Here are some of the insights they had to share:
Leadership for Christie Pearce Rampone means having a positive, solution-seeking mindset. It also means being in uncomfortable situations and using your voice and actions to advance your goals.
“The mind is a powerful thing,” she said. “Embrace constructive criticism because we all fail… Every day is an opportunity to get better”
Justice Jaynee LaVecchia (ret.) said she rode the crest of women like her who went to law school in the 1970s and were given opportunities to step into positions of authority. She said she applied a philosophy to every leadership position she held in her career.
“If you are ever in a position of authority or power to run an organization or steer its polices and how it conducts itself, make sure the organization is run in a way that it made a difference that you ran that organization. You can’t just be a placeholder… These are tools that work,” she said.
Having a mentor and being a mentor is critically important, said Justice Anne Patterson.
“Our mentors taught us, encouraged us, provided us with constructive criticism,” she said. “It’s important that we pay it forward… Do a lot of listening.”
Justice Fabiana Pierre-Louis said is often asked about what it is like to be either the only woman, the only person of color, or both in the room. She made a conscious decision early on in my career to see that as something that was empowering.
“You have to find a way to change your perspective. Don’t think for a moment that you don’t belong in that room. … Be confident that you are the first of many,” she said. “If I am in the room, I am going to be in the room and make my voice heard.”
Judge Haekyoung Suh said she has embraced the idea of “lift as you rise.”
“As you gain speed and stature in your career, you have a moral obligation to help others advance and it is only in this fashion we can create change,” she said.
Kathleen Boozang said a good manager shows leadership, creativity and vision. It is also important to be introspective, know what your best skill sets are and look to build a team to compliment those skills. “An idea doesn’t come from fruition from just one person,” she said.
Kimberly Mutcherson said becoming a leader during the midst of a pandemic presented challenges and opportunities. She was also the first Black, woman and LGBTQ person to hold the office.
“I think about: what are the things I can do to make this an institution where people who look like me, who have had my life experience… can feel like they belong here,” Mutcherson said.
Christine Amalfe shared that she has spent her career at the same law firm. She learned and applied two key lessons as progressed through its leadership ranks.
“You needed to work really hard and you needed to learn to be a good lawyer. Everything else really comes afterward… Then, people will embrace you and opportunities will come,” she said.