New Rule Makes it Easier for Military Spouses to Find and Keep Jobs in the Law

On January 29, 2019, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Board of Law Examiners adopted the Military Spouse Licensing Rule, which allows military spouse attorneys who accompany active duty service members to Pennsylvania to apply for a temporary license to practice law in the state. Historically, because service members are subject to frequent military-ordered relocations, attorney spouses were presented with the difficult choice of remaining in a jurisdiction where they were licensed to practice without their spouse or incurring the significant costs of obtaining a bar license in the relocation state. Osterhout Berger Disability Law is very excited to hear that Pennsylvania has joined the trend of issuing licensing accommodations for these attorneys. The new rule goes into effect in July 2019.

OBL is very fortunate to have several military spouses who are attorneys on our team. Hannalore Merritt, Managing Associate of our Appellate Department, who was a military spouse herself and knew the struggle of trying to maintain a career being married to an active service member, was familiar with a group called Military Spouse JD Network comprised of individuals in similar situations. Due to growth of the firm, when it came time to hire additional attorneys, she suggested that the firm look to this population. “I knew there was lots of talent out there but that it was hard to maintain a job when you were facing having to take a bar exam every few years with changes in orders and duty stations.” Merritt explained. “To be honest, until Hannalore brought it to my attention, I really hadn’t thought about this issue at all,” explained managing partner Karl Osterhout. “Since we have always had at least some attorneys in our Appellate Department who worked remotely, that part was a natural fit, and I like very much feeling like I am, and some small part, being helpful to these families who sacrifice so much for the defense of our Country,” said Osterhout.

The first active military spouse hire was Christine Huber, Senior Associate Attorney; she and Hannalore attended law school together in Seattle. Christine’s family is currently based at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Georgia, and they typically move every 2 years. She describes numerous difficulties to maintaining a career as a military spouse; “As an attorney, one of the biggest hurdles is obtaining a license to practice in every state. While many states have or will soon have the military spouse exemption, it still involves a lengthy process and high fees.” Another difficulty faced by many career spouses who also have children, is being the primary caregiver. “It is difficult to find an employer, especially in the legal field, who is willing to accommodate you being the sole person responsible when school calls for an unexpected pick up or when your child is home sick,” explained Huber. Finally, another difficulty is maintaining a resume that is attractive to employers. “Often with moving every few years, your resume begins to look quite choppy and most employers will pass right over it as it appears you would not have loyalty to their firm. While this is far from the truth, it often gets in the way of securing an interview,” said Huber.

Christine describes the profound impact her employment at OBL has provided; “All of the difficulties mentioned previously disappeared with working at OBL. I can maintain my bar license and ability to practice, without having to retake a bar examination in every state we move to. I am able to have a resume which shows my loyalty and retention at a law firm. I have now worked at OBL over the course of 3 separate moves, something I had never thought was possible.  Further, being able to work remotely allows me to maintain my workload while also handling any issues that may arise for my family.  It has afforded us the ability to be present for the special moments in military life (i.e., homecomings, meetings, send offs, etc.) without having to put my professional career on hold or take time off or work. Perhaps most importantly, working at OBL and being exposed to various areas of law has allowed me to realize that my true passion is advocating for the rights of those who feel like they are being lost in the system, for those who can no longer work due to physical or mental impairments, and for those who were wrongly denied benefits.”

Since hiring Christine in 2015, OBL has hired two more associate attorneys who are military spouses, Amanda Whitt-Downs, found through MSJDN, and Meghan Lambert, found through a military spouse page. They are all attorneys in our Appellate Department, and work on researching and drafting briefs to Federal District Courts across the country for our clients who have been denied SS disability benefits by the Agency. Explains Osterhout, “It’s just been a privilege to get to know these women. I am particularly indebted to Christine, who really stepped up when I had an illness last year; she was an incredible help to Hannalore in making sure that we continued to meet our deadlines in the Appellate Department. She really, as they say, ‘went over that wall’ for me and I’ll never forget it.” Merritt states, “They are all highly versatile women who are driven and compassionate, not to mention able to balance a lot in addition to their careers. They also have excellent resumes – we are fortunate to have been able to set them up remotely because they are really talented and do great work.”

OBL applauds the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in adopting the Military Spouse Licensing Rule and the effort the Military Spouse JD Network put forth in advocating for these talented group of attorneys.

Read more about the Supreme Court adoption HERE