Ms. Sharon Douglass Mayo

Partner
Arnold & Porter, LLP

Sharon Douglass Mayo, a 1986 cum laude graduate of Claremont McKenna College, is now a partner in Arnold & Porter’s Litigation and Intellectual Property Practice Groups, She received her law degree in 1990 from Loyola Law School. With her expertise in Fifth Amendment issues arising in civil cases, Ms. Mayo represents clients at the trial and appellate levels of California’s state and federal courts. As a working mother with a demanding career, she finds balancing work and family an issue that challenges her on a daily basis; it is a concern near and dear to her heart. Sharon recalls the time when she telecommunicated from Los Angeles to San Francisco as part of her work. Because she wasn’t required to work the traditional 9 to 5 hours, most people assumed she was working from home in pajamas and not giving her job full attention. Sharon is adamant that alternatives to traditional work hours and practices should not carry a stigma. Having said that, Sharon is impressed at the Berger Institute’s work toward building awareness about the California Paid Family Act Leave--legislation she feels most working families are not aware of or do not have the time to look into.

Ms. Mayo believes that very few families can afford to have only one parent working, so as a matter of necessity, the demands and the satisfactions of work and family are bound to collide. “Society needs to find better ways to make it work,” she says. Greater access to on-site or nearby child care, greater acceptance of innovative ways to get a job done such as flex time, job sharing and telecommunicating are a few suggestions that she gives. As an advisory board member of the Berger Institute, she hopes to give back to the CMC community, what she learned from it as a student.

From the Berger Institute newsletter (Spring 2007, Vol 8., p. 12-13). Interview by Marya Husain '09.