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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 136 Comments · by

Thursday’s TPS Report: Leigh Cutout Shoulder Dress

The Personal Shopper (TPS)

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Tahari ASL Leigh Cutout Shoulder DressBloomingdale's is one of the few places left that still has decent sales worth picking through: good stuff at all price points, including work dresses. I'm liking this Tahari ASL, which is your basic black sheath dress but with some very interesting slits in the sleeves. Limited sizes only, alas — but then again, it is only $64 (from $128), so I suppose that's to be expected. Tahari ASL Leigh Cutout Shoulder Dress Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-2)

Sales of note for 9.30.24

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

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Comments

  1. Always a NYer

    I love the look of this dress. From the color to the length to the detailing on the sleeves, it’s that perfect blend of professional and work-appropriate with a dash of sexy to keep things interesting.

    But, seeing as it’s already sold out, my credit cards aren’t in danger at the moment.

    • Diana Barry

      Agreed. Very nice!

      Threadjack – does anyone have any specific suggestions for black loafers (or other flat shoes that look good with pants) for wide feet? I am having trouble finding some that are (1) slip-on, (2) don’t come up too high on the side/hit my ankle bone, (3) comfortable and (4) not ugly. Under $200? I feel like I have looked through Zappos many times without finding anything. Any suggestions would be awesome!

      • Circe

        Naturalizer has a number of black flats that come in wide and are comfortable and not ugly.

        • eh230

          I second naturalizer. Also take a look at Bandolino. I am wearing a pair of very low heel wedges, and while they are not a wide width, Bandolino is often cut for wider feet.

      • Monday

        I have been impressed with flats from Sesto Meucci and Geox. Super comfortable and lasting amazingly well compared to my other shoes. My feet are slightly wider but I can wear their normal sizes. Sesto Meucci might require a sale price, but is often just over $200. As for Geox, they should be well within range for you. I have these:

        http://www.zappos.com/geox-d-marnie-5-black

        But perhaps you already found them on Zappos and concluded that they are ugly! No offense taken if so.

      • anon

        Third Naturalizer. I have some tassel loafer flats that are comfortable and cute, and I don’t normally like Naturalizer, at least not their heels.

      • NOLA

        I can’t wear a lot of flats because they don’t generally have enough support for my knees, but I’ve found that Born’s b.o.c. brand is nicely padded inside for comfort. I don’t like many of the Born shoes because of all of the flower details, but there are some pretty batik b.o.c. flats in Black on the DSW website.

      • Sydney Bristow

        Not loafers, but I have wide feet (because of bunions) and I really like Blowfish shoes. I think I have 3 pairs now and they all slip on, are low on the sides and back, are comfortable, and I’ve only got the ones I think are cute. I’m barefoot all the time when I am home and was barefoot as often as possible as a kid, so while Blowfish shoes don’t really have a lot of support, I still find them comfortable. The support may be an issue for you though. They aren’t listed as wide, but I’ve found about 75% of the styles I’ve ordered are wide enough for my rather large bunions. The zappos reviews can be helpful to determine whether the style works for wide feet.

      • Anonymous

        Not a fan of Naturalizers. The leather is stiff and they don’t form to my feet well. I have an old beat-up pair of Nordstrom Amalfi flats that I still wear occasionally. I take them to get polished and resoled whenever they threaten to fall apart.

      • Research, Not Law

        Jenn by Trotters. They don’t look my much by themselves, but they look nice peaking out from under pants. And they are ridiculously comfortable.

      • Amy H.

        My Franco Sarto Bocca loafers are extremely comfortable, and have good reviews on Zappos from those with wide feet. Only $70 — but very masculine-looking, so very conceivably not to everyone’s taste/already rejected as ugly!

        Apropos of nothing, it kind of blows me away that there are 837 reviews of this shoe on Zappos….

    • GreenTea

      I like the dress shape overall – but being in court all the time, the cut-out shoulders remind me too much of the shirts the female defendants are often wearing.

  3. b23

    I was ready to buy it too! Boo. Let’s discuss her tights/hose. Are those office appropriate? From what I can tell, they have polka dots on them but they are pretty subtle. I love them and would absolutely wear them to work, but I tend to dress on the crazy side sometimes.

