On June 20, 2019, the Chicago office held an event, Her Path Forward – Together We Can, for female attorneys invested in the advancement of women into leadership within the legal field. The event featured Assistant General Counsel of E & J Gallo Winery, Melanie Full, who joined us from the Bay Area. Full initially worked in private practice and then made the transition to in-house counsel at the largest winery in the United States. She was honest, pragmatic, and assured as she shared her experience as a lawyer.
Full described the importance of career satisfaction and finding joy in what you are doing. She also encouraged the audience to maintain your network and be genuine to all those you meet. Full shared that by giving her all, she found a really fun practice area that she truly enjoys. She also emphasized the role of a champion for female attorneys as they work to successfully advance in their careers. Full informally moderated a thought provoking discussion regarding the unique challenges and societal norms we continue to face in the legal profession. As lawyers, we are often inherently competitive and busy. However, as shared at the event: we are all in this together, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and there is enough room at the top.
It was an excellent event to connect and engage with lawyers and in-house counsel at other companies. Guests were from Discover, CNA Insurance, Brookfield Properties, Allstate, Boeing, Crown Castle, Stout, IDEO, Chapter 13 Trustee’s Office, Northwestern University School of Law, and University of Chicago Medicine. Many female attorneys from the Chicago office of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani also attended the event and helped make it a success. Thank you to our speaker and all attendees. Special thanks to the event organizers Avanti Bakane, Tyler Duff, Nerissa Diaz Moisan, Jimmy Antonopoulos, and Abra Geisler.
For more information about Women's Initiative at Gordon & Rees, please see here.