope that things work out.

      • Anon

        Just wanted to say that your response was a very kind, and honest, response to the OP’s question. It’s hard breaking bad news to someone, but I’m glad you did. Transparency is so important when it comes to legal issues.

        • Anonymous

          I agree. If I were an attorney, I think I would like to be just as honest and objective. Men can really stink, sometimes.

    • gaah!

      1. It’s tax time. Either he files as married filing separately or does a joint return with your sister. If the former, she can ask for his W-2. If the latter, she’ll see what he purports to make. Even if he puts his taxes on extension, he’ll have the W-2 by now (and K-1, if that is what he gets).

      2. It may be time to consider selling the house. It sounds like she needs $ more than the house at this point.

      3. I agree — you don’t write to the judge. Judges can’t consider ex parte communications. It won’t work and may make her look crazy.

      4. Call his bluff — if he is bankrupt, let him file. If he isn’t, let him file — the bankruptcy court will love this.

      • Anon Prof

        The taxes are a good idea and I’ll tell her about the subpoenas – although I’m not sure her lawyer will want to just serve subpoenas on the five largest banks in the area without some basis for thinking he has accounts there.

        The house is in his name and there is a lot of money still owed on it — she can’t afford to move out, right now the roof over her head is the only thing she has going for her. If they sold, she wouldn’t get much of it.

        I wasn’t suggesting he write to the judge secretly, but CC the other side. Why is it unprofessional to say, “just wanted to alert the Court to the fact that your orders are not being followed. We’re happy to discuss this at the next conference”??

        Not sure if my original post made this clear but this guy has a lot of money. It’s just so incredible that he can claim that as soon as there was a divorce filed his salary magically got reduced by 80% by his own family. Is there really so little that can be done?

        • KLG

          As to alerting the judge via letter even if the other side is copied, it’s just not proper procedure. If the judge’s orders aren’t being followed, the proper procedure is to file a motion to that effect. Any other course of action will likely annoy a judge and make her and her attorney look bad. Generally there is no communication with judges except via motion and oral argument during scheduled hearings.

        • Anonymous

          this can be considered ex parte communication. I would consider is unprofessional and also an ethical violation. the judge is not another attorney on the case there to resolve disputes. the judge is there to hear contested motions and agreements of the parties.

        • Lyssa

          What’s his evidence that his salary got reduced like that? If he’s straight salaried, then it’s easy, but if he’s more of a freelance sort, it can be harder. She might need to consider talking to people that he’s worked with (possibly through subpoenas for records or depositions). But yes, he can’t just claim that he’s lost that much salary – he’ll need to prove it, and, in many cases, courts will hold him to earnings that he has had in the past even if it is reduced.

          One thing I’ve noticed is that family members often believe that people have a lot of money because they live large, brag, etc., but they don’t actually have much at all and have spent everything that they make. If he actually has a lot of money, there should be evidence of this – could she make a list of assets that she knew he had when they were together that she can specifically ask where they are now?

          • Anon Prof

            His dad runs the business. He reduced his salary by 60% and then “fired” him altogether. Now husband has started an LLC and works for the business as an independent contractor. Except he is still listed as a VP on the company website. He claims he has no money but it’s obviously BS. It seems like the plan is to have no money now so that the court doesn’t make him pay much and make it up later. The company is all loyal family members who hate my sister so not likely anyone would talk. She also suspects that her soon to be ex-MIL who suddenly got a major salary bump at the same time his salary got cut is basically getting his salary for him.

          • Lyssa

            Yeah, that’s ugly. In theory (if there were unlimited funds to do these investigations), she could subpoena the company’s records and find out if they’ve given him anything, look at his tax records , depo people from the company (maybe they’re not willing to talk, but are they willing to commit perjury?), etc. Regardless, assuming that final support obligations haven’t been set yet, she should argue for him to be held to his prior salary – she’s got a good shot at that, in this situation (If he made x before, the court will assume that he can do so again.)

    • KLG

      Not a family law attorney, but have some personal experience with family law. Unfortunately, lots of these things depend on where she is located and divorce/child support/etc. moves SLOWLY. My husband filed in December for a change in custody (in an already established case not involving a divorce) and the hearing isn’t until the end of April.