  4. b23

    Another threadjack: I was thinking of buying this picture frame for my office, http://tinyurl.com/7ygub2l, as well as a couple of other Jonathon Adler ones (probably one of the white ones) and then going with a bright-ish color scheme. Is that too girly?

      • AtlantaAttorney

        Yes, pretty girly and has more of a “home” ring than “office.” I think I’d stick to something simpler.

        • TCFKAG

          Agreed, I’ve always tended more neutral in work frames and pictures (I have a green wood one that I purchased at HomeGoods that I am quite fond of).

    • TXAtty

      I have an almost identical one in red on my desk now. Midsize law firm in Dallas. As long as you avoid glitter and sequins, I think using color in your office is perfectly fine. Just don’t make your office look like your house. But i don’t think teal and jeweltone picture frames are going to make anyone respect your work less.

    • just Karen

      I think you would be completely fine with a bright frame on your desk, but multiple bright frames on the wall might be too much (for work – would love it for home)

    • S in Chicago

      I really like that frame but not sure of it for the office. Not sure if you’re near an Off 5th, but I bought a couple of beautiful Jonathon Adler ones there before Christmas at a huge discount. Both are white and heavy like stone with sort of a crocodile texture (although they had several other styles). I think you can go modern without looking too whimsical if you choose something either more neutral in color or shape.

      • Darby

        Boiceof dissent here, I love brightnand cheery in the office. You’re a lawyer, you have to spend too much time there. Get some cute frames and make your day a little brighter. Don’t worry so much about everything being neutral and “for the office.”

  6. GreenTea

    Yesterday I received very helpful advice on negotiating a salary/benefits at a smaller firm. One of my friends sent me to the NACE Salary Calculator. I don’t want to include the link, but you can google it. It is a very detailed salary calculator including very detailed geographic regions, years of experience, graduate degree and GPA, and relevancy of degree to job position. It put my expected starting salary at this firm in this area in the mid 50’s, which I think is about right.

    I thought it might be helpful for others and wanted to mention it. Google NACE Salary Calculator – who knows, maybe you’ll want to ask for a raise!

    • Veronica

      Or just become incoherent with rage. :-( Apparently I’m supposed to be making TWICE what anyone has offered me. Stupid underfunded court system.

    • anon

      Yay! I’m slightly overpaid. I was actually thinking I was underpaid, so this made me feel better.

    • Anon

      Fun tool! I am apparently being paid less than the starting salary (with two years experience) and should be getting paid $30,000 more. Interesting.

    • Blonde Lawyer

      I just wish it took into account size of employer. There is obviously going to be a huge difference in a starting salary at “big law” v. “small law.”

    • Nonsense

      I think this calculator is nonsense. I graduated from a top 20 law school 17 years ago, became a partner at an AmLaw 200 firm, and now work in-house in government. The calculator said I should be paid less than my current government salary, and at least one-sixth (if not less) what I would be making if I had remained a partner at my firm.

    • GreenTea

      I agree that it would be more helpful if it had gov’t vs. private, but it’s set up for every type of profession. It’s more helpful for small law where salaries are not in lockstep, and I don’t think that the number of biglaw attorneys could skew the number up very much, given what a small percentage they make up in a large city.

      I think it’s most helpful in smaller cities where the biggest firms might have 40-50 attorneys, rather than major metropolitan areas where the the difference between BigLaw and small firms is going to be more substantial.

      For the most part, it’s just for fun.

    • Anastasia

      I wish I’d known about that tool when negotiating my first salary. I’m making just about the median now (and more than the calculator predicts for me, individually), but I was underpaid for years until I came to my current job last Fall!

    • meme

      Ooh I like it. It says I should make about what I actually make, but I work part time. It’s making me feel very overpaid.

    • Research, Not Law

      Wow, very cool.

      It didn’t have my occupation per se, so I tried a couple of related ones. Seems pretty accurate.

    • dc 'rette

      This is totally useless. It doesn’t take into account what type of law you practice or what type of employer you work for.

