Rebekah Brooker

This author has written 4 articles

Practicing with Excitement

TYLA Immediate Past President, Rebekah Brooker, shared her thoughts on the practice of law in April's ENews. Check out ENews for monthly updates on TYLA projects. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in TYLA’s 41st National Trial Competition (NTC).  I did not have to do any of the heavy lifting when it came to planning and organizing this impressive event, where more than 300 teams representing law schools from across the country gather to showcase their advocacy skills.  But, since NTC was in my backyard, I was one of the many that volunteered to help.  (Sidebar: Thanks to anyone who has ever helped or participated in NTC!) When I arrived at the Dallas County Courthouse I was assigned to the role of “witness” for Team 6.  As I walked into the courtroom to meet my new team, memories of law school advocacy competitions came flooding back.  I…

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Leading Litigators

How many times have you gone to trial? Many litigators will happily reflect on their experiences in Court.  It always makes me smile when a litigator’s account of their trial sounds as if he or she were Matlock or Perry Mason acting alone as the sole advocate for their client.  In reality very few attorneys prepare for trial by themselves, but rather have surrounded themselves with a trial team.  Of course every team has a leader.  When it comes to battles in the courtroom, how many trial leaders are female? I know for many young lawyers participating in a trial is exciting enough, and the idea of leading the battle is a distant (hopefully not too distant) dream.  However, the Philadelphia Business Journal just reported that women are still “significantly underrepresented as lead trial lawyers.”  Do you agree? How can we make this change?  

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Mommy Guilt is Real, but We Shouldn’t Feel so Guilty

I find that at times the working mom guilt can be overwhelming.  My son the other day commented how all of his friends at school “get picked up by their mommies.”  He was quick to highlight that “I NEVER pick him up!”  Which of course is not true, but then I didn’t want to start a debate with my five year old on why I work. I loved this article by Gabriel Fischer.  His words were so encouraging to me and the message that my employment has a “long-lasting, positive effect” on my children made me smile.   Anything that helps reduce the mommy guilt is a great read! The guilt many working mothers confess to may be real, but it’s looking less and less warranted."  --Gabriel Fisher

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My Decision to Be a Working Mom

The decision to be a working mom is incredibly personal. I will never forget February 13, 2008, the day I got to hold my baby for the first time. He looked up at me and all was right with the world. I will also never forget February 16, 2008 – the day I realized that being a parent was HARD and much more demanding than any client I had ever encountered.
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