      1. The attorney is right about writing to the judge. It would be highly improper (not just unprofessional) to write a letter to the judge and as someone else mentioned, it would reflect badly on your sister and her attorney. As far as the judge is concerned, if there’s an issue, file a motion. Sometimes there are good reasons to hold off on filing motions, sometimes not.
      2. In my jurisdiction you can’t file for divorce until you’ve been separated for a year. I wasn’t sure from your post if it’s been a year since separation or 2 years since separation. If it’s only been a year, then your sister can tell the lawyer to go ahead and get the divorce rolling. File the papers, take the depositions, etc.
      3. Have your sister call her local division of child support enforcement to see if they can help. In our jurisdiction, once your payments get done through them, they file when there are payment issues and there is a DCSE court day once per month. My husband pays his child support through DCSE and loves it because they automatically deduct it from his paychecks and they take care of getting mom the money so it’s like having a free accountant and he never has to worry about mom claiming he didn’t pay. If her local enforcement is good, that might help.
      4. If she has a judgment, ask the lawyer about debtor’s interrogatories or garnishment to satisfy them. In my jurisdiction, all you need is a social security number and a bank name to garnish any account held by that bank. There is a filing fee but if your sister can pay the filing fee, the attorney could probably send a garnishment to a couple of banks in your area to see if he gets a hit. This may or may not fly in your sister’s jurisdiction. It really depends on the rules.
      5. I have no idea how she could get the money, but her lawyer isn’t wrong about a forensic accountant. My dad is a CPA and has served as a forsensic accountant for all different types of cases and it does make a difference. In the meantime, she could ask her attorney to issue discovery asking about the husband’s finances, but there’s no guarantee he won’t lie (or “forget” to tell his attorney about certain things).

      • Anon

        Thank you! After a year of separation/divorce, how is she still a stay at home mom? Is she just hoping that she’ll get enough child support to not need a job?

        • Anon Prof

          I get that we’re all working women here but it’s not exactly easy until the kids are in public school. They live in a pricey area, he won’t pay for preschool even though the Court ordered him to, and the cheapest daycare option would leave her with next to nothing after taxes and child care, not to mention that it’s hard to find any job that would allow her to pick up and drop off 2 kids to 2 different schools. She’s been working part time here and there picking up odd jobs but it’s not exactly an easy situation when you have a toddler and no formal profession. Her plan isn’t to not need a job, but to figure out a way to get buy until her youngest can start pre-k.

          • Anon for This

            I hate to say it, but I had a friend in a similar situation (and I’m an attorney-although not family law), and we spent two years assuming the court would “do the right thing” and the court never did. Her husband was a partner in a company where he could essentially control when he got paid and when he did not, so for two years, his company did not get paid for their work. Guess what, magically, when the divorce went through, his company was doing great! Meanwhile, she spent WELL into the six figures for a divorce attorney. She did get a piece of his company, but it was small and the judge allowed him to pay over several years. Meanwhile, he bought and renovated a huge house. She had to borrow money to pay her attorney and cannot pay it back until he pays her. PLEASE do not assume that everything will just work out and he will ultimately have to pay. I was so jaded by the one experience that I lost alot of faith in our court system.

      • Anon Prof

        What is she supposed to do with her 3 year old? Child care would cost more than she would make.

        • Anonymous

          Drop them off with him? Use her child support to pay for day care and her earnings to support herself? Rent out a room in the house? Sell stuff?

          It’s not right, and she shouldn’t have to, but after a year Id be telling any friend to start expecting to be taking care of her family with no help from him and figuring it out. Millions of women make it happen.

          • Ginjury

            And he should have plenty of time to take care of the 3 yr old during the day since he claims he was fired.

          • Anon Prof

            The child support is $150/wk. She is supposed to also get maintenance but he doesn’t pay that. He isn’t even consistent on the $150. So paying for day care with that money isn’t an option because it wouldn’t cover it. She’s already been selling stuff incl. her wedding rings and that is the only reason she’s gotten by for the last year. There’s no room to rent out – it’s just a small 2 bdrm. townhouse and her homeowners’ assn. rules prohibit that anyway. I appreciate the creative ideas though.