  7. CPA to be

    I am having the hardest time studying for the CPA exam! I haven’t gotten my notice to schedule yet, so while I’m wanting to take the first section in about a month (if I get my notice soon, and if slots are still available by then), it is so difficult to force myself to study without a concrete deadline.

    Any tips on forcing yourself to study for something that seems so insurmountable (esp. the CPA exam, but I’d imagine the concept is the same for the bar or any other professional test)?

    • Blue

      I don’t know what the CPA exam is like, but I’m studying for the bar for the first time right now, and it really helps me to have a daily schedule listing out exactly what I need to do that day. I’ve found that I’m much more likely to do the work if it’s listed out like that. It gives me concrete tasks to accomplish and then I can stop when I’m done. To be fair, I’m in a bar review course that mostly makes my schedule for me, but I’m sure you could sit down and make your own schedule even without a course.

      • Monday

        Qualifying exams for my PhD was my relevant experience. (If I had failed, I would not have gotten my degree and could not have a professional academic career–it’s as close to a license as we have.) I agree with what Blue suggests, and also, even more basically, you need to block out your study hours in advance and then stick to them. You didn’t mention what you’re scheduling around, but my guess is that this is not the only thing on your plate right now!

    • anon for this

      I have taken 2 bars and the Professional Engineer’s test.

      For the bars I used barbri mobile. For the PE I made my own schedule. The main review book for the PE had a guideline of how to use the book to study for the PE, and I made my own (flexible) schedule based on that. I jsut made sure I covered all the topics and did enough practice problems.

      I don’t know specifics about the CPA, but I’m sure good review books have some guidelines of what to cover too.

    • CPA

      I took the CPA exam while in an MBA program and working 35 hours a week in public accounting. Did you buy the Becker review? My firm bought it for me and I don’t know that I could have passed all 4 sections on the first try without it. It provides you with a very detailed daily schedule. If you fall behind you basically have to pull an all-nighter or study 20 hours over the weekend to catch-up. Just study, don’t worry about your NTS. It is out of your control just set a target date (in Becker if you have it) and stick to it as if you are scheduled.

      I would call NASBA about your NTS. They can provide you with information about your application’s progress. Also, I know the NTS is often delayed due to your college taking their sweet time with any transcripts.

      Good luck. My advice is to relax and make sure you get plenty of exercise, fun and sleep in. Do all the problems until you get them all correct. Don’t just memorize, understand concepts.

    • AccountingNerd

      The CPA exam isn’t for people who have no motivation to study! Even though you haven’t scheduled your test, you DO have a concrete deadline. Feburary 29 at the latest, unless you need to wait until April 1. Which you won’t. If you don’t have your NTS within 7-10 days after paying for it, CALL NASBA. One time they “forgot” to email my NTS.

      The CPA exam is scary….until you pass it! I remember getting all four Wiley books in the mail and just about wanted to cry after looking at them. I never thought I could do it. Never thought I would pass, but I knew I had to try.

      My advice: break things down into little pieces. I would take a chapter and give myself a week or two to study it. I would tell myself I needed to be an expert in that chapter after a week. I wouldn’t look at other chapters or think about how much I would have to cram into my brain before the exam, I would just focus on becoming an expert in that one chapter. Knowing I only had to become an expert in one chapter over that week made me much more motivated to study.

      Other advice:
      1) Don’t study over 4 hours a day. Take a small break every 45 minutes. After you finish studying for the day, reward yourself. Food/flowers/tv…
      2) Give yourself enough time to study before taking each section. To fail the test because you are under-is a waste of money and very discouraging. Study 2-4 months for each section.
      3) Stay positive! Visualize yourself taking the test, being confident while taking it, and passing. Sounds weird, but it worked for me!
      4) Expect to sacrifice a year or two of your life for this exam. Know that it will be worth it. And when you are done, you are done!
      5) The 18-month window fliiiiiiiiies by. Don’t take a break in between sections.
      6) Realize that some of your friends and family just won’t understand why you have to study all the time. (“Your not done with that test yet?? I only had to study for a week to get my teaching certificate.”)
      7) Celebrate every section you pass.

