Q&A with Jennifer Huelskamp
Jen Huelskamp is a partner in Porter Wright's Labor & Employment Department in Chicago, Illinois where she focuses on employment litigation and counseling. She represents clients in state and federal courts, as well as in proceedings before government agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Department of Labor and Human Rights.
What is the best advice youā€™ve received about how to be a successful attorney?
“Be yourself.”
For many years, I tried to act a certain way or talk a certain way because I thought it was who I “should” be. When I started opening up and being my true self with both colleagues and clients, I became better at my job. It led me to forge true relationships at work and knocked down barriers that ultimately led to more and better work.
What advice would you give to women just starting out at a law firm? What are some important first steps they can take to lay the groundwork for a successful career?
I think the single most important thing you can work on when you’re just starting out is to work on the fundamentals and produce great work product. Developing effective legal writing and advocacy skills is the foundation for everything else that will come. Spend the time getting in the weeds with a case and learning every single fact. Become an expert legal researcher. When the foundational legal skills are strong, everything else will build on that.
What advice do you wish you could give your younger self, just starting out in the legal field?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. As a young attorney, at times I would find myself hesitating to ask certain questions because I thought maybe I should already know the answer. But I have learned that no question is a “dumb” question, and asking the questions will often lead you to the ultimate answer quickly and more efficiently – saving both you and the client time and money. In addition, asking questions may lead you to learn something new about the matter or the law outside of the initial issue you had a question about. Find a trusted mentor and always ask the questions.
What part of your practice are you most passionate about?
I love being a labor and employment attorney because I can make an actual difference in people’s lives. I can help make companies better by improving their policies and procedures for the people who work there. And I can help insure that the workplaces I assist are healthy environments for my clients’ employees. I enjoy that my practice has a real human element to it and that makes me passionate about what I do.
By what standards do you measure success?
I think the most important measure for success is whether you are happy and healthy. Of course we will have our crazy weeks here and there, but on the whole, if you are operating at a level where you are most often happy, and you are physically and mentally healthy, I think that’s success.
What are you most passionate about outside of work?
Outside of work, I am most passionate about being a mom. I have four kids – ages 8, 6, 4 and 7 months, and they are my whole world. With them being so young, I don’t really have time for any other passions right now (haha) and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
What is most important when it comes to balancing your legal career alongside your interests outside of work?
Being organized. This is KEY both to my practice of law, and to balancing my life outside of work. Every week, I sit down and make a to do list of matters and issues that need to be taken care of at work, alongside my schedule of what’s going on outside of work. Then I plan ahead to make sure everything is taken care of. Balancing work and life outside of work makes me a more efficient and more effective lawyer and being organized and scheduled is the best way to keep things running smoothly!