          • Anon Prof

            @Ginjury – he was fired but is now employed as an “independent contractor”. I would love to see the look on his face if she brought their son to his office and said goodbye, but I don’t know if that is worth the recklessness of such behavior towards the poor kid.

          • Ginjury

            Agreed. Using the kids as pawns during a divorce is a terrible idea. I’m sure this is an extremely frustrating situation to be in, but she really does need to look at her options for getting back into the work force. The sooner she does that, the sooner she’ll stress as much about this.

        • Senior Attorney

          Does she qualify for government aid? In my state if the mother get aid for the children, the state will go after the father to recoup what it’s paying. That might get his attention.

          And yes, she needs to start assuming he will not do the right thing, and make a plan to support herself and her children on her own.

          • Anon

            Agreed. Most states have some sort of child care assistance, or headstart programs, or is family nearby to help? Maybe she can work evenings so someone can stay with the children. I waited tables for years to put my self through school and take care of my young child. Her dad provided no help at all and if I wanted to have a roof over our head and eat everyday I had to work.

      • Anon

        If she makes under a certain amount, it might be cheaper for her to stay at home due to childcare costs. Depending on where you live, it’s more than some people’s paychecks.

      • Anonymous

        clearly, he hasn’t demonstrated that he is going to follow through with his financial obligations. she needs to find a way to make it work on his own. even if he is obligated to provide financially and fails to do so, the burden will always be on her to enforce, and go back to court. that takes a lot of time and money. and the results are not always quick, reliable or something that she can bank on.

        she needs to find a way to make it on her own. if that means relying on family or friends, so be it. this is part of why it’s hard to get divorced, and part of why people stay in bad situations even if they aren’t happy or it’s not healthy.

        • zora

          This sounds harsh and it is COMPLETELY unfair, but I think it is really the truth, and she needs to figure out how to reset her thinking around this. There is just no way in the end to “force” him to pay up. It is completely not fair, but it might be the best for her mental health and for the kids to think this way and just focus on getting to a solution instead of staying stuck in this mess with him.

          It doesn’t sound at all fun, but even my grandmother, back in the 50s, took her 3 kids (that were still at home) and moved into the basement of her brother and SIL after her divorce. Even though she had a degree and a former career in advertising. She just stayed with them for about 2 years, had help with expenses and with caring for the youngest who was pre-school-age and then was able to get a job again once they were all in school. It really s#cks and the Ex is definitely at fault, but this might be the time to take drastic measures and rely on friends and family and know that it is just for the short term.

          I am so sorry for both you and your sister and the kids tho. That guy seriously deserves a special level of hell for the cr8p he is pulling. Sending lots of internet hugs.

        • Terry

          How about a second mortgage? No idea if it’s possible in her situation but it’s probably worth a phone call to find out. Her second job will hopefully be great, but at this moment she needs a first job to get her foot in the door. The cash influx from a second mortgage could pay for day care while she enters the workforce.

    • rook

      If she qualifies (usually low-income), she could ask the local law school if they have a clinical program that takes cases like these. They’re no high-powered attorneys but they work for free and IMHO try hard to get results.

    • abogada

      A few thoughts from a family law attorney…

      Maybe your sister should meet with another lawyer. Or a few. Some attorneys charge consultation fees, and some don’t. She could schedule a few consultations with attorneys who don’t charge initial consultation fees. Even if she thinks that she can’t afford to hire another attorney, meeting with one or more and getting some feedback on her specific situation could be helpful. She might be surprised – if you’re right that her current lawyer isn’t great then maybe another lawyer would be willing to take on the case with little or no retainer because it’s clear that there are enough marital assets to pay the wife’s fees.

      Alternatively, your sister might be told over and over again that her current attorney is handling the case well, and it’s not a matter of finding the right representation, but rather just dealing with a difficult opposing party who has been successfully hiding assets. That would suck, but at least she would know that the situation wouldn’t be any better if she could just afford a better lawyer.

