Tamara Kraljic

Originally from Europe but having lived and worked in the US for the last 10+ years, I am a multicultural and multilingual dispute resolution and white-collar defense attorney and a mother of three young boys under the age of seven. I have a passion for gender equity and creating more inclusive and balanced work environments. I have recently taken on a role as Committee Co-Chair with the Women’s Bar Association of Washington DC, one of the nation’s most active legal women networks. There, I am in charge of co-designing and rolling out a “Future of Work” program, covering topics such as alternative work arrangements (e.g. job sharing and high-level gig work) and AI and the work-place.

The reporting, billing and compensation structures used in most corporate law firms were created mostly for and by men at a time when women did not have a seat at the table. This “Mad Men” mold does not necessarily appeal to mothers, parents or more broadly professionals, who truly enjoy their substantive work in corporate practices but who also want more time and flexibility. As co-chair at the Women’s Bar Association in Washington DC, I am reaching out to leading academics, accomplished professionals, and entrepreneurs to create a space to discuss, create and test alternative working models. Rethinking the Big Law system is both long overdue and – in light of the shifting work habits post-pandemic and advances in technology and AI– timely. The Women In Law Initiative provides an important platform for forward-thinking and gender-equity committed professionals wishing to actively contribute to the transformation of the practice of law.