      Oh, how I miss the days of studying!!! The long nights, just me, my coffee, and books; the days spent on cpanet and another71 forums; the anxiously waiting up for the scores to post; the thrill of seeing a passing score; the heartache of seeing a failing score and realizing I was just two points away from being a cpa; seeing a score of 75 at 3am and realizing it’s all over; and going through withdrawals after being done–feeling guilty for watching tv (shouldn’t I be studying?!)

      GOOD LUCK! :)

      • CPA to be

        Thank you so so much for all your advice! I’m using Bisk, which one of my accounting professors suggested. Right now I’m on my 5th chapter (out of 20), but I’m going back over the first few again to make sure I’ve got the concepts. I have made myself a schedule, but I think it might be too ambitious when it comes to how much material I’m trying to cover, which is why I’m discouraged and overwhelmed.

  8. Red

    I need some advice in naming a firm. I just wanted to do “The Law Offices of Red”, which is common in my region (NJ) but I just read this: “But think about the difference in seeing “Law Offices of Joe Schmoe” on a business card versus “Peak Law Firm.”

    I’m just out of law school, and I’m really only planning to do this until I get a full time job, you know at one of the firms at had 2 or 3 interviews with that never gave me a flat out no and just keeps talking about “in the future.” Or, maybe I’ll get a few long term clients and like working for myself. Either way, I don’t ever plan on hiring anyone else, which was the argument in the article for going with “Peak Law Firm” so that you don’t have to change signs, etc.

    • PM

      My 2 cents — from a branding point of view, “Peak Law Firm” is stronger. I work with lots of sole practitioners who named themselves “Law Offices of Joe Schmoe” and it seems a little old-fashioned.

      • Red

        Yes that’s true too. What region are you in? FWIW I have unique qualifications to a niche practice, which is what I plan to do, so it’s more my qualifications and industry experience that I’m marketing. I plan on doing work for businesses I have dealt with in the past, and looking to do some contract work for other attorneys. I won’t be marketing myself to the general public, just to targeted business and some lawyers. Of the firms that do this kind of work, I have never seen a firm named something like “Peak Law Firm.”

        There are also very few women in this field, don’t know if that makes a difference in having “Law Offices of Girly Name.”

        • anon

          Also, be careful with advertising yourself in a niche area. I think some states may prohibit getting too specific with that unless you actually have some kind of certification in that area (which maybe you do), not just experience/focus.

    • Anon

      Just be careful to comply with ethical rules re: advertising – some states prohibit solos from calling themselves “firms” because it gives the false impression that there are multiple lawyers.

      • Red

        Ok thanks I’ll check that, maybe that’s why I see so much “Law Offices of…” in my state.

        • Circe

          A lot of this depends on the state. In my state, “Peak Law Firm” type naming was not allowed until a firm sued for it in the ’90s, I believe.

  9. Anon for This

    I have kind of a pressing question – I have been in the process of interviewing for a new job at a small non-profit (I work in development). I am also almost 5 months pregnant. The potential employer is aware of my pregnancy and has been super supportive and flexible this far, much more than I would ever expect my current employer to be. However, we are now in the final stages of negotiating compensation, and I want to try to build in as much protection for me and my family as possible, while still being understanding of the needs of the organization.

    Essentially, I want the minimum of three months maternity (unpaid, unfortunately) that my current employer would give me AND to build in 3-6 months of part-time upon my return. In terms of salary, what is the general rule for part-time? If I work three days a week, does that mean I should ask for 70% of my full-time annual pay? More? Has anyone ever been in a similar situation? I would love thoughts or insights from past experience.

    • Red

      While, 3 days a week is 60%, so I doubt they’d give you 70%.

      In a former government job I was able to work 4 days a week at just over 75% of my pay, but was able to keep medical benefits.

      • Anon for This

        Thanks for this. I guess I was using 70% as a starting point for negotiations… I sense that with any job when you’re working part-time but is really designed as a full-time position, there is still work that ends up being done on the days when you are not in the office, plus evenings and weekends. But maybe it is too much…

        • Red

          lol, well it’s definitely worth starting the negotiation at 70%. I dont’ know big the non-profit is, if they would have any internal policies. Since I was working for the government the numbers were non negotiable,but at least you have some insight on what’s out there!

