Atlanta Injury Lawyer Blog
Last week, my boss–my mom–Robin Frazer Clark was invited to speak on a panel of highly esteemed women at the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers’ annual CLE entitled “The Leader Within.” She was joined on the panel by Linda Klein, the first woman President of the State Bar of Georgia; Meka Ward, Assistant General Counsel for the Home Depot; Judge Ana Maria Martinez, Georgia’s First Latina State Court Judge; and Zahra Karinshak, a veteran and former Georgia Senator. The incredible women who shared the stage all come from different backgrounds, have achieved unbelievable success in various practice areas, and have overcome consistent adversity as women in the legal field, often holding the title of “First Female ___” in many spaces they occupy within this male-dominated field. To be sure, the gender disparity is shrinking by the year—the latest numbers from the American Bar Association tell us that the gap is narrowing, with the percentage of female lawyers growing from 36% in 2014 to 41% in 2024. I know that, at some point in my legal career, I will likely encounter adversity as a woman in the legal field that resembles the challenges that the panelists once faced. But I also know that, because of the fearlessness of the female leaders who have come before me, I will have far fewer barriers to overcome than they did.
I’ve had the privilege of hearing my mom’s sage advice on panels, speaking to a group of lawyers, or even just at the dinner table for 27 years. What I’ve now realized, however, is that the advice hits a little differently once you start following in those same footsteps she’s laid on the ground in front of you. Hopefully other young attorneys (and experienced attorneys too!) can benefit from these nuggets of wisdom I picked up from these Queens of the Law. Here are some of my takeaways from the incredible panel:
- There are many ways to lead. The panelists offered a variety of answers to questions about what makes a “good leader,” but at the core of most of their answers were simple pieces of advice: be yourself and treat others the way you would want to be treated. If you try to adopt a style of leadership that is not genuine to the person you are, your team will be able to sense that something seems off and may not have full confidence in the leadership or the overall mission. Treating each other by the Golden Rule allows for a deeper sense of trust and understanding between the different levels of the hierarchy within the team (and is also probably just a good piece of life advice for how we should strive to treat others… this includes opposing counsel!!)
- There are many ways to become a leader. One method to work your way to the top, offered by our first woman President of the State Bar of Georgia, is to take the job that no one wants. Let your higher-ups see that you are willing to do the job that no one wants because you recognize that the job is important to the overall mission. And then, even after you have ascended to the leadership position, don’t stop taking those jobs that no one wants. Your team needs to see that no job or task is “beneath” you!
- If you are looking to grow as a leader, here are two tips:
- LISTEN. As a leader, especially an older/more experienced leader, you should always be listening to others whose perspectives differ from your own—especially those from younger generations. It can be difficult to recognize the gaps in your own work or leadership, and listening to others can help fill those gaps and protect your blindspots. As the leader in the scenario, you should work to find the way to best utilize the individual strengths/backgrounds/passions of those you are leading in order to lift the greater group’s overall mission. On the flipside, if you are a younger/less experienced attorney, you also need to listen—learn from those who have put in decades of sweat and tears into their practice—but, do not be afraid to speak up: your opinion is not any less valuable just because you are young or inexperienced. Discerning the appropriate times to listen and to speak up can set you apart from other young lawyers and garner the respect of your leaders.
- FIND YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. You’ve likely heard the expression that you are a sum of the five people you surround yourself with. Your Board of Directors acts similarly. Everyone should establish a Board of Directors – one, a professional Board, comprised of mentors and mentees and peers who want to see you succeed as a lawyer and who can provide advice to help you further your career, & another, a personal Board, comprised of friends and family who know you to your core, who you can go to when you need advice for Life Decisions, and who will call you out when they see you behaving in a way that does not better yourself or others. Do you have a Board of Directors of your life?
- The #1 piece of advice on how to motivate your team? A simple “thank you, I see how hard you are working” can go a long way.
Finally, there was a persistent theme from this Panel that I think we all need to take forward and bring into the profession: we need to help each other. None of us would be here without the support of the people in our corner. Judge Martinez shared with us that the Georgia Latino Law Foundation uses a phrase that embodies this principle: #reachbackpullforward. I am fortunate to have grown up around strong female lawyers. I saw them at State Bar and Georgia Trial Lawyers Association meetings growing up. I saw them in my home. And I now see them everyday in my classmates, colleagues, and friends.
If you see a lawyer who you think could benefit from your help—or more importantly, if a lawyer approaches you and asks for help—help them. You would not be where you are today if someone had not helped you get there. I will leave you with these final words—the words of a poem that my mom used to share when given the opportunity to speak with young lawyers, words that she borrowed from a mentor of hers, words that connect with the #reachbackpullforward spirit, and words that embody what it means to be a female lawyer–to follow in the footsteps of the female lawyers who came before us, and to leave footprints for the next generation of female lawyers to follow:
“The Bridge Builder”
by Will Allen Dromgoole
An old man going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide.
Through which was flowing a sullen tide
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day,
You never again will pass this way;
You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build this bridge at evening tide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head;
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followed after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been as naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!”
——
How can you build a bridge for someone in your firm, friend group, or family today?
——
Alexandria “Alex” Clark is a trial lawyer in her first year of personal injury practice with Robin Frazer Clark, P.C., a plaintiff’s law firm that pursues justice for those who have been injured as a result of motor vehicle wrecks, trucking wrecks, defective products, defective maintenance of roads, dangerous premises, medical malpractice, and other incidents caused by the negligence of others. Before teaming up with Robin Frazer Clark to create the mother-daughter personal injury duo, Alex Clark worked for two years as a Staff Attorney in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Staff Attorney’s Office in Atlanta, Georgia.
Robin Frazer Clark is the 50th President of the State Bar of Georgia, a Past President of Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, a Past President of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta and has practiced law in Georgia for 36 years. She is a member of the International Society of Barristers and of the American Board of Trial Advocates. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Mrs. Clark is listed as one of the Top 50 Women Trial Lawyers in Georgia and the Top 25 National Women Trial Lawyers and is a Georgia Super Lawyer. Ms. Clark is the co-host of the podcast “See You In Court,” sponsored by the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation. Ms. Clark has tried over 75 jury trials and argued in Georgia Appellate Courts over 45 times.
Robin Frazer Clark & Alex Clark ~ Dedicated to the Constitution’s Promise of Justice for All.
If you are a Georgia lawyer in need of mental health counseling, the State Bar of Georgia’s Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) is a confidential service funded by the State Bar to help its members with life’s difficulties. The LAP provides a broad range of helping services to members seeking assistance with depression, stress, alcohol/drug abuse, family problems, workplace conflicts, psychological and other issues. As a member of the State Bar of Georgia, you automatically receive six free clinical sessions per calendar year, #UseYour6. If you are suffering from depression, stress, alcohol or drug abuse, family problems or psychological issues and need immediate, confidential help, or if you are interested in accessing the counseling services, call the confidential LAP Hotline: 800-327-9631.
