From Texas Lawyer comes an interesting article: What Women Lawyers Can Learn From Hillary Clinton. I'm not sure that I agree with all of the "lessons", but the article includes some useful information:
Never underestimate an opponent...if women lawyers find themselves up against their own version of a junior senator from Illinois -- one they think has neither the skills nor the preparation to stand up to their brilliance -- they shouldn't underestimate him -- or her.
Stereotypes are tough to shake, and they can help and hurt women lawyers... Women lawyers should follow suit. They don't have to be likeable or warm or nurturing to get the job done. In fact, for most of them, that would work against them -- and their clients' -- interests. But, when the timing's right, a bit of femininity doesn't hurt. In fact, it can work greatly to women lawyers' advantage.
Being thick-skinned is invaluable...
Appearance matters...(I)t's true. By most accounts, Clinton excels in this area. She's always pulled together. She's attractive but not so much so that she risks being objectified. Clearly, a lot of thought goes into everything she wears. The good news for women is that although being attractive helps, it's not really about having a pretty face. It's about looking polished and professional: nice clothes, good hair and all those other things that go into looking well-groomed.
Fear not the "B" word... Women often go to extreme lengths to be conciliatory and diplomatic, all to avoid being called a bitch. If there's one lesson learned from the Clinton campaign, it's that being dubbed a bitch is not an instant death sentence (in fact, a recent "Saturday Night Live" skit almost made it seem like a prerequisite for the job). Clinton is usually quite composed, but she's also shown some fire now and then and has come at her opponents with both barrels. It hasn't always made her friends, but at least nobody can claim she's a pushover.
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