      Also, sometimes the lawyer is doing all the right things but isn’t communicating to the client in a way that the client understands, so the client thinks the lawyer is dropping the ball when the client just doesn’t have a clear understanding of the situation and why the attorney is doing what he is doing because he lacks the communication skills (or patience) to explain it to her in non-legal terminology. Maybe another lawyer with no ties to the case could explain the situation to your sister as well as explaining her attorney’s actions and why they make sense in her situation.

      Or, she could have many attorneys tell her that they would handle the situation differently and that there are actions her attorney could be taking that he hasn’t done. If several attorneys all say more or less the same thing, that’s a sign that she probably doesn’t have a very competent attorney. If that’s the case, it would be in her best interests to figure out how to change attorneys.

      One situation that I don’t recommend, because it’s bound to be frustrating for everyone involved: continuing to work with and incurring debt to an attorney that she doesn’t trust while trying to micromanage every step of the attorney’s work with input from her sister. Divorce is difficult enough without also having to deal with a negative relationship with her attorney – someone who should be in your sister’s corner, helping her through this mess. Your sister should be working with someone she trusts. If this attorney isn’t it, she should move on. There’s also the option of representing herself, which may be better than continuing to incur debt to an attorney whose actions she doesn’t feel are helping her significantly.

      • Anon Prof

        Thanks for your thoughts. That’s actually a good idea to meet with some other lawyers to see what they would do differently. I agree that she needs someone in her corner and we’ve been talking about whether she would be better off representing herself. She also has a friend who’s a criminal defense attorney who would probably be willing to step in but I don’t know if a divorce attorney that isn’t so great is better than someone who really has not familiarity with this area of the law at all. I also think it may be hard on a friendship to mix those two things, esp. in something this emotionally fraught.

        • Sadie

          No. A criminal law attorney with no divorce experience is not a better idea. It’s a terrible idea.
          Asking another family law attorney to review what’s been done so far seems like a good idea, though, to see where she can go from here.

          That support amount for 3 kids seems pretty low. I’m curious how that got determined.

          If he’s a contractor, many states will suspend professional licenses for nonpayment, too, so she might check into that. Paying a pittance of the amount owed generally won’t protect them once the arrearage reaches a certain point.

          She should definitely qualify for government aid. Food stamps, certainly, and perhaps other assistance (including daycare assistance). She needs to make an appointment with the local office to discuss those options and start the application process. The state will then look to him to pay up, that might light a fire under him.

  8. Lyssa

    Love this suit, especially the skirt and dress.

    I’m looking for an easy wash and go casual hair product. My hair is fairly fine, long, and has a slight natural wave. I’m looking for something that I can comb through wet or towel-dried hair that will hopefully make it look a little bit neat and intentional, maybe encourage the natural wave a little, without requiring me to blow dry. Any suggestions?

    • zora

      I have long, fine hair, and I really like the “it’s a 10” leave-in product. It’s a combination of leave-in conditioner, detangler, heat protector, etc. etc. etc. But it also just gives my hair enough texture that it doesn’t look flat and bleh after it dries. I get in on drugstore dot com because they often have it on sale.

      • NYNY

        Second the “it’s a 10” – I can comb that through damp hair and it air dries nicely.

        I also am in love with Living Proof prime. I only wash my hair 2x/week, and with prime, I find that it doesn’t need much help in the non-wash mornings. My hair is pretty straight and heavy, but seriously, no bedhead at all! I think I’ve gone out without even brushing it some days.

    • Monday

      I recently switched to Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Lite and am thrilled. My natural hair is like yours and I was tired of using a detangler, plus a curl cream, and still having lots of product-y feeling and tangles to deal with. You put this stuff in straight out of the shower, and you’re done! It’s then very easy to comb, moisturized, soft, and easily styled by hand. I am willing to spend the above-drugstore price because even on my very long hair, a quarter-sized dollop is plenty. I used to go through other stuff very quickly, and it felt wasteful.

      I do recommend the Lite version for you (as opposed to Original) because the original formula is for coarser/thicker types.

    • Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie

      I’m not adding anything that hasn’t already been mentioned but I used It’s a 10 for years and really liked it. I ran out one day and went to Ulta to get more. (I normally order it online at Sephora but I had an event and needed it that day.) I was disappointed to find out they didn’t carry it but the stylist recommended I try Carol’s Daughter for my long , fine hair. It was a third the price and I like it just as much. It also smells amazing which I love. Hopefully this was helpful!

  9. Rant

    My SO is driving me crazy. His communication skills suck. We’ve barely seen each other the last few weeks despite living in the same town because he’s so ‘busy’ with a minimum course load at school even though I can make time for him while working 45 hours/week in another town plus commute. Even that I could get past, but now he’s too busy to talk! He keeps saying it’ll get better when he finishes this project but I think his lack of time management is the real problem, plus the fact that he does not listen when I tell him the lack of communication is really frustrating to me. This has been a recurring problem in the two years we’ve been together. Every once in a while I blow up because it gets to be too much, then he apologizes and gets better and everything is fine. Am I overreacting? Is there anything I can do to break the cycle?

    • Anon

      Yes – you can dump him and then find someone who actually prioritizes spending time with you.

    • Josie

      If it’s been a problem for 2 yrs and you’re frustrated, it’s something to think seriously about IMO. May be it’s not just this project he’s working on because he’s obviously not been working on it for the last 2 yrs. I’d weigh my options to see if he’s worth it if it’s frustrating to me.

    • KLG

      Agree with the other commentors. If it’s been a recurring problem for two years, it’s not going to change. You either learn to live with his communications skills as they are currently or you decide that’s not for you and leave. Easier said than done and I waffled on similar issues for YEARS but in the end, it really is that simple. You’re not overreacting but the only thing you can do to break the cycle is to change YOUR behavior.

      • Rant

        Thanks, everyone. It’s such a frustrating situation. Part of it is that he’s just really introverted… even his friends have complained that he doesn’t talk to them much. He feels bad that it upsets me, and he’s great in pretty much every other way. But this one thing is a big thing for me. I know I need to suck it up and stop complaining or walk away. I just didn’t know if anyone had a successful relationship with a SO with vastly different communication needs.

        • Josie

          I did. And I walked away eventually. If it’s a problem for you now, it will continue to remain a problem for you tomorrow and day after tomorrow as well.

          • Duchess

            +1. He told me he had social anxiety and depression, and I kept using that for excuses for why he wouldn’t make time for me — in person or even by text message. Eventually, he just disappeared all together. Admittedly, he reappeared fairly recently (now that his life has calmed back down, and his stress has been drastically reduced), but I have no interest in going back through all that again. It’s really hard, but walking away is probably in your best interest.

          • Monday

            Yes. And by the way, the fact that he also treats his friends this way doesn’t change my opinion at all–if you had posted this about a friend who you couldn’t maintain contact with over 2 years, I think you’d be getting all the same advice. Namely, let her go and focus your efforts on people who will actually reciprocate. If anything, the fact that his friends can’t track him down either is just more evidence that this behavior, no matter where it comes from, is not going to change.

            I’m sorry. It sucks.

    • Susedna

      You break the cycle by dumping this loser whose actions speak louder than his words. His actions, btw, say “I don’t care about you and what’s going on in your life. I don’t care that my not listening makes you unhappy.” He sounds selfish. And seriously, putting up with this crappy behavior from him for 2yrs is way too long.

      And then, you make sure the cycle is broken by asking yourself why this guy appealed to you in the first place. It might be helpful to talk to someone you trust (counselor/therapist, chaplain, rabbi, etc.) to figure out what your issues are (not trying to be condescending – just saying that we all have issues and we have to be open to identifying them and working on ourselves). That is to prevent you from dating Loser 2.0 and repeating the pattern.

      I’m sorry you’re going through this. It sounds really not-fun and soul-sucking. I wish you good luck going forward.

