Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Samantha Martin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Samantha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When you were first starting out, did you join a firm or start your own?
The same year I passed the bar exam I started my own solo law firm. I was already a mom of 2 and wanted flexibility over my schedule and autonomy over my work that many law firms were not offering pre-Covid. I did not want to leave my toddler and infant to go to an office full-time, so I decided to start out on my own. Since my husband made enough to support us, I felt more secure in a “risky” option. But in my mind I did not have a choice, it was either go the expected route and have panic attacks on my way to work while resenting my job, or create my own opportunity to use my degree at my pace, in my way. I was often asked why I was not working in a firm, some could not believe I went to law school to end up focusing more on my kids. I’ve never been one to really care what others thought of my choices, a trait that truly helps in motherhood when many of your choices will be questioned.
As a type-A perfectionist with anxiety and a fear of failure, every Client I had led me to check, and recheck, and recheck my work. I researched every aspect of their issue. I over prepared for phone calls, the fear of not knowing the answer to a question weighing heavy. Luckily, I was able to participate in mentorship programs, and find other attorneys to review my work. This all helped a little, but the true help was when I starting working with other attorneys.
As a solo, I would help other attorneys who needed help but not enough to hire someone as an employee with projects. I attended real estate closings, working on document drafting, formed and dissolved companies. But working with more seasoned attorneys helped me see that no attorney knew everything. Shocking I know. It was okay to not know an answer, and even okay to admit it! Amazing. Phew.
Being solo allowed for some other benefits too, such as showing up as myself. I have visible tattoos, like to wear more casual clothes, and am not the image of a traditional attorney. I never had one Client care, in fact, I’ve had Clients prefer my break from tradition. I’m sure there are people out there who much prefer a tall man in a suit, with no tattoos, but I am willing to lose those potential Clients if it means I get to be who I really am. Showing up in a genuine way allows me to feel relaxed, confident, and give my best legal services.
Starting solo was the right choice for me. Now 6 years later, I’ve brought my book of business to a larger firm where I have more administrative support and a team to collaborate with. All while retaining flexibility in my schedule and autonomy over my work.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a Business Law & Estate Planning attorney at SpyratosDavisLLC in Lisle & Chicago, IL, and Founder of The FEMISH Organization, a nonprofit, and launching Velvet Legal Edu this year!
I started Estate Planning services because I worked through doing our own, and realized the small peace of mind it gave me as a mom. Thinking about what would happen if my husband and I were not here is not an easy journey, but it allowed us to plan for it and have some control over who our kids would end up with and what would happen to our assets. Not far after, I started offering Business Consultations to stay-at-home-moms who were starting their own businesses. I love these conversations, so much excitement and creativity. Now my Business Law and Estate Planning experience has grown so much, I’ve worked with businesses of all sizes, whether starting the business or operating one, hiring an employee or reviewing severance packages.
I have a special place in my heart for my women business owner Clients, and I saw a gap in women seeking advice from attorneys, and an overall gap in business law education in business owners, so this year I am launching Velvet Legal Edu, educational workshops geared towards women starting or running their own businesses in an accessible and affordable way. I am so excited about this new venture!
And my other baby, FEMISH. One of the first attorney’s I worked with after I passed the bar exam told me to dress less feminine in order to be taken seriously as an attorney. I was shocked at this “advice”, did some research and found the term “Femmephobia” and the 30+yrs of research on the topic. Femmephobia, the systemic regulation and devaluation of femininity, which places limits on who can be feminine and how, is defined by Dr. Rhea Ashley Hoskin, who is on the FEMISH Board. After talking with Dr. Hoskin and realizing there was no organization dedicated to this issue, I decided to start one. This issue is everywhere, in every stage and aspect of our lives. Once you learn what it is, you see it everywhere. We raise awareness of this issue through education, events, and personal stories. It results in bias, discrimination, and even gender-based violence. It is intertwined in other issues in society, and so without addressing femmephobia too, we cannot fully address the other issues. I’ve spoken to large Fortune 500 companies on how this issue pops up in the workplace, I’ve spoken to universities about how this issue presents in society, we have an awesome internship program, and have held some amazing and impactful events.
Any advice for managing a team?
When it comes to team management, I measure success in how those people feel woking with you and with the company. Based on my experience and research in this area, I think the key to management is treating people like humans. It seems simple, but is often overlooked. Ask how they are doing, ask about their families, realize they have homes, pets, kids, to take care of, and don’t make them feel guilty for needing to do so. Trust them to get their work done until they give you a reason not to. Remove the hierarchy and replace it with collaboration. If work is a place someone feels safe and seen, they are more likely to be productive, more likely to stick around, and more likely to produce quality work.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
In my 6 years of practicing law, I have experienced so. much. sexism. From being told to dress less feminine, to male colleagues saying my ideas were theirs, to ghost writing messages to Clients so a male boss could sound like he knew what he was talking about, to being sat in the cubicles with admin while all male attorneys had offices, to being told I can’t work from home because I am a mother, to having my solo law firm laughed at in an interview with a male managing partner of a large firm, to having a mentor joke that people will think he caused my pregnancy, and more. I thought about leaving the field. More than once. I was finding this obstacle everywhere, and while some women choose to ignore and push through, I cannot and did not stay in any space that did not treat me with respect. This all occurred between 2018-2024, while many think we have achieved equality on the basis of gender, I can adamantly say, we have not.
But I like the work I do. I like giving parents peace of. mind by naming Guardians for their kids, I like helping someone build a business. So I’ve stuck it out and landed in a firm that has a lot of women attorneys, respect for home life, and encourage me to show up as who I am. It felt like searching for a unicorn, but it can be worth searching for.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.femish.org
- Instagram: @femmeesq
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SMartinEsq
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-martin-esq/
- Other: https://www.spydavlaw.com/estate-and-business-planning
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