        • Diana Barry

          I would ask for the prorated amount, 60% for 3 days, with a gross-up. SO if you end up working more than 60% worth (either with billables or time in the office), they pay you the difference.

          • ANP

            Second this. I’m a VP of Advancement at a small-to-mid-sized development shop and I negotiated exactly what you did. Feel free to email me at aliya dot pitts at gmail dot com if you want to discuss in more depth — happy to share my experience!

    • dc 'rette

      I’d ask for 60% (if you work 3 days) but with full benefits. I work at a nonprofit (a large one, though) and that’s what part-timers get. I think it’s reasonable.

  10. In House Counsel

    Sorry for an early threadjack but I was wondering if any of you ladies had any OB recommendations within either Manhattan or Jersey City/Hoboken area. Just discovered that we’re pregnant (first baby) and am feeling a bit overwhelmed with how to choose a good doctor.

    Knowing how helpful this community has been, I thought I’d ask around and see.

    • Anon for This

      Love Spring OB/GYN on Spring Street in SoHo. They have a large practice of women doctors and I have been with them for 7 years, including now with my first pregnancy. My usual doctor is Dr. Heidi Flagg – she’s wonderful. They also have two midwives on staff if you are considering going that route. They deliver at NYU Langone.

    • HobokenMom

      Congrats! Drs. Migliaccio, Brescia & Tully in Hoboken. They are excellent and also probably have about 2/3 of the town as clients.
      Also, sign up for the HobokenMoms group on Yahoo…. a little crazy there, but useful.

  11. Blue

    Is there any way to wear riding boots to the office? (Law firm office). I’m considering investing in a $300ish pair of Frye riding boots. Right now I’m in my last year of school, so I can wear them all the time with jeans, etc. But could I ever wear them in an office setting? I’m worried that I’ll end up wearing them only occasionally starting next year and that they won’t be worth it.

    • eaopm3

      Our office is business casual and I have never been able to figure out how to wear either my black or brown pair of riding boots to work. I will say that I wear them constantly on the weekends, year-round, though, so the investment was worth it for me.

    • Lee

      Which ones are they? Frye boots are usually pretty casual. The boots I see around my biglaw office are generally sleeker and more formal looking than Fryes.

      That said, I’ve been wearing my Fryes basically whenever I’m out of the office and consider them an excellent investment.

      • RT

        This. I have 2 pairs of the Frye Dorado riding boots (black and brown) and I wear them often to commute to work in the rain/snow and I wear them all weekend. I occasionally will wear them to work (mid-size NYC lawfirm) with a dress, like on a Friday before a holiday weekend when the office is quiet. Frye boots are such good quality and so classic that I think they are worth the investment even if you can’t wear them everyday. If you get them, make you you take them to a cobbler regularly to take care of the soles.

        • Lee

          Beautiful! They seem a little too casual for my office except on casual days, but I don’t think you’ll regret the purchase.

    • Red

      If it’s a very casual office that only requires suits for appearances (I know one lawyer who wears jeans every day and just keeps a suit in her office) then you’ll use them. For most typical law offices, no you will not wear them during the week.

      If you’re still in school and have the disposable income, then get a classic style, they’ll last forever and I’m in favor of investing in classic pieces.

      Do you have a job or clerkship lines up, or are you currently employed in another capacity? You said you’re studying for the bar now, so are you out of school and taking the February bar? If you don’t have anything lines up you may face a bout of unemployment. Myself and other didn’t even get interviews until we had passed the bar (If you take February you’ll find out in April or May.)

      I bought a $100 pair of riding boots at DSW my last year of law school, and now they are only used for weekends and occasional casual Fridays, but I don’t regret the purchase at all.

