Karin Jenson, partner, Redgrave LLP. Photo: Daniel Delgado. Karin Jenson, partner, Redgrave LLP. Photo: Daniel Delgado.

 

There's a shortage of women in science, technology, engineering and math. And there's still a 17 percent gender gap in pay—across the board—in all of legal (18 percent at Big Law). But within the legal technology community are many women with thriving careers.

Monica Bay recently interviewed Karin S. Jenson, 45, a partner at Redgrave LLP that focuses on e-discovery, information governance, and data privacy. She previously worked at General Motors.

Current job. We focus on issues related to data: how data is managed, litigated and protected. We call it “Information Law.” I work with clients on complex issues pertaining to e-discovery, information governance, and data privacy. I had been a friend of the firm for many years, and joined in February 2019.

Previously, I was lead counsel for e-discovery, information lifecycle management and litigation hold at General Motors. I would say that two-thirds of my work is on e-discovery, privacy and information governance, but the remainder is on novel questions relating to the intersection of law and technology that are getting asked for the first time.

Education: Kettering University, Flint, Michigan. Master's of Business Administration, emphasis in Global Leadership, June 2019. Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Cleveland, Ohio. Juris Doctor, cum laude, 2002. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Bachelor's of Arts, English, 1999. I'm admitted in Ohio, Colorado, and New York.

At any point in your education did you consider a career in science, technology, engineering or math? I am currently! I have worked on projects relating to the legal implications of data product development, data monetization, and the ethics of data science. And I'm continuing to build my understanding about this rapidly changing field through certification programs and online resources, such as Coursera. I did my MBA thesis on this topic.

What was your first paid job? I worked behind the counter at Karmelkorn in the Northgate Mall in Cincinnati, Ohio. We sold all kinds of fresh flavored popcorn. For this period in my life, I always smelled like brown sugar. It didn't seem to ever wash off.

“First seat at the table” and how it experienced you? An early one certainly shaped me: I was a new partner at my prior law firm. I was working for a very experienced, respected partner on a case that was seemingly routine—when suddenly new facts came to light that pushed the case into the public eye. I had never worked with the lead partner before and when he called to discuss the case and the publicity, I was expecting him to take it away from me and give it to an attorney he knew. He didn't. The case took many twists and turns, but he continued to let me run with it and ultimately take credit for resolving it. Years later, I shared with him that I thought he would reassign the case after the publicity hit. He said, in essence, that he had learned to assume that a colleague is competent unless and until he learned otherwise. So often it's the other way around. That presumption is how I try to be with my colleagues today.

Most flagrant sexism you personally encountered and how did you address it? When I was 19 and in college and away from home as a summer intern at a mid-sized newspaper, I lived in a barely furnished apartment. I only had one fork—a fact I must have mentioned in passing in the newsroom. I was giving my all to my reporting and writing and my editors seemed pleased with my work. I sought out the best, most challenging assignments and I hoped for a glowing review because I knew this role would lead to bigger things. At some point, however, I started to get a creepy feeling from the managing editor.

One morning, I found an envelope on my desk containing a fork and a note on his letterhead: “Now you can have someone over.” I still remember that moment 26 years later—I can remember the feel of the envelope and the lighting in the newsroom. I never acknowledged that I had received the note, and he never raised it, but the 45-year-old me would have counseled the 19-year-old me to go straight to HR. Instead, I suffered through the rest of the summer worrying that I would be punished if I didn't ask him to come over. He had been unfair and sickening. I have no doubt he put other women in a similar position over the years and I wish I had put a stop to it by reporting what he did to me.

Work tips re: “managing up” At your earliest opportunity with a new supervisor, ask about how the person prefers to communicate, how often the person wants to be updated on projects and in how much detail, and other similar questions. It will help prevent friction and miscommunication and insulate you somewhat from unnecessary stress. While you will likely have to comply with the supervisor's preferences, you should be clear about your work preferences as well.

Never, ever forward an email to a supervisor with nothing but “FYI” (For Your Information). Summarize the chain and provide the reason why you made the decision to forward it.

Ask for real-time feedback regularly, outside of the normal evaluation cycle. For example, if you are leading a meeting that your supervisor attends, ask the supervisor for any suggestions on what you might have done differently.

If you disagree with a directive from your supervisor, consider asking to talk it through. Your viewpoint is likely to be better received live than in writing.

Five favorite technology tools:

  • Alexa. I have them all over my house.
  • Auto tech like backup cameras, but also semi-autonomous and autonomous features like the Super Cruise and Cruise Automation. I truly believe autonomous is safer.
  • Business intelligence tools.
  • The internet. Because I remember what it was like without it.
  • Banking apps. Because I remember having to go somewhere to deposit a paper check.

Your Favorite Quote: For so many reasons, it's “one day at a time.” 

 

Monica Bay is a Fellow at CodeX: The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics. She is a columnist for Legaltech News and a freelance journalist (Alchemizing Law LLC). She is a member of the California Bar. In 2015, she retired from ALM (Editor-in-Chief at Law Technology News). She lives in Connecticut but can get to Yankee Stadium in two hours.