Jennifer Weidler Karpchuk, senior counsel with Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry.

Advice for the New Partner

In this new column, shareholders with Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry answer questions about your partnership goals and what to do once you get there. This time, Jennifer W. Karpchuk, a shareholder with the firm's SALT practice group, answered the question.

Q: Like most people at my firm, I have hunkered down in my home office during the pandemic. I have a full-time nanny for my two elementary-age school children, and that's been the lifeline that has kept me sane in my second year of partnership. The start of the school year changed everything. My husband and I now both have to spend part of the week in the office and the kids are still home because the school system has opted for virtual learning. The nanny is a caregiver, not a teacher. My husband also has a high-powered job and tries to help but I'm always the one who seems to be handling the tough issues. I must get a half-dozen calls a day from the kids and twice last week I had to join their Zoom classroom to ensure I understood an assignment. I feel like I can hardly breathe with this balancing act between the work and family. Any advice?

This reminds me of a 2018 NPR interview with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg that is re-circulating right now. She recalled being the only parent getting the calls from her son's teacher. She told the school, "This child has two parents. Please alternate calls. It's his father's turn." RBG said the calls went down to once a semester after that.