      • Blue

        Yes, I’m out of school and studying for the bar currently. I have a job and a clerkship both lined up (clerking first starting this summer). I think the clerkship is actually relatively casual. Not jeans or anything like that, but I could see maybe wearing the boots there. So I guess I’m really more concerned about the law firm after that. It is business casual/suits only required for court. But I still have trouble really picturing how I’d wear the boots. Maybe it’s because I was only there over the summer, when people weren’t really wearing that type of thing anyway.

        • Red

          I agree with what someone said about smooth leather,but I didn’t check your link. Most polished looking flat boots can be work with tights and skirt/dress at business casual offices.

          You seem to have achieved a lot with a job and clerkship lines up so treat yourself! Even if you can only commute in them and wear them on weekends, if they’re a classic style they’ll be a good investment. Way better than buying multiple cheap boots.

    • Always a NYer

      First, I think there’s an old post on this in the archives. Second, it all depends on your office dress code and culture. You could wear riding boots to a business casual office, maybe even business formal if you want to rock Kalinda’s style. There’s also the option of wearing them under wider leg trousers, not just with skirts or dresses. And, remember that you can always wear them on the weekends and your time off. I love boots so I say invest, but that’s just me ;)

    • Annie

      I’m wearing Fryes with tights, a sheath dress, blazer and scarf at the office right now and I’m an attorney in private practice. Note: my office is not a suit type environment unless you are going to court that day.

    • Maddie Ross

      It depends on which pair of Fryes. I have Melissas in brown and black that I wear regularly. I also own a pair of Paiges and would never wear them to work. It also depends on the type of leather. Smooth leather – fine. Distressed – not for work.

    • Eleanor

      I’m at a small law office in the Midwest that falls in the not-quite-business-formal-but-definitely-not-business-casual category that people have mentioned here before. Basically, men wear suit pants, shirt, and tie unless they’re meeting with clients, in which case they add the suit jacket. I’m the only female attorney in this office, so I have to interpret that for women on my own, but I’ve been wearing riding boots (of the $100 at DSW variety) with my usual pencil skirt/blouse/sweater combo and I feel ok about it. Certainly no one has said anything, and I’m usually pretty sensitive to being dressed inappropriately.

      At the very least, you could always wear the boots on your commute and change to regular shoes once you get to the office (which I do some days). I don’t wear the boots when I’m meeting with clients, though.

    • cbackson

      I wear my more polished riding boots to the office all the time, but not my casual ones. The difference for me is that the ones that feel office-okay are smooth leather, thin-soled, and non-slouchy. My casual ones are a thicker, nubbier leather and a thicker sole.

  12. Fashion Emergency!

    Help! I packed a black sheath dress to wear in my gym bag. When I pulled it out this morning, I found a 2-inch rip in the center back seam right in the middle of my b*tt. When I sit or bend over, my underwear are totally exposed. I can’t go home to change since I live an hour from my office, and I can’t think of any stores within a reasonable distance from my office where I could buy anything to fix the dress. I don’t want to do anything that will permanently damage the dress since it was expensive. I’ve already tried scotch tape and it didn’t hold. I’m also wearing a cardigan, which I could tie around my waist, but then I’ll freeze to death. I don’t have any safety pins in my office. Any suggestions?

    • MelD

      Can you staple the seam allowance? The normal width is 5/8″, which should allow for you to staple the allowance without ruining the part of the dress that will show.

    • ANP

      Can you ask coworkers if they have safety pins? Can you tie your cardigan around your waist and go buy safety pins? Do you have a solid-color scarf nearby that you can pin inside the dress (it will show as a different color, but at least it won’t show your underwear)?

    • Eleanor

      How much do you have to walk around? Can you sit down as much as possible for today, and only take the cardigan off and tie it around your waist when you go to the bathroom or absolutely must go speak to someone in person rather than emailing/calling? Are there any sympathetic women there who might have safety pins or a sewing kit? If you have some kind of common area with tissues and whatnot, maybe there’s a sewing kit in there?

    • Fashion Emergency!

      Oh, and going out to buy clothes isn’t possible because the mall is 30 minutes away.

    • Fashion Emergency!

      My trust Swingline was stronger than I thought, and per MelD’s suggestion, I stapled the seam allowance. Hopefully, it’ll hold; if not, the cardigan will go around my waist when I leave my office. Thanks ladies!

