Although the legal profession has continued to see efforts to improve diversity and there’s hope that terms like “woman” attorney and “diverse” lawyer become things of the past, both Janet Frickey and Marisa Ala, two of the Top 50 Women recognized by Super Lawyers this year, acknowledge the benefits of being included in the list, especially as small firms and solo attorneys.
“I do think there is some recognition within our community that maybe the playing field still isn’t quite as equal as we’d all like it to be,” Frickey said. “But what I like about the top female attorneys list is that it really isn’t about female or male. I see it more generally like it’s big firms versus small.”
She said though it’s not supposed to happen, she “swears” that people in large firms vote for one another, so top lists can sometimes get flooded with those names and, in turn, few solo practitioners or those managing small firms, like herself, make the lists. In 1994, Frickey began managing the firm her father opened in 1957. She focuses on personal injury and workers’ compensation.
She often takes on cases where caps on damages are low. But when an individual is injured and needs their hands to work, that case makes a huge difference in their livelihood.
“In Colorado, your hands aren’t worth very much — and you need them for everything,” she said. “It’s what I do that no one else does just because it’s a little like Don Quixote tilting at windmills.” Frickey says it’s her personal philosophy to fight for those clients because she doesn’t want to see that happen to people.
In her 30 years of practice, she’s seen the game change significantly with the rise of websites like Avvo. She said that previously the Super Lawyers list allowed other attorneys to have confidence in a referral, especially if they weren’t at a large firm or were a general practice attorney.
“General practicing lawyers have gone the way of the family doctor — they’re going away, and now you have more and more specialists,” Frickey said.
Frickey has been recognized on the Super Lawyers list every year since 2006. She isn’t sure how much her practice has grown due to the distinction, but she said the recognition of her work is still meaningful — especially for solo firms and women attorneys.
“They’ve made their inroads into the practice, and this gives them a chance to shine,” Frickey said. For solos without marketing departments, that Super Lawyers distinction can be especially important in how they are able to grow their practice, she said — something that construction defects and estate planning attorney Marisa Ala has found to be true in her firm as well. Ala made the transition from a large firm to opening her solo firm, the Ala Firm, just under a year ago. She said she hasn’t had many people find her firm through or because of Super Lawyers — but nonetheless she’s found it especially helpful.
“It lends credibility to you as a practitioner,” she said.
She has previously relied on her Super Lawyers recognition for her construction defects practice, especially as she migrated to her own firm but is now switching gears and has begun practicing estate planning for her clients. She wanted to branch out in order to diversify her practice, but she’s found that she enjoys working more one-on-one and appreciates being able to help clients on a more personal level.
As for growth, Ala said, in her experience at a larger firm, attorneys in different practice groups would rely on one another to cross promote among their clients and build their practices. But in a solo firm, that doesn’t happen.
“It’s been hard, but I haven’t been able to focus on the marketing. The difference is you don’t have someone to support you, and when you’re solo you are everything. So, I’ve spent a lot of time and money on marketing and spend a good deal of time identifying potential clients. Any leg up you can get as a solo, which might include those recognitions — any of those really help.”
This is the third year Ala’s been recognized on the list. She wasn’t able to attend the Top Women event last year, so she’s looking forward to attending this year and taking the opportunity to meet other women attorneys.
“It’s fun to get together and to be able to support one another,” she said. “I think women especially like to network and it’s a good opportunity.”
— Kaley LaQuea
