Making it work. Surpassing Expectations,

• Author: Melissa Felder Zappala
• Pages: 14-14

Surpassing Expectations,

Defying Labels

Making It Work is a column in partnership with the Working Mother Best Law Firms for Women initiative in which

lawyers share how they manage both life’s challenges and work’s demands. Visit workingmother.com for more.

By Melissa Felder Zappala

Though people who know me

today might assume it was a foregone

conclusion that I would be a lawyer—

both my father and grandfat her were

lawyers—this was fa r from the case.

When I was 1, my parents lear ned

I was deaf. A doctor wa rned them

that I would likely never learn to

speak, and that I would not rea d

past a fourth-g rade level.

This prognosis—now obviously

incorrect—caused me t o attribute

much of my success to a work ethic

that drove me, from a young age, to def y those early

expectations. Fr om nursery school to high school, I

constantly worked with a uditory therapists to improve

my speech and hearing. In ever y class, I sat in the front

row and used an amplifi cation system—known as a n

FM system—to make sure I c ould understand my teach-

ers. My college and law school provided me with a cour t

reporter who transc ribed lectures for me in real time.

Fast-forward a decade or t wo, and I am now a litigation

partner at Boies Schil ler Flexner.

Some of the challenges I have faced in my l ife and

career as a deaf at torney may not seem universally

relatable; however, at my core, I am just a working

mother trying to fi nd success both at home and at my

job in an extremely demandi ng fi eld. I truly bel ieve the

keys to fi nding that balance are univer sal to any lawyer

or business pr ofessional.

First, my simplest point: This profession requ ires hard

work and perseverance—most of which is far f rom glam-

orous. In litigation especial ly, the work can be tedious

and the hours long. I attribute my success t o the fact

that I have always been a hard worker, dedicate d to the

quality of my work—even the tedious part s—and willing

to go the extra mile for a c ase. Ultimately, the exciting

moments of practicing law can’t be found without rolli ng

up your sleeves and putting in the hard work .

Second, I learned that i f there are specifi c responsibil-

ities you crave or matters you want to work on, ask for

them. Make your ambitions known t o people who can

help create opportunities for you, and b e your own

advocate. I am lucky enough to work at a fi rm that is

incredibly supportive of my care er and the specifi c inter-

ests I have voiced. Not only does Boies Schi ller provide

the technology that a llows me to suc-

ceed in my practice, l ike captioning

on calls, but I was al so encouraged

to take on new responsibilit ies as a

young lawyer, including those that

my childhood doctor wouldn’t have

predicted me doing, such as oral

arguments or tak ing depositions.

Third, I can’t overstate t he im-

portance of tr uly listening—in a

deposition, in court or in a conversa-

tion with a colleague. It seems si mple,

but as lawyers we sometimes m istak-

enly feel too busy to hit pause a nd actively listen. In a

deposition, for example, it can be ea sy to tick through a

list of prepared questions w ithout really concentrating

on the content of the answer you were given. Since I

need to both listen and l ip-read at the same time, I

am uniquely focused on deponents’ answer s. Listening

carefully a llows me to pick up on details that others

might miss and follow up as needed.

Fourth, make the time to nur ture personal relation-

ships. I have yet to meet anyone capable of succeedi ng

in both spaces entirely on thei r own. I am fortunate

to have an incredibly supportive w ife who—despite

also working full t ime—is the primary caregiver to ou r

2∏-year-old daughter and soon-to-b e-born son. Having

her support has been the most import ant component,

enabling me to navigate the chal lenges of being a work-

ing parent while pursuing my car eer goals. As we work

together to fi nd a balance that fi ts our family, I’ve found

that setting priorit ies and boundaries is key. For exam-

ple, I make it a priority to be home w ith my family

before our daughter goes to bed. For al l of us, this time

is so important—even if it mea ns I log back on to work

later at night or wake up earlier to get th ings done.

It takes a lot of hard work to succeed in our profe ssion

—especially a s women with families—but it’s important

to remember that you’re never doing it alone. Put in the

hard work, ask for what you want, a nd don’t be afraid to

ask for support. Q

Melissa Felder Zappala is a partner in the Washington,

D.C., of ce of Boies Schiller Flexner, where she specializes in

complex commercial litigation. She is on the National Law

Journal’s 2015 DC Rising Stars list of 40 lawyers under age

40 and on Super Lawyers’ 2014 and 2015 Rising Stars lists.

14 || ABA JOURNAL JANUARY 2018

Opening Statements

MAKING IT WORK