    • Terry

      Any duct-tape around? It’s very fabric like. You could tape the inside of the dress.

    • Anonymous

      Are you near a dry cleaner? Usually they can help sew it up in these types of emergencies!

  13. EC MD

    I really have no one else to brag to about this, but I thought at least some of you ladies would appreciate it. One of my brothers, who is a first year associate at regional BigLaw, is arguing a pro-bono case in front of the state supreme court next month. He’s been lawyer for, like, 15 minutes! So proud

    • Former MidLevel

      That is awesome! And kudos for him for doing pro bono work as a first year.

  14. non

    Sister of the monkey-armed nerd boy, here – Just want to say thank you for the suggestions. Especially the one for Express – the brother ended up with 4 of the extra slim shirts (on sale) and has been wearing them all week, as well as a couple sweaters. But not the ones with the shawl collars – those are “stupid”.

    Thanks again!

  15. GreenTea

    Has anybody ever heard of or known someone who participated in either Vaughntown or Pueblo Ingles? It’s a weeklong program in Spain where english-speaking people are given free room and board in exchange for “volunteering” to participate in speaking conversations and small groups with Spanish professionals seeking to better their English.

    We’re looking for a cheap vacation and new experience at the close of my clerkship and before I start a new position, and I found this program but don’t know anyone who has done it and wonder if it’s as neat as it sounds.

    • P

      I’d love to know more about this – please keep us posted if you find out anything else!

  16. Liz

    Advice needed!

    I recently recieved some disappointing news regarding my small law firm’s maternity policy. I would like to be able to provide the decision makers with some information on how other firms’ policies compare. I’d really appreciate hearing about how other firms structure their maternity policies (i.e. number of weeks, paid/unpaid, reduced hours) or advice regarding how to obtain this information. Thank you!

    • Blonde Lawyer

      I am pretty sure there is a a fairly recent thread where someone asked the same question. If you don’t get a lot of answers, you should search for it. I can’t share because I didn’t ask when I took my job! Maternity leave wasn’t on my radar at the time.

      I don’t know how to search for old threads but I think you can go to google and do corporette.com:maternity leave or something like that. You can probably google the formula first!

      Also, someone here may have bookmarked it since it was such a popular thread.

    • Diana Barry

      My firm gives 2 months of maternity leave at 100% coverage, and I used 4 weeks of vacation (from the year before carryover and the current year) to top it up to 3 months.
      Boston, 30 lawyers.

    • SF Bar

      The SF Bar has a lot of these kinds of statistics and best practices (and a law firm pledge that many firms have signed). I think the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession does, too. Maybe even your local bar?

    • Fiona

      My small firm offers exactly what Diana Barry’s firm does (also in Boston): 2 months of paid leave, and then 4 weeks of vacation time that you can cobble together from the prior year and the current year. I’m not sure if we have the option to extend that as unpaid leave after 3 months.

      OP – What is your firm’s policy? I feel like 2 months + using vacation for maternity leave is pretty weak, honestly.

        • JJ

          6 weeks paid is fairly standard (or high) across the country for corporations. Bigger law firms tend to be more generous. I’m in Texas, national, boutique firm and we can combine parental leave with medical time off leave to get 4 months’ paid, with 1 for 1 billable hours credit.

      • Ruby in Seattle

        My large global company: 6 weeks at 80% pay on short term disability. 10 days off per year plus 10 days sick leave, but half of the sick leave expires yearly if not used. Pretty crappy if you ask me- I’m pregnant now so mulling over this often. But what can you do. It’s a company with lots of men with stay and home wives of a different generation. Jealous of those with better policies.

    • eaopm3

      I was the one that asked about the crappy maternity leave policy. Our small firm (6 attorneys total) told me they would give me “at least two weeks paid” but maybe more depending on how long I have been with the firm when I get pregnant. They told me that about three months ago, and it was definitely disappointing since H and I have talked about trying in 2012. It’s a terrible policy, but I don’t think there is a thing I can do to change it. I feel your disappointment.

