publication: Gannett News Service

June 17, 2008 Tuesday

Monica Samuels had her career path all figured out. She would become a lawyer, work for a law firm, and when she had a family, she would hire a nanny to care for her children. Only one problem: Law firms like to get billable hours -- lots of billable hours -- from their associates. Spending the majority of her waking hours at work did not mesh with Samuels' plans to raise a family, and she soon found herself with the work-life dilemma that has been facing women for decades in this country. That prompted Samuels -- an environmental and immigration attorney and former campaign staffer and a fundraiser for President Bush -- to try and look for solutions not only for herself, but other women who want more options while raising their children.