Taking the Bar Exam… Again
By Thea Pitzen MSJDN members are no strangers to the bar exam. The vast majority of MSJDN members have taken and passed at least one, and over a third have taken multiple bar exams. Some have even taken the...
NCIS Highlights Challenges Faced by Military Spouse Attorneys in Episode Featuring First Lady Michelle Obama
by Thea Pitzen Like my Navy family, many of you reading this may be fans of NCIS, CBS’s long-running and extremely popular action drama series that focuses on the “sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced...
Employer Spotlight: Metro Truck & Tractor Leasing, Inc.
Editor’s Note: MSJDN asked its members to help us spotlight employers going above and beyond for military spouse attorneys. Each employer in this series was nominated for the 2016 MSJDN Members’ Choice Award by members who told us in their...
Employer Spotlight: Tenth Judicial District Attorney’s Office
Editor’s Note: MSJDN asked its members to help us spotlight employers going above and beyond for military spouse attorneys. Each employer in this series was nominated for the 2016 MSJDN Members’ Choice Award by members who told us in their...
Don’t Miss Making the Right Moves 2015!
MSJDN’s annual Making the Right Moves (MRM) event is a conference dedicated specifically to the professional development of military spouse attorneys. In past years, the event has been held in Washington, D.C., and in San Diego, California. This year,...
Libby Jamison Awarded MSJDN’s Inaugural Mary Reding Smith Excellence in Leadership Award
On Sunday, July 12, 2015, during MSJDN’s annual Strategic Planning weekend at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia, MSJDN President Eleanor Vuono presented Communications Director and Board Member Libby Jamison with the inaugural Mary Reding Smith Excellence...
So, What Brings You to the Area? and Other Loaded Interview Questions for Military Spouses
When I graduated from law school, I had a résumé that basically screamed, “Atlanta!” Or, if not Atlanta, perhaps New York. I had attended college in New York, and, a few years later, law school in Atlanta. As a...
Employer Spotlight: South Walton Law, PA
Editor’s Note: MSJDN asked its members to help us spotlight employers that are going above and beyond for military spouse attorneys. Each employer in this series was nominated for MSJDN’s Members’ Choice Award for doing just that, by members...
Sarah Gardner-Cox Becomes First MSJDN Member Sworn In Under New York’s Military Spouse Attorney Licensing Policy
Last year, MSJDN celebrated as the New York State Board of Law Examiners published a military spouse attorney licensing policy. Now, we celebrate again, as Sarah Gardner-Cox has become the first MSJDN member to be sworn in after utilizing...
Employer Spotlight: W. Timothy Harvey
Editor’s Note: MSJDN asked its members to help us spotlight employers that are going above and beyond for military spouse attorneys. Each employer in this series was nominated for MSJDN’s Members’ Choice Award for doing just that, by members...
Make Working Remotely Work For You!
In the age of the Internet, email, smart phones, and teleconferences, working remotely is becoming increasingly possible – and common – for attorneys. A quick Google search on the topic will reveal everything from job postings by Lumen Legal...
Federal Bar Association Includes Military Spouse Attorney Mobility on Issues Agenda, Sponsors Webinar On Military Spouses and Families
MSJDN’s strong working relationship with the Federal Bar Association (“FBA”) has been evident this year. First, the FBA’s Government Relations Committee officially included Military Spouse Attorney Mobility as an Active Legislative Issue in 2015, following an Issue Nomination application...
MRM Attracts Line-Up of Distinguished Keynote Speakers
Editor’s Note: As we were going to print on this issue of Bars & Stripes, MSJDN received confirmation of another terrific keynote speaker. Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of the 80th Assembly District for the California Assembly will also be addressing attendees at...
Recap: MSJDN 2014-2015 Strategic Planning
MSJDN’s 2014-2015 leadership team – including the Board of Directors for both MSJDN and the Military Spouse JD Foundation, as well as Committee Chairs – met on July 26 and 27 at the historic Army Navy Country Club in...
Profiling Success: Lieutenant General Flora Darpino
Since joining the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps as a young First Lieutenant in 1987, Lieutenant General (LTG) Flora Darpino has remained true to her “work hard, take chances” attitude, and it has served her well during her...
Employer Spotlight: Prugh Law Office
Editor’s Note: This is the ninth installment in MSJDN’s series highlighting the employers MSJDN members say are going above and beyond for military spouse attorneys. Each employer in this series was nominated for MSJDN’s Member’s Choice Award by members who told us...
Employer Spotlight: Bracewell & Giuliani LLP
Editor’s Note: This is the sixth installment in MSJDN’s series highlighting the employers MSJDN members say are going above and beyond for military spouse attorneys. Each employer in this series was nominated for MSJDN’s Member’s Choice Award by members who told...
MOAA Attains VSO Status, Provides Pro Bono Opportunity for MSJDN Members
Last October, MSJDN announced its partnership with the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) to assist with veterans’ claims. At that time, MOAA was working to attain recognition as a Veterans Service Organization (VSO) through the Department of Veterans’...
Join MSJDN in Austin on February 23 for Deep in the Heart
One year ago, in February 2013, Texas became the first state to initiate a licensing accommodation policy for military spouse attorneys without a formal rule change so that it could begin consideration of military spouse applications immediately. The License...
From the Members: One Tough No-Brainer
[Editor’s note: As we embark on the holiday season, we are most grateful for our members — we are in constant awe of their dedication to legal career and military life. This is the story of the Pitzen family, Thea...
Military Spouses Storm the Hill to Support Pattie Millett
MSJDN has been busy the past two days on Capitol Hill, working to push past the politics and support fellow military spouse Patricia “Pattie” Millett, who has been nominated for one of three vacant spots on the DC Circuit...
MSJDN Partners with MOAA Veterans’ Claims Assistance: Call for Pro Bono Attorneys!
MSJDN is excited to announce that we will be working with the Military Officers Association of America’s (MOAA) Veterans Service Office Program in their efforts to assist with veterans’ claims. Throughout the country, there are many Veterans Service Organizations...
Answers and Resources for the 2013 Government Shutdown
Now that the federal government has shut down, many military families and civilian government employees – including our own MSJDN members and families – are looking for answers about what will happen and where we can turn for help....
MSJDN Attends House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Hearing
On September 11, 2013, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held a hearing regarding the implementation of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ Fully Developed Claims (FDC) program. MSJDN President Mary Reding and...
MSJDN Joins NMFA to Storm the Hill, #EndSequestration Now
Members, we need your help! MSJDN is joining the National Military Family Association in their efforts to #EndSequestration. On Thursday, September 12, NMFA, MSJDN and other leading military family organizations will take a stand and Storm the Hill to...