Ann Israel is the legal profession's Dear Abby. A New York legal recruiter since 1979, Ann is a past president of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants. Advice for the Lawlorn is updated every Tuesday.

Q:I just started work as a new associate this past September in a big New York law firm. It is not quite a lifestyle firm, but there are many female partners and associates, many of whom have children. I didn't go directly to law school from undergrad, and I've been married for a few years. My husband and I do not want to wait too long to start a family, but I am concerned that having a child within the first two years of starting this job will be bad for my career.

Will the firm view me as unserious? Will taking maternity leave so early on derail my career permanently?

Dear Serious: I'm starting this column out with my usual close of a column -- the bottom line is that you need to do what you want to do with your life. If you and your husband want to have a family in the near future, and nothing could be more important to both of you than starting a family at this time, then you can't be concerned as to how you will be viewed by the partners in your firm.

On the other hand, if you suspect that your firm's partners will believe you are not serious about your career because you take a maternity leave during your second year with the firm, and your career is the most important thing in your life, then perhaps you need to rethink whether or not you want to have children at this time.

In other words, you need to rethink your priorities and what you want.

But let's talk about realities. First of all, you have already told us that there are many female partners (and associates) with children at your firm. Right away we know that these women are able to balance their careers with being a mother. And, clearly, their career paths were not derailed when they took time out during their maternity leave.

By the time you are completing your second year with the firm, you will have established some sort of reputation. If you are serious about your career path with the firm, it should already be somewhat evident that you are a serious young attorney within the first two years of your practice. Taking a maternity leave might put your partnership track back a year, but it certainly won't cause it to disappear if you are serious about your career. And really, what are we talking about here? Three months away from the office?

Not that I am telling you to do the following, but I do know so many mothers who take on some work from home during their maternity leave. In fact, toward the latter part of the leave, they welcome the distraction! A mother's helper or nanny is out taking the baby for a walk, and the mother uses that time to stay in touch with the office by taking on some work. No partner is going to think you are "unserious" about your career with the firm as you are working from home!

What you do need to be aware of is the fact that as a career-minded associate with a newborn at home, it will not be easy to juggle everything in the beginning. But if you have a good nanny at home, you focus on what you need to do at the office and the baby's father is willing to take on his responsibilities as well, you can have it all.

Clearly, there are many women at your firm who have it all figured out, and when it comes time to announce your pregnancy, you might want to sit down and discuss how they handled their maternity leave and then their initial time back at the office with a newborn at home.

Incidentally, we are seeing more and more firms that are making child care arrangements at the facility itself. As more women dedicate themselves to a full-time career and are voted into the partnership, firms realize that they can get more work product out of them and create a happier work environment if they provide child care facilities right there at the office.

Who knows? Your firm might offer such a program or have one in the planning. At any rate, just as I wrote in the beginning of this column, you need to sit down with your significant other and figure out your priorities. No matter what you decide, the immediate future says that you should be the best associate you can possibly be so that you are noticed by senior associates and, hopefully, by some of the partners. In that way, when you do decide to take your maternity leave you will be sorely missed and greatly welcomed back upon your return.

Best wishes!

Sincerely,
Ann Israel
President, Ann Israel & Associates