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Attorney By Attorney Career Profiles of the Profession Who? Neena Chaudhry Senior Counsel Nchaudhry@nwlc.org What? Primary Practice Area & Subspecialty Fields: Education - Title IX When? Years in Practice Area: Since 1997 Years in the Legal Profession: Since 1996 Where? Employer: National Women's Law Center www.nwlc.org Size/Sector: About 20 attorneys, approx. 40 total staff/nonprofit City/State: Washington, DC Law School: Yale Undergraduate School/Degree: University of Maryland at College Park, B.A. in Economics, Minor in Mathematics Why? Pluses/Challenges of Practice Area: My job allows me to fight for something I believe in - equal educational opportunities. I enjoy the variety of work I do, from litigation to legislative and administrative advocacy to public education. I also enjoy the small, intimate nature of a nonprofit. Some of the challenges are that resources are often scarce and there always seems to be more work to do than people to do it. Core Skills/Key Knowledge Needed in Your Practice Area: As in most legal jobs, good oral and written skills are key. A basic knowledge of civil rights laws is helpful, but I think it is more important to have a passion for the work you do and a desire to use a variety of tools to achieve your goals. Advice to Lawyers and Law Students Interested in Your Practice Area: Fellowships are one of the key avenues into public interest organizations, especially for recent law graduates. Do not be afraid to cold call an organization and express interest or inquire about fellowships or permanent positions. How? Career Path to Current Position: Graduated from law school in 1996; clerked for the Honorable Michael Daly Hawkins on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Phoenix, Arizona; received one-year Georgetown Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship for 1997-98 and was placed at the National Women's Law Center; continued working at the Center on an internal fellowship and then became permanent staff attorney in 1999. Influences and Mentors: College professors/advisors, judge for whom I clerked. Suggested Reading About Your Practice Area: The Center's websites, www.nwlc.org and www.titleix.info, are the best way to learn more about the kind of work I do Job Search Techniques Used in Finding Your Position(s): Contacting career development office at Yale to find out about organizations that worked in areas of interest to me; calling organizations to inquire about their need for fellows; and applying for a variety of fellowships. Bar Affiliations and Activities: Member of Maryland and District of Columbia bars; Member of the ABA, Individual Rights and Responsibilities section. Recent Professional Publications: Sex Discrimination in Education: Miles to Go Before We Sleep, Human Rights, Fall 2005 (co-author). Seasons of Change: Communities for Equity v. Michigan High School Athletic Association, UCLA Women’s Law Journal, Fall/Winter 2003 (co-author). Check It Out: Is the Playing Field Level for Women and Girls at Your School?, National Women's Law Center (2000) (co-author), available at www.nwlc.org/pdf/Checkitout.pdf. Forthcoming essay in UCLA Women's Law Journal, Spring or Summer 2003 issue, entitled Seasons of Change: Communities for Equity v. Michigan High School Athletic Association; Check It Out: Is the Playing Field Level for Women and Girls at Your School?, available at www.nwlc.org/pdf/Checkitout.pdf. Recent Professional Presentations: Presentations at NCAA Title IX Seminar and Annual Conference of National Association of College and University Attorneys Guest lecturer on Title IX athletics issues for sex discrimination class at American University; presentation on Title IX and athletics to section of National Youth Leadership Forum; presentation on Women and Smoking Report card at 2002 National Conference on Tobacco or Health. Memorable Career Moment(s): Winning a favorable decision in the case of Communities for Equity v. Michigan High School Athletic Association, in which a federal district court in Michigan held that scheduling of girls' but not boys' sports in nontraditional seasons violates Title IX, the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, and Michigan state law. The Center served as "of counsel" in the case and I participated in the trial. Intriguing Interests: A cappella singing, penguins, and interior decorating.