Karen Mathis
American Bar Association
Denver, CO USA
"If you have passion for something, there's not such a thing as a 40-hour workweek."
Career Roadmap
Karen's work combines: Law, Non-Profit Organizations, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Graduate Degree
Law
University of Colorado Boulder
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
When she was growing up, girls had very few choices: you could be a stay-at-home mom, a nurse, a teacher, or a nun.
2.
At the age of 12, she decided she didn't want to do any of those things: she wanted to be a lawyer.
3.
Went to college and got an education degree; spent some time teaching, then went to law school.
4.
No one in her family had ever graduated from college, but once she got to law school, she realized she'd found "the love of her life."
5.
Says you manage a golf game not by thinking about all 18 holes, but by focusing on the hole you're on and the two coming up.
6.
In that vein, she tries to operate with a five-year plan because she doesn't think it makes sense to plan beyond that.
7.
Says the law profession isn't always accepting of women, but "it's easier to walk out a glass door than to keep bumping your head on a glass ceiling."
8.
One employer wasn't matching her needs, so she left and formed her own practice; was able to take on the cases she wanted, hire more women.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Here's the thing about the glass ceiling. A lot of people would rather walk through the glass door and get out than try to get through that glass ceiling. How many times do you want to hit yourself against that ceiling when there's so many other places you can go? I'm not gonna tell you that it's not difficult at times.