Attorney at Law Magazine interviewed Kelly Olivier (founders of Themis Group) as part of its Women in Law special issue. The women-founded and women-run trial lawyer group will focus on cases from women of all backgrounds, including transgender individuals, BIPOC, and gender nonconforming. It will also accept cases from allies working for and on behalf women. It is located in Chicago’s Hale & Monico area.
AALM Why start an all-woman trial team geared towards women? What is your inspiration? What are you aiming to achieve?
Kelly Olivier
OlivierWe noticed a gap in Chicago’s market. There aren’t any all-woman trial companies or groups geared towards women. We often look for all-woman professional organizations, such as. We are often drawn to all-woman professional groups in our personal lives, such as all-woman medical and design groups. However, we have yet to see this translate into the legal world. As our careers progressed, we noticed a dearth of female trial attorneys in both litigation and the courtroom. We hope that Themis will be a safe space for women and prove that women have the superpowers of empathy, humility, and compassion that make Themis an excellent choice.
AALM How did you get together? What is the best way to balance one another?
West: We began our work together more than 10 years ago, when we started at our first job after graduating from law school. We have been working together at different agencies and firms over the years. We can recognize each other’s strengths, Kelly is the fire and I am the ice. And we are close friends so we know who is best suited for a given situation.
AALM Tell us more about your team and the way you are building it.
Olivier We are extremely grateful for the support of Andy Hale, our founding partner and all our colleagues. Our fellow female trial lawyers at Hale and Monico (Barret Boudreaux and Jennifer Bitoy) are joining us in this venture. We have collectively tried over 150 jury trials between us. We look forward to including more women trial lawyers to our group as Themis (hopefully), grows.
AALM Where do You Hope to See the Themis Group In Five Years? In 10 years?
Allyson West
West We hope that women in Chicagoland will identify Themis within the next five year as a trial organization that is best equipped to understand and advocate on behalf of women. We hope to be a household name within the Chicagoland legal community in 10 years and have Themis-inspired groups all over the country.
AALM What attracted you to the practice law?
West I have always loved problem solving and advocating on behalf of others. However, it was a life-changing event that inspired me to study law. In high school, a close friend of mine lost her father suddenly and tragically. The loss of my father changed the way I saw a career. My friend’s mother was not able to work outside the home, and she had to struggle to support her family after the death. At that moment, I knew I wanted a meaningful career and a job that would provide for my family.
Olivier I have always enjoyed public speaking and proving my point. Advocates for others are also a passion of mine. When I was in middle school, I decided I wanted to be a lawyer. Fortunately, my passion for law has grown as I have progressed in my professional life.
AALM Tell us what the most valuable lessons have you learned in your career.
WestDon’t be discouraged. A partner suggested to me early in my career that I should think hard about what type of lawyer I wanted. It didn’t matter if they were the kind of lawyer who allowed losing a case to discourage them, or the type that used defeat to grow and learn as an advocate, and then reinvented themselves in court during the next argument, the next trial.
Olivier:Years back, I felt intimidated and uneasy about my practice in a field of law in which I was frequently one of the youngest lawyers in the room. My boss/partner was the first to hear my concerns. He gave me the best advice I have ever followed: It doesn’t matter how old or how long you have been practising law. If you’re not prepared, it doesn’t matter what age you are. It is essential to be prepared. This is how you ensure that you leave the room with your head high, no matter what outcome.
AALM What is your practice today that you imagined in law school?
West It is very similar to the way I imagined it when I was in law school. It was something I wanted to be able to do from the beginning to end when I was in law school. Thankfully, that is what I do now.
Olivier I feel extremely fortunate to be practicing law in the way that I imagined. Too many young lawyers, including myself, are told that they won’t get any trial experience after they start practicing. My career has shown the contrary. It is beyond my wildest dreams to now co-found a women-run, women focused trial group with my colleague and genuine friend Allyson.
AALM Tell us about your mentors and legal heroes.
West I have had the privilege of working alongside many great mentors over my career. From my first job after law school, I learned how to select a jury. He helped me to learn and practice the skill of identifying jurors who most identify with you and your client. A female lawyer has been a mentor to me and I was able to help her with a case. I learned a lot from her sharing my experiences and offering advice about Themis’ founding. She also encouraged me to advocate for what is important, even if others disagree.
OlivierRBG: This is a favourite, and it was an honor to interview Gloria Allred for CosmoGirl magazine in college. Both of them have been instrumental in advancing women lawyers and women’s rights. We are fortunate to have wonderful mentors at Hale & Monico. They help us do our best and grow every day. My mentor who has made the biggest impact on my career was my ex-boss/partner. He gave me the invaluable advice of being prepared. Beyond his legal and practical knowledge, he also showed compassion and stood by me through very difficult times, both professionally and personally. I wish to repay him for the kindness and mentorship he showed me. It is still priceless.
AALM If you had to change anything in your professional life, what would it be?
West I don’t think anything would have changed in my career. Even if I made mistakes along the way (whether it was in court or from a superior), I believe I have learned from them and that it has helped me become the litigator I am today.
Olivier I have to echo Allyson – every chance, every challenge and every mistake has brought me to where you are today. I wouldn’t change one thing.
AALM What hobbies do you have outside of work? What are your favorite ways to relax?
West Spending time with my husband, and my two young boys is what I love the most about my time away from work. Running or intense training are two of my favorite ways to de-stress and refocus.
OlivierAnother similar answer is to Allyson (this may be why we are friends). I love spending time together with my son and our family, friends and family, and I also enjoy exercising (and adding yoga) to unwind. Wine is my true passion. It combines everything I love, including history, geography and food. I was just a casual sommelier when I joined the Guild of Sommeliers in years past. I still love to plan tastings for friends and include a visit to a wine country into my travel plans.
Chicago Lawyers Launch All-Woman Trial Group for Women originally appeared on Attorney At Law Magazine.