Marshall Melhorn is committed to the rentention and advancement of women attorneys. We recognize and value the uniqure strengths and abilities of our female attorneys.
Several of our female attorneys share thoughts on their experience in the legal field, and why they landed at Marshall Melhorn.
Amy Natyshak
Member, Education Law Group
"In the Fall of 1988, I was interviewed at Marshall Melhorn by three women attorneys – three strong, capable, witty, hard-working partners who also happened to be mothers. For the first time in any law firm interview, I was interviewed by women (and not just any women). I could visualize my professional and personal future.
Fast forward 34 years, and those women are still some of the most inspirational people in my life, professionally and personally, and MM is still a place where women attorneys (and all attorneys) can thrive and lead in all areas of life.
Those three women, and many other wonderful lawyers at MM, have helped to make MM a place where lawyers can excel in the profession while not checking their personal lives at the door. We can cultivate fulfilling legal practices while being fully engaged family members and members of the community. That wasn’t a given in 1988, nor is it now. I’m thankful it’s a given at MM.
Sometimes I think how different my life might have been had I not encountered those three women attorneys at MM in 1988; for example, how different it would have been to raise four children at a place that didn’t so strongly celebrate family, that didn’t recognize the benefits of having well-balanced lawyers and providing employees flexibility.
I’m grateful every day that I landed at MM. And I’m grateful that around 1990 we women lawyers all decided we could start wearing pants."
Bridgett Root
Member, Department Chair, Trusts & Estates Group
“I began working at Marshall Melhorn as a young lawyer and my family has grown to now include three teenagers. The mentors that I have worked with at MM over the years have strongly supported my work life balance. It has been important to me to grow in my career and expertise in the trust and estate practice area. I have been able to grow my estate planning practice, serve as a managing partner and department chair, and also continue to be engaged in activities with my children. I am so appreciative of the flexibility I have in my area of practice and at the firm.”
Suzanne Belot Norton
Of Counsel, Labor & Employment Law Group
"For me, Marshall Melhorn is a great firm to provide the tools, support and collegiality for all to thrive, women and men alike, as the atmosphere is positive, where there are fine, experienced, friendly attorneys and staff, dedicated to the practice of law, doing the best for our clients.
Entering the legal field legal field is a bit different and much more “gender-blind” now, when contrasted with my early days. As the only female in an old, traditional male bastion firm, my professional life was challenging, hard, and, sometimes, quite demeaning. Fortunately, I had a great male mentor who believed in me, had my back, and helped me during a very trying time.
Then, women had to work much harder, and do so much more, so that their voices would be kind of heard, and would be treated kind of fairly (but it was not equally).
Now, women are treated better and seen more equally and equitably, with and by male counterparts, and, by the judicial/legal system.
While women still need to be “on top of their game” and work harder to excel and do well, the way to do so has been paved and made easier to travel by those “shining star” women trailblazers, who forged the path, before me, with me, and after me. My hope is that my example has made the path easier for my daughter, granddaughter, and those women who will follow them.”