    • Anon

      Just coming from a different perspective here–when I was in law school and had a huge project to complete, I had a really hard time multi-tasking enough/dragging my attention away from the project to spend significant time with my then-SO. I just have a hard time tempering the laser-focus when in project mode. It didn’t mean I didn’t want to, or that I didn’t care, it just meant that I couldn’t have hour-long conversations every night or spend the usual amount of time hanging out until the project was finished. He may just have trouble with multi-tasking, and it may produce additional anxiety for him to be trying to multi-task. certainly you want someone who is better at this, but I don’t think this makes him quite the villain other posters seem to think he is.

      • Parfait

        It doesn’t make him a villain. It does make him incompatible with Rant.

        • Senior Attorney

          Right. It doesn’t matter if he’s the most awesome guy in the world with a heart of gold. But he’s not the guy the OP needs or wants and she’s not going to be able to make him the guy she needs or wants.

      • AnonLawMom

        Eh – “this one time in laws school” =/= 2 years of similar behavior. Everyone has had a bad week or month, but the OP’s SO sounds like a repeat offender.

        • Sadie

          Best lesson I ever learned was to be able to say “you’re a great guy, and I’m a great girl, but we are not each other’s great significant other.”

          Just because he’s not “wrong” doesn’t mean he’s right for YOU. There are plenty of women who are like him (ME!) who wouldn’t be bothered by this at all. He will be very happy with one of them someday. You aren’t that, and that’s ok.

  10. Two Cents

    I love love love LK Bennett. And they recently opened a store in Boston! I bought a great work dress (with sleeves) and a beautiful peplum top on sale.

    • HTown

      Was not familiar with this brand but just checked their website out and love, love, love the cuts/styles of their jackets.

  11. Fat Pants

    Speaking of suits… I just got an interview (yay!) for a job I think I really want. I’m a little, ahem, larger than usually and none of my interview suits will fit. I have a black suit in a pointe fabric. Is that okay to wear (it fits, especially with some spanx), but is the material too casual? Do I need to buy a suit in the next few days?? It’s a small, biz casual firm, predominantly male. Thoughts? Tia!

    • Ginjury

      If it’s firmly business casual, I’d be inclined to just stick with the ponte suit, assuming it doesn’t look too tight (pulling, etc.) and you think you look good in it.

  12. Life Hack

    I’m looking for ideas to help me transition from work and home, when I need to be productive at home. Work is crazy-stressful and draining (and will be for another month or so, completely out of my control), and when I get home, I tend to flip on reruns and space out in front of the TV and read blogs until it’s time to go to bed. But then I don’t get any of my “home life” stuff done, like gathering documents for taxes, writing thank you notes, etc. I have a similar problem on the weekend – I’m so tired/drained I want to “relax,” but then nothing else gets done (except things I can’t put off – like laundry for the upcoming week). I’m thinking maybe tell myself to do stuff at home for an hour while listening to music (I’m single & live alone) before turning on the TV. What have you found that works?

    • Sydney Bristow

      Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project, wrote about this recently on her blog and her suggestion was just like your idea. She called it her “power hour” and she sets aside one hour each week to tackle all those things that don’t have deadlines but should get done at some point. I’ve been trying it out myself and the key for me has been to schedule it and force myself to start. Starting is the hardest part for me but I make progress once I get started. I tend to leave the tv on out of habit but have a show on that I’ve already seen and don’t need to pay attention to.

    • Time to relax

      Lately I started getting frozen meals from a company that makes them fresh (I use Dinner Done and it’s surprisingly affordable). I come home and put the dinner in the oven, and it usually takes an hour to 1.5 hours to cook. In the time that it cooks, I put on music and get home life things done. Once the food’s ready, I give myself a hard-stop, and sit and eat my food while I watch TV/unwind.

      • Time to relax

        Another note: I prefer music over TV because I play the music on my cell phone and carry my phone around with me in my pocket. This makes it easy to run around the house where ever I need to be. Also, I set the timer for my food on my phone so the music stops and timer goes off when it’s time to stop working.

        • mascot

          I am much more productive if the tv isn’t on so I second the idea of music. I do a fair amount of watching tv and reading blogs myself, but its not really a good de-stresser for me and feels more like a time waste. I feel better about life in general if my down time is spent reading an actual book. exercising or pursuing another hobby/project. Then I am better at both protecting my down-time and doing a bunch of little tasks each day.

