WWBA March 2019 Newsletter

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An Interview with Cynthia K. Dunne
from previous page
the courthouse staff is outstanding.
Since retiring from federal
service in 2013, I have not
looked for additional legal
work, but it has found me. I
am most likely to take on a
matter which is challenging
and also has the potential to
have a positive social impact.
Q: What advice do you have
for women lawyers entering
the legal profession?
A: Believe in yourself and
never doubt that you are as
capable as your male counterparts.
Women of my generation
thought that we had
forged the way for younger
women in the workplace, but
it is evident from the #MeToo
movement that we did not
have as much of an impact
as we hoped. Don’t be discouraged
by overt or covert
discrimination; don’t accept
it and don’t be a bystander if
you witness improper conduct.
Develop relationships
within your professional network
and seek mentors. There
is a fine line between advocating
for yourself and coming
off like you are entitled;
tread carefully and seek advice
before presenting a
grievance. Like everything
else, our attitudes often affect
the outcome, so try to remain
confident and positive.
If you chose to have children,
then make sure that you
lead by example: encourage
your children to be open and
accepting of others; make
sure that they understand the
responsibility of the right to
vote; and encourage them to
be active citizens.
Finally, consistent with my
commitment to public service
“When I announced that I was
pregnant with my first child in
1988, the next week my office
space was reassigned to another
AUSA and I was moved into the
hallway – my supervisor assumed
that I would quit. There was no
maternity leave policy in place, and
ultimately I was permitted to take
leave without pay for six weeks.”
I urge young women to consider
careers in public service.
Although you won’t make the
highest salary in the profession,
you will receive more handson
experience at an earlier age
than in the private sector and
you will be part of the larger
effort to do good.
Q: Please tell us about your
community activities.
A: I serve on the Board of the
League of Women Voters of
Scarsdale, I am the third
woman President in the 94
years of the Scarsdale Rotary
Club and I am a Director of
Lakota Children’s Enrichment
(LCE), a nonprofit which amplifies
the voices of America’s
most at risk youth on the Pine
Ridge Indian Reservation in
South Dakota. For several years
I volunteered as the Program
Director for LCE and spent
months of each year in South
Dakota. The last two years, I
helped in the organization of
TEDxYouth@DinosaurPark, an
independently organized TED
event which engages American
Indian and Non-Native youth
in Rapid City, SD. I remain an
active member of my local
church and have served on
boards and committees
throughout the decades. Finally,
I am a frequent speaker
at local civic and community
clubs and other events.
Q: How have you balanced
your legal career with the rest
of your life?
A: When I announced that I
was pregnant with my first child
in 1988, the next week my office
space was reassigned to
another AUSA and I was
moved into the hallway – my
supervisor assumed that I would
quit. There was no maternity
leave policy in place, and ultimately
I was permitted to take
leave without pay for six weeks.
Over the next few years, the
Office experienced a baby
boom and developed familyfriendly
policies. In 1990, I proposed
a work schedule which
allowed me to take Fridays off
without pay - if my schedule
permitted, a schedule the office
honored until my departure
in 2013.
My work schedule was
crazy and I had three small
children at home – one with
very significant special needs.
Due to my trial schedule, there
were months when I did not
have a day or weekend off,
I worked 16-18 hour days,
missed holidays and one
year a family vacation was
cancelled due to a trial which
took weeks longer than expected.
My husband and I tried
to make dependable child
care a priority, although we
were not always completely
successful. My husband
covered at home on evenings
and weekends during
the periods when I was unavailable.
Because his job
often involved international
travel, he scheduled trips
around my anticipated trial
schedule, and I covered at
home while he was away.
Juggling work and children
and finding time for
other activities was challenging
but not impossible. It
took the help of family,
friends and neighbors to get
through some of the
rougher periods; yes, it took
a village.
When my children complained
that I was not home
for dinner nor meeting them
for lunch like other parents,
I explained that my job was
not about making money
and at the end of each and
every day the world was a
pinch of a better place because
of the work that I was
doing.
My children frequently
visited the Federal Courthouse
in White Plains – they
sat in the back of the courtroom
and watched my hearings
and trials. Today, my
adult children are proud
rather than resentful about
my periods of extended absences
and I am proud to
say that for them, too, service
and civic engagement
are priorities. ◗
Page 6
Westchester Women’s Bar Association News