Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Susan Ulrich

Susan Ulrich is a partner at Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel in the firm’s Los Angeles office. A native of Massachusetts, Susan graduated with her bachelor’s degree in politics and American studies from Brandeis University. She was later awarded a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. She has served on the Board of Directors for Roca, Inc., an organization dedicated to transforming the lives of the most high-risk young people. In her legal practice, Susan has represented victims of mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure, as well as families dealing with birth defects resulting from chemical exposures. Now she manages the sex abuse docket for the firm.

Here’s what Susan had to say during our Women’s History Month Women In Law Roundtable Q&A.

Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel: Where do you think we are in terms of gender equality in the legal profession? How do you see the field growing and changing in the future, not just for women attorneys but all lawyers?

Susan Ulrich: It’s been a struggle over the years for women to make serious footholds in the legal profession. However, in recent years we’ve seen an increase in how many women are going to law school. Where we’re still lagging is women in partnership and women in equity roles, which is also slowly shifting.

We must continue to have very open and honest conversations about ensuring that women and people of color hold positions of leadership in the field.

I think that our field will continue to grow because we exist in a world where corporations and institutions often don’t factor in the individuals that could be harmed by their actions and products.

And — until we live in a world where those institutions and corporations are held accountable such that they protect the regular folks in the United States — I think that our profession will always be here because we are the last line of defense for individuals who have been really catastrophically harmed.

WKPS: What personality characteristics or skills do you possess that you believe enabled your career to flourish?

SU: I am a pretty aggressive litigator. I’m also naturally curious, so I ask a lot of questions which helps me develop evidence in my cases. But I also think I have a certain perseverance that helps me manage stressful cases. If there’s a task at hand, I want to complete it and I want to complete it well every time.

As a lawyer, I think that one of the best qualities to possess is empathy. I mean, every day we see clients who are sick, are dying, have been abused, have lost everything they own in wildfires, have been really harmed by medical devices.

We meet people at times in their life that are ver,y very difficult. And being able to empathize, support, and lift people up is really important as a lawyer, but also as a person.

WKPS: Many issues that our firm tackles – like helping talc-exposure victims and survivors of birth defects and sex abuse – have unique implications for women. How important is the legal field to ensuring fair treatment for women and protecting their rights? Why is it important to have female attorneys involved in this litigation?

SU: I’m the partner that manages the sex abuse docket for the firm. I’ve spent the better part of my life, both before and during my legal career, working for and in service of very high-risk and vulnerable populations. That work and issues that specifically affect women and young girls are often overlooked. Being given the opportunity to bring those issues to light and hold folks and institutions accountable who harm women and children is probably the biggest honor of my life. Our work is important because we interface with groups of people who have been underserved for generations. I mean, when you look at the beginnings of asbestos litigation in the 80s, it was largely poor, working-class men who were getting this awful disease. They were under-represented. They were lied to. Those populations — women, children, and folks living in poverty — deserve quality representation. That’s why we do what we do.

WKPS: Is there a practice area you focus on that particularly affects women? Why is it important to you? What positive impacts have you been able to make through your work?

SU: I manage the sex abuse practice for the firm and have represented dozens of women and young girls who have been abused or assaulted in school, juvenile detention, and foster care settings. I’ve also represented women in medical device cases at trial. I’ve represented many many, many widows of men who have passed of asbestos related cancer.

Every single piece of my work focuses on issues that in some way affect women. Representing these women is important to me because, well, I am one. But also because I have two daughters.

Our work brings issues to light that otherwise would never be in the public view. I see our work as not only fighting for the rights of individuals, but also as creating spaces in the world where women and children are safer.

WKPS: What is the most interesting change you’ve seen in the legal field since starting your career?

SU: I mean the entire legal system is based on English common law so changes in the legal system are few and far between. I wouldn’t want to bore you with the exciting changes in civil procedure, so I’ll share about the most interesting cultural shift.

Younger lawyers are taking on the mantle of managing practices, managing dockets and so we’re seeing a new generation of leadership in the plaintiff’s bar, and it’s probably the most diverse young leadership that we’ve ever seen. It’s very exciting to see women leading firms, leading practices, and participating at very high levels in coordinated proceedings and MDLs.

I think it’s about time that we see more younger women and women in general, but also folks of color and folks from the LGBTQIA+ community. Having that diversity of leadership creates a better brain trust, so to speak, for what we do and who we serve and how we serve them. That is probably the most exciting change that I’ve seen in the field over the last decade.

WKPS: What is one piece of advice you’ve received that you would pass on to law students and lawyers? Women law students and lawyers?

SU: As a young lawyer, I was always ready for a fight. I was mad that our clients were hurt and that many of our clients lost their lives to preventable diseases. Peter Kraus stopped me in the hall one day in the middle of a very contentious conversation with a defense attorney and said “Susan, sometimes you get more bees with honey.” At first, this nugget of wisdom went over my head. Over time, though, I began to realize that the best lawyers I know are also great negotiators, and that in order to excel in this profession, I needed to learn the skills to work across the aisle to get the best result for our client. That lesson has made me a better lawyer and a better advocate for our clients.

Check out our Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel Virtual Roundtable Q&A: Women In Law for more interviews with our attorneys.