      I am currently looking into disability insurance to cover the rest of the time that I am off. I plan to report back what I find out, but I am waiting on calls from some providers. If anyone has gotten disability insurance for maternity leave before, would you please share who your provider was? Our office does not have a “group” disability plan so I have to find a company that offers individual policies.

      • GreenTea

        This really interests me. I’m hopefully going to be negotiating a salary benefits policy that will include maternity leave in the next month or two, and it is with a small firm (6 attorneys + me) in which I will be the first person to ever take maternity leave in the 40+ years of the firm.

        We’re also trying – so I could be needing to take leave within 6 months of starting there. I’ve just realized that there will always be a “penalty” to having a baby and being a professional, no matter when I do it.

        Please keep us updated on how this works out.

        • eaopm3

          I will keep you posted. I am also the first person that would have ever taken maternity leave in this firm’s history, so I feel like the partners are really out of touch right now. It’s particularly infuriating because they all have wives and daughters, and some of their daughters have had children already, so it’s not like they don’t have pretty intimate knowledge of what the first few weeks of being a mother is like. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will offer me more time than they said at first, but I guess if they don’t and I have to muddle through with disability insurance, it’s what I have to do. It still makes me sad, though.

    • jlf

      I have one, and it was kind of a let down for me. My main problem was that the interior of the palette is too tall– your individual rounds of eyeshadow or whatever can shift and stack up on top of each other, which makes a mess. I guess this problem could be resolved by either using glue or some sort of really hard-core magnets but I just lost interest and put my stuff back in the mac palettes I had them in originally.

      Also, getting things out of their original cases is a HUGE pain in the ass unless they were already held in by magnets. This cannot be overstated. If I had to do it over again, I would not buy it.

      • Magdeline

        I have one too. I have never had anything shift inside of it. I have a Nars Blush, some Revlon eyeshadows, and a Physician’s Formula powder in it currently.

        I didn’t actually find getting makeup out of its original case to be difficult. (I have heard that MAC is harder to remove than other brands, though.) I heated the makeup from underneath with my straightening iron, lifted the pan out with an old pair of tweezers, wiped off any remaining glue, and stuck it in the palette.

        I think that it is good if you have makeup that you’d like to depan of many different shapes/sizes. If you only have, say, MAC shadows, then a palette with individual holes that fits the shadows perfectly would be best.

  19. Nonny

    Two things:

    First, hands up everyone who is wearing their hair in one of the updos from yesterday! Me – Gibson roll, and wow, do I love it!

    Second, inspired by my discovery of A Cup of Jo yesterday, have any of you tried anything from EmersonMade? Most of their stock appears to be sold out right now but their minimalist aesthetic really appeals to me and I am wondering about quality/cut/fit/fabric. Thoughts?

    TIA.

    • Blonde Lawyer

      Hands up if you tried and failed at every online hairstyle you have ever attempted! (me me me me).

      • Lee

        Me too. The worst is trying to curl my hair with a GHD flat iron. The videos result in the most lovely curls, but my hair just ends up unattractively crimped.

        • Red

          Haha, I”m not so good with up do’s or curling irons, but I am able to curl my hair well with a flat iron after watching a youtube video. Also, after being fed up with paying $50 for crappy hair cuts, I bought my own shears, watched some youtube videos and cut my own hair!

          • Supra

            I practiced the curling with the flat iron trick and I can now do lovely big curls/waves with my flat iron. The key for me is using small sections, combing the hair section before putting the flat iron on it and going slooooooooowly.

    • Anastasia

      I definitely tried a Gibson roll this morning, acheieved a mediocre result, and concluded that I need to master it sometime when I’m awake before attempting pre-coffee. Hair went in a bun instead, but Gibson roll gets a second chance tonight!

    • Anne-on

      A few of the fashion/wedding bloggers I used to follow bought things from EmersonMade. The general consensus was that the pieces were made very well, but sized on the small side (think high end designer sizing, or Theory). I was debating on a blazer of theirs for quite a while but even as a size 2/4 I’m not sure the arms would have been roomy enough for me to wear a blouse underneath.

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