    • DC Wonkette

      I can totally sympathize. I find that I need to just plow right through when I get home on two or three things and then call it good. I only have two modes: full speed ahead or off (eg all of the real housewives). Sometimes I can do the “do chores during commercials” thing, too. I think just doing a little at a time and not being too hard on yourself when you just chill for a night is best approach. Hope your next month goes quickly!

    • Anon

      Do you enjoy working out at all? I’ve found that if I make myself workout right after work, even if for a short time, then I am infinitely more productive for the rest of the evening. I just have so much more energy and motivation post-workout than when I come home and plop down on the couch immediately.

    • zora

      Coincidence, I’ve been working on the same thing!!
      I got some great suggestions from this coaching program’s website called The Handel Method and an article I read about them. I haven’t paid for one of their actual programs yet, but I still got some good ideas.

      1- List. I made a notebook and I have different lists in their of the kinds of “should do at home” tasks that you are talking about. Also, break them down in the list into the smallest pieces posssible. “Spend 10 minutes washing dishes” “Write 2 thank you notes”

      2- Timers. I set a 20 minute timer when I get home. I get 20 minutes to ‘relax’ and do nothing. Then when the timer goes off I set it again (for 20 min or 30 min or whatever) and have to do one task on my list for that amount of time. Or I have to do 2 job applications, something like that. I also usually leave bad tv or music running so that i don’t get ‘bored’. I use the timer to give myself other breaks, etc. And I do the same on the weekend. I get 30 min to drink my coffee, watch TV, then the timer goes off and I have to do something. I keep the timer going off every 20 minutes so that if I get distracted and start doing something that is NOT on my list, the timer reminds me to get back on track.

      3- Counter “bad theories” – Again in my notebook. I write out the thoughts I have that keep me from diong things, then I reframe the theory to make it positive. Example:Bad Theory: “I am tired after work and I deserve time to relax” Reframe: “I DESERVE a better job that pays me a decent amount, and I am doing something better for myself if I spend 40 minutes applying for a job than if I spend the same time watching TV”

      Really, writing allof this down has been the big key for me. It also prevents the anxiety paralysis where I am thinking of so many thingsI don’t konw where to start. Writing everything down makes it more manageable and gets it out of my head.

    • ITDS

      Try to do only one thing per night. I can’t face “organize my finances” tonight but I can “pay credit card bill”.

      Another tip – laundry and groceries every other week. By doing only one each week, I feel like I’ve added four hours to every weekend. And the necessary meal planning has cut the grocery bill down by 1/3.

    • Wildkitten

      I bring this stuff (whenever possible) to work with me. I find that these tasks that I find so insurmountable at home can serve as breaks at work. I don’t know why something that seems impossible at 8 pm is a refreshing break at 2 pm, but it is.

      • Otter

        Wildkitten, I do this too! I basically front-load most of my ‘life maintenance’ tasks into small breaks in the office. IANAL so I also get paid for this time spent managing my life… :D

        • Angela

          Yes. Kids papers from school, posting memorized banking transactions, writing out bday cards. I stuff it in my work bag,then with my lunch at my desk, I miraculously accomplish it…took me awhile to figure out it’s my pattern

  13. Anonymous

    I need work badly. I’ve reached out to a lot of partners. Nothing has come from most of them but one said he thought he could use me but needed to check with the other partner on the case. It’s been a week since then. Do I follow up ? How do I word it? Everything I’m coming up with sounds like I’m supervising him and want to see if he’s done his task yet and I wan t to avoid that tone. I’m in big law by the way, second year associate. Thanks.

    • MJ

      This is a know your office thing, but sometimes going door-to-door to beg for work is more effective than an email. An email is easily lost in the shuffle. However, popping into someone’s open office and saying, “Do you have a few moments?” usually will result in a brief conversation about you needing work, even if they don’t have a few moments. Just say that you’re hoping to take something off their plate, however small. I would pop by a midlevel’s office first–it is more likely that he or she has work for you than a partner–most case or deal teams are structured with the midlevel or senior having more interaction with a second year than a partner–it could be that you are asking the wrong people! Even if this is not the case, they could give you handy tips on how best to approach the partners.

