The Year in Review

So, I'm a bad blog writer. It seems like when I was in the married world there was lots to say, and now that I'm in the singles scene, there's still lots to say... I just don't know if I want to say it! :)

I just thought I would share a few of my most memorable moments from this year.

On July 25th, I ran my first marathon. That's 26.2 miles people! Sometimes I can barely believe that I did it. This was an incredibly hard, scary, yet rewarding experience. I didn't think I could do it.

I also ran my first Ragnar Race with these gals:
Ragnar was awesome!!! Ragnar is hard to explain for those who have never done it. (See this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL1hLU_LBvs). I loved it because it was a fun challenge, I got to hang out in Las Vegas, and best of all, I got to do it with some of my favorite friends from Philadelphia.

This year has kind of been the year of running. I also ran two half marathons (one in 110 degree weather!) and two 5ks with my brothers.

Aside from running, I gained a new appreciation for my family, especially my brothers and my sister-in-law. I guess being in Philly and in law school the three years prior to 2011, I was so busy that I didn't think I was missing my family. Now that I'm back, I have a strong sense of what I missed out on during those three years that I lived away. Family is EVERYTHING. I'm so grateful for the family I have and that our bond is eternal. We've been having so much fun together shooting the breeze, running races, watching movies and The Next Iron Chef, playing games, getting yogurt, snowboarding, traveling to Las Vegas, and doing who knows what else.

I am especially grateful to my brother, Casey, who pulled me out of a slump and helped me to be normal again. Thanks to Casey, I started going to the singles ward again (where I have been serving as the Relief Society Secretary) and I also met my goal for 2011 of running 8 miles in less than 80 minutes! Our latest 8 mile time was 67 minutes. Woot!

I switched firms this year (yep, that was quick) and switched from practicing civil litigation to bankruptcy. A year ago, I never would have guessed that I would be specializing in bankruptcy. I didn't even take bankruptcy in law school! I feel like the Lord has a way of making life work out like it's supposed to though. The days go by so fast and I don't want to be doing anything else. In sum: love the firm, love the practice area. Win win.

Thanks to the firm, I met and had dinner with Olene Walker, mother of SEVEN and the first and only woman governer of Utah. This lady was one of the most inspiring people I have ever met in my life! When I asked her how I can be a successful female professional in Utah (aka the Old Boys Club), she said "Be educated about the issues you face, speak up, and volunteer (but make sure that whatever you volunteer to do, you do well.)" This advice has stayed with me and I have tried to implement it this year.

Of all the things that happened this year, I think this year will really be remembered as the year that I truly gained a testimony of the Atonement and healing power of Jesus Christ. I have never had a stronger testimony of His saving grace, His sacrifice for us, and His potential influence in all of our lives. Likewise I have never before had a stronger sense of gratitude.

He has changed my life.

I am grateful to be celebrating His birth this holiday season by doing His work and testifying of Him. I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and remember the reason for the season! Wise men still seek Him!

Blazing the Trail

In case you didn't know, I'm famous now. I wrote the following letter to the editor of the Standard Examiner and they published it! Read on to hear my rants...

Female lawyer experiences belittling comments

By MaryAnn Bennett

Standard-Examiner Contributed

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 1:30pm

I am a 26-year-old female, attorney from an East Coast law school that was 51 percent men and 49 percent women. I felt like an equal until I moved back to Utah. In Utah, 77 percent of attorneys are male while only 23 percent are female. I feel like I have been treated differently, stereotyped, and even harassed because of my gender. Recently, at a continuing legal education course, I asked an attorney with 18 years of experience if I could ask him question. His response? "Sure. But only because I think you're cute."

Once, without my consent, a male client reached over to tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear so that I could look "better" in court. Later he invited me to go shooting with him while mentioning his wife and kids were out of town.

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked "Are you a paralegal?" right after finding out I work for a law firm, I'd be rich.

At one hearing, even while wearing a suit and carrying a file, I was asked "Are you represented by an attorney?" as I approached opposing counsel.

I feel like male lawyers don't have these same experiences. It can be uncomfortable to be a woman lawyer. I have to develop thicker skin. I hope by sharing my feelings, more people will be aware of the disparity and avoid making other women after me experience the same discomfort.

