RETIRED PARTNER, PUBLIC COMPANY ADVISORY GROUP LAW SCHOOL GRADUATION YEAR 1991 YEAR JOINED WEIL 2000 YEAR PROMOTED TO PARTNER 2007 HOMETOWN MYERSVILLE, MD What did you want to be as a child? A lawyer. I think I saw Perry Mason and thought he was cool and decided that being a lawyer would be fun. What would she say now? I think I would be happy that I followed through on what I wanted to do and actually made it happen. What was your first job? Closing down savings and loans at the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation. Were there things you stressed about that, looking back now, were unnecessary to worry so much about? I’m better now at understanding difficult situations and how to fix them. You’re always going to come across difficult situations and difficult people, which used to stress me out a lot. Now, I’m a little bit better (but not perfect) at dealing with those things without getting riled up. What goals did you set for yourself when you were first starting out? My mom was a single mother and had to work a lot when I was in school. The thing that impressed me was that she never missed the most important things. She had to pick her battles, of course, but she never missed a school play. When I had my twins and learned that one of them was disabled, that became my goal. I knew that I would have to work a lot of hours and be available to my clients for whatever they needed and that I would also be the mother who never missed anything important for my kids. You’re never going to get an A+ for motherhood and lawyering at the same time, but I wanted to be smart about what was most important on both sides. I didn’t want to have regrets. I’m a flex-time partner, which was a title that was created when I made partner. For me, it has never been about working parttime hours, it’s been more about flexibility and being able to be there for my family when I need to be. How do you define success? I’m a type-A person, so being successful at my job was always really important, but having my mother as a role model, who made me feel like she would always be there for me if I needed her, was very important to me as well. That is how I measure my own success. What advice do you have for younger P.J.? Whatever task you are doing, treat it as if it is the most important thing. It doesn’t matter if it is the most mundane part of your job; make sure you always maintain a good work ethic. When I graduated from college, I decided to take two years off, and everyone told me I would never go to law school if I took the time off. I loved the real-life experience, and I cherish the fact that I got to do some interesting non-legal work before law school. From that experience I learned that you know your own mind better than anyone else and you should follow your gut instincts and do what’s best for you. The most important thing to have is a support system. While I was at the SEC, I met Cathy Dixon (retired partner). Our friendship and professional relationship has meant the world to me, and we support each other personally and professionally. I also have Ellen Odoner (retired partner), who is an amazing mentor. Everyone in my group at Weil is supportive of each other. On the personal side, there is no way that I would have been able to do all of this without my husband. He understands the demands of the law firm lifestyle and supports our family. My sister also always told me that if my ego gets too big, she’ll be there to stop it in its tracks. Everybody needs people who are looking out for them in their career. When I decided to go to Weil from the SEC, Weil was actually willing to offer more flexibility than the government. I would tell my younger self to hang in there and that I would navigate all of the challenges with my children and work and would find a path forward that was successful. Don’t get too discouraged by obstacles – just stick with it. It doesn’t go as fast as other people, and it isn’t the straight path that most people take, but it does work out. I learned that you know your own mind better than anyone else and you should follow your gut instincts and do what’s best for you. “ ” WEIL WOMEN’S WISDOM · 27 26 · WEIL WOMEN’S WISDOM
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