      Also, this is a know your office thing too, but don’t beg for work too widely or too often. People start to wonder if you aren’t good, even if you’re a fine attorney. (Firms can be sinister like that!) It’s completely normal to have a slow week or two (sometimes longer), but if it’s chronic, you need to do a better job at soliciting honest feedback from people you trust about your performance and whether you are behind your peers. I am not trying to freak you out–I promise it’s normal to be slow at times. Just be cognizant if you are slow too often, and then try to figure out if it’s you. lack of business in your practice area, cyclical downturn, etc. It could be nothing, but it’s worth being introspective about too.

      Good luck!

      • Anonymous

        Thanks. I think one huge problem is that I am in a tiny office and there is no one – no associate, partner, nobody – in my group that’s in my office. I was on a huge case for the last year+ but since that case has ended I have been very very slow for a few months now despite reaching out to multiple senior associates or partners a week. I am trying to be cognizant of not begging for work but it is tough when there is no way to get facetime with people. I have been evaluated twice and have received stellar evaluations both times so I know the problem is not me but I realize the Biglaw model blames associates who can’t source their own work. It’s very frustrating.

        • roses

          I have been there, and it sucks. Really, really sucks. If it hasn’t been more than a month of slowness, I would just try to wait it out and see if it gets better. But if it’s been like this since you started, and it’s a matter of there not being enough work in your group to go around – like other associates in your group don’t have too much work either – you need to call your practice group head and express your concern and ask if there’s any way you can branch out to other practice groups.

          If other associates in your group are busy, I’d ask what they are working on and if they think they need help. Even if those associates don’t have the authority to delegate work to you, it enables you to go to the partner in charge of that case and say “hey, X said that you may need help on Y matter,” rather than putting them on the spot to think of what cases might need your assistance.

        • B

          I am in a similar situation in that no one in my office practices in my area, so I work with the other offices. My advice when you are slow is to go visit the other offices. It makes a huge difference. Go to lunch with people, pop into their offices and have that 5 minute conversation, etc. I find that usually leads to a small something here and there, and then puts me in people’s minds for when the big deal/case comes in. The partners in the other offices are impressed when I take the initiative to do this, but it’s the only way to successfully work remotely in the big law model in my opinion. I may be in our main office for 3 or 4 days and in the end, it’s one 5 minute conversation that makes all the difference.

  14. Parfait

    I really like this suit. It almost makes me wish I had a suit-wearing life.

  15. Woods-comma-Elle

    One for the immigration lawyers out there following a random conversation in my office. In these global times, what counts as work in the context of visas? I can imagine how people going on business trips to the US would log on remotely to do a couple of hours’ work on stuff they are involved with back home. Does that count as work (eg if the person is subject to the visa waiver)? I mean the person is not doing the work for a US employeror being paid there, but how does this work?

    • Anonymous

      I have no idea, but it can’t be that logging in for a few hours of work for your normal company back home is enough, right? Otherwise, I would be violating visa laws all the time when I take vacations.

    • Wildkitten

      I have NO IDEA so this is NOT A LEGAL OPINION but I assume it means you can’t be hired for a US job by an employer because there’s another visa for that. I think they don’t want people taking the visa waiver and secretly using it to work in the US.

  16. Philosophia with PSA

    Logically this goes with Kat’s satchel post of yesterday, but I don’t know whether the ‘rettes tend to look behind them. The Michael Kors “Selma” Large Leather Satchel, which I have been stalking on the Nordstrom site, is on modest markdown (not to mention triple points for cardholders):

    http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/michael-michael-kors-selma-large-leather-satchel/3743937?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Optic+White&resultback=455&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-undefined_1_A

    What I take to be the very latest colors are not on sale. Since I was lusting after it in red, however . . . . By the way, candidates for a venereal term? My first stab is “Nordstromaniacs.”

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