MaryAnn Bennett

Ogden

The Firm

I have a confession to make. I've tried to put on a smile, be positive, and endure it well but now it's finally time to admit that since I started working in December, I've HATED my job.

I've never cried over a job before this one, and I've had a lot of them. It turns out that becoming a lawyer hasn't been all it's cracked up to be. I went to law school because I had an overwhelming desire to create a little more justice in the world and to gain the necessary knowledge to avoid being screwed over. Instead of saving the world, I ended up with six-figure debt and only one job opportunity thanks to the lack luster economy and over-inflation in law schools. I took the first opportunity that came along and have been miserable ever since.

In this job, I have had to work all kinds of crazy hours while putting up with low pay and high pressure. One Friday night, I was on a date when my boss called, made me end the date early, and go file something at the courthouse after 11PM! Unfortunately these this was not an isolated incident.

The good news is that I just landed another job! I can't tell you how excited this has made me. I couldn't even sleep the night after I got the offer because it felt like being five years old and knowing that Santa is almost here! I will soon be working at a bankruptcy law firm in South Jordan. I think bankruptcy will be much better fit for me than general litigation because there is more client interaction (about 50% client/court time and 50% paperwork), the hours are much more predictable, and I'll become an expert in a useful field of law. Another nice thing about bankruptcy is that it's a field of law that I could possibly practice at home, should I ever need to stay home with kiddos. Best of all, I'm getting a significant raise.

I feel like landing this new job is a big answer to prayer. I've been praying about the job situation almost every day since I first started working at my current firm. I feel like I learned an important lesson in all of this. It seems that no matter how bad life gets, if I will be patient and do the best I can, it ends up being okay. "Success is usually earned by persevering and not becoming discouraged when we encounter challenges." - James E. Faust, "Perseverance," General Conference, April 2005. I am so thankful for the new job and I look forward to getting started in two weeks!

Viva Las Vegas!

On March 1st, my brother, Casey, returned with honor from his two year church mission in Tokyo, Japan. It was sooooo good to see him after two long years! Here's a picture of the two of us in the Salt Lake Airport:


Since we were all excited to have Casey home and my brother Launce and his wife McCall both had Spring Break, we decided to all take a trip down to Las Vegas to see my parents and Jason (my youngest brother).

While we were in Las Vegas, my dad, brothers, and I were all able to run a 5k with the cast of Cirque du Soleil. Here is a picture of us kiddos on race day:

We also had dinner with my good friends from Philadelphia, the Cardons (who now live in Las Vegas), did some shopping at the outlets and H&M, saw a Cirque du Soleil show, and ate some yummy Filipino cooking thanks to my very talented mama!

On Sunday, Casey gave his homecoming talk at my parent's church and I had the opportunity to share a musical number.  I sang "Oh Give Me Back My Prophet Dear." The song was Casey's request because it reminded him of being in the MTC. I had never heard the song before Casey introduced it to me a couple weeks ago. I'm glad he shared it with us, because it's really beautiful. Now, Casey has been asked to speak at a few different churches in Utah. Casey jokes that he can't do it without his "opening band!"

It was good to be home again with all of the family there. I can't wait for the next Vegas Vacation!

Update

So you might have noticed that, despite my best intentions, I took another long hiatus from blogging. The simple reason for this is that I have been busy! Here's somethings that have been keeping me occupied.

Since I posted last, I landed a job as an associate attorney at a small firm in Midvale, Utah (just outside Salt Lake City). The firm does primarily bankruptcy, credit collection, and mortgage foreclosure defense cases. I got hired to help with the mortgage foreclosure defense cases. Although it wasn't exactly the type of job I dreamed of doing, I have been grateful to have an income and have learned much already.

Also, I've been listening to "Conversations" from the Mormon Channel. If you've never heard one of these, I highly recommend them. They are interviews with prominent members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or members with an exceptionally interesting story to tell. I've found these conversations to be extremely inspiring and intellectually stimulating (something I've needed since finishing school last May). You can download them as podcasts for free from iTunes or you can listen to them online here. My favorites have been with Connie Gunnell (a young woman who recently lost her husband to a tragic accident), and Elder L. Tom Perry and Sister Perry (a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife). Listen and let me know what you think. I hope you like them as much as I do!