In my email to Denise upon finding out she's been unboomed, I asked:
"Do they know who you are?!"
Denise is arguably the most prolific law blogger, the coiner of the term "Blawg," among the first -- the first? -- woman law blogger, an author, a commentator, brilliant thought leader online and off, prominent speaker, head of too many things for me to remember, and MOST OF ALL mom to Tyler.
That's what I mean. How MUCH traffic, press, business, and good buzz has she brought to her employer over these years? I never would have heard or cared about her firm (that I'm not naming on purpose) without Denise's esteemed references to the talent there over the years.
Clueless.
Denise can't give as many details as Rocketboom's Amanda Congdon because they make you sign all kinds of paperwork to walk away with your anus in tact from Big Firms, but I gather that the typical syndrome of, "who needs a mom when we can have a single, young, rabid work addict on the team" played a part in the involuntary separation:
Though Kristin seems to think there is a trend afoot away from active parenting, my own experiences and observations lead me to disagree; I think exactly the opposite is true. However, and certainly in the case of parents who seek to maintain their engagement and investment in careers that represent the sum total of the education and training that has occupied their adult lives, the danger of falling into the trap of relegating, delegating, and too often abdicating the parenting role is all too real. While I know countless lawyers who have done this, and I continue to see people do it, what I more commonly see and hear today (and what undeniably is true in my case) is that people — men and women — are no longer content to adopt such an approach and philosophy; they increasingly discern that the consequences are too dear and potentially too dire.
Right on.
My favorite part of her post is what her son Tyler asked upon hearing the news that "Mommy doesn't work there anymore."
"Whatchoo gonna do now, Mommeep?"
Jenna was four when my very similar exit from Ketchum took place. A little less introspective and a little more radical, she asked:
"You want me to kill 'em, Mommy?"
Tags: Denise Howel, Blawgs, Law, Unboomed, Motherhood, Fired, Cluetrain = Powered by Qumana
