November 2010

November 2010
Lidia Szczepanowski

Q & A:

• What is your edge (strength)?
  I believe my edge is my ability to communicate effectively and efficiently while still remaining approachable and real.
• What at Hofstra gave you your edge?
  I recall that the professors at Hofstra were very personable and the classes were quite small. This meant that I had no choice but to speak frequently and participate in many class discussions. I believe this gave me the opportunity to learn how to speak to an audience while feeling comfortable, which would turn out to be a very important attribute for my chosen careers./p>
• In one word, how would you describe Hofstra?
  Enriching.
• What was your major?
  International business..
• What was your favorite class?
  Although I enjoyed all my business classes, if I had to select one favorite, it would have to be Business Law. My positive experience in this class paved the way for my career as an attorney.
• What is your fondest memory of Hofstra?
  What is your fondest memory of Hofstra? I recall many days of studying outdoors just outside the cafeteria with my friends and enjoying the beautiful campus, particularly the tulips in the spring. (The weekend parties were great too!)
• What is your field of specialty, and how did you come to work in the industry?
  I have been a litigation attorney for more than two decades. After graduating from Hofstra, I worked full time for about six months and I felt that I was not quite finished with my formal education yet. Since I had really enjoyed my Business Law class, I thought to myself, “Why not go to law school?” So I took the LSAT, applied to one law school for a 2 ½ year program and lo and behold, I was accepted. It was as simple as that. I am also a personal safety advocate and I present “Stylish Safety” women’s safety awareness seminars to corporations and educational institutions. This came about shortly after I earned my black belt in karate and after I won the title of Mrs. New York America 2006. Because I had won Mrs. New York, I traveled across the country speaking about my “platform,” women’s safety awareness. I thereafter founded the National Organization for Women’s Safety Awareness, Inc. (the NOWSA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was established to fulfill a fundamental need in our country to provide more information, awareness, and knowledge about women's safety issues.
• Who in your field do you most admire?
  The individual whom I most admire in my field as an attorney is Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman named to the U.S. Supreme Court. She made history through her appointment by breaking the ultimate "glass ceiling" in the legal profession. What an incredible achievement, particularly in light of the fact that she was born only 10 years after women were granted the right to vote in this country.
• What was your first job after graduating from Hofstra, and what was the most valuable thing you learned there?
  After graduating from Hofstra, I attended St. John’s Law School and I worked part-time as a cosmetics consultant for Estée Lauder in Macy’s. Since I was selling “luxury” items, it was important for me to learn how to engage people in conversation while being genuine, and convince them why the product I was selling was the one they should buy. This skill has proven to be one of the most valuable things I ever learned.
• What advice would you give current Hofstra students?
  Learn from, enjoy and appreciate your remarkable years at Hofstra. There will come a point in time in your life when you will look back and will be grateful that you did. Also, remember to be humble, have integrity and stay true to yourself. Use your achievements to inspire others.
• How do you balance work and life?
  The “balancing act” is probably one of the most difficult issues I have to deal with on a daily basis, so I try to organize and prioritize everything in my life. I am forever making lists and planning exactly what I will be doing in the next hour, the next day, and during the next week. For me “next month” is usually too far away unless I’m planning a vacation. I then decide what I “must do” as opposed to what I would “like to” do. Once I have my written and mental agenda planned out, I just start doing! Having my Blackberry doesn't hurt either!
• Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
  This is probably the most difficult question for me to answer because I have no idea where I realistically see myself in 10 years from now since I am working on so many different projects. With that said, I will definitely be a published author (book proposal is already written), and perhaps I will have a television talk show that will be devoted to educating, training, challenging, and inspiring women to live safer, more fulfilling and remarkable lives.
• What is the single most rewarding experience in your career thus far?
  Although I have had many rewarding experiences throughout my career as an attorney, if I had to select one “single most rewarding experience” thus far, the first one that comes to mind is a recent jury trial I conducted in the New York State Supreme Court. Everyone thought the odds were stacked against my client, and it was truly a David versus Goliath situation. My client was a small business suing a multimillion-dollar cooperative, and there were several causes of action and hundreds of exhibits. I am proud to say that due to my dedication, preparedness and sincerity, my client received a jury verdict that was very favorable. (Establishing “Teen Personal Safety Week” in the state of New York was pretty terrific too!)
• Do you have a favorite quote or saying that has kept you motivated through the years?
  I grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, and since I was a child I have been fishing and catching eels in the Long Island Sound with my father. This was always very serious business for my dad because after he caught the eels, he would smoke them in a large metal drum in the backyard and eat them with dinner. I recall one sunny day while we were eel catching (which by the way is done during low tide in a small estuary in deep black mud while two people hold a large net), there were horse flies biting me on my arms and shoulders and the net started to slip out of my hands. My dad saw me and yelled over to me, “Don’t drop the net!” and I didn't. To this day, whenever I am confronted with a challenge or I feel like giving up, I hear my dad’s voice telling me not to “drop the net.”