The State Appellate Defender Office will conduct a virtual seminar titled "Own Who You Are" on Friday, Janaury 14, from 2 to 3 p.m. via Zoom.
SADO Managing Attorney Jessica Zimbelman will lead a discussion for women public defenders and team members.
As women, female attorneys may have a tendency to want to become something they are not in professional settings. If labeled as too aggressive, they may subsequently try to fade to the background. If labeled as quiet, they may try to be louder, which feels unnatural. This dynamic can be especially challenging for public defenders, who at times may be the only women in the courtroom. Whether they like it or not, sometimes a public defender's demeanor may impact how a judge or prosecutor perceive her professionalism and it may impact the result for the client.
The online seminar will look at what Michigan women public defenders and team members can do with all of this to own one's unique self, stop minimizing contributions, and help build each other up.
At SADO, Zimbelman chairs the Court Rules and Legislation Committee. She also co-chairs the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan Rules & Law Committee. Zimbelman previously worked in the Legislature as the senior analyst in the Legislative Corrections Ombudsman's Office and as a legislative aide in the Michigan House of Representatives. She is a member of the Representative Assembly of the State Bar of Michigan, representing Ingham County. Zimbelman is also on the Board of Directors of the Ingham County Bar Association.
To register for the the virtual seminar, www.sado.org/go/you. Anyone with questions can contact Marilena David at mdavid@sado.org or 313-670-0309.
