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LEGAL BRIEF
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MARCH 2026 FriedmanSimon.com
THE WOMEN BEHIND MY WORK LESSONS FROM MY MOM AND MENTOR
On the first day of my torts class, I remember my professor looking out over the lecture hall and smiling. About half of the students in the room were women. Then Professor Silver told us what her own law school looked like in the 1970s. She was one of two women in a room full of men. That simple comparison landed hard for me. It was one of those “hell yeah” moments where I felt like I was part of something bigger than my own story. When March rolls around, and people talk about Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, I think about women like Professor Silver who pushed the profession forward. But before that lecture hall, there was my mom. My mom was a stay-at-home mom when my brother and I were young. She was a hairdresser before we were born, then later went back to school and became an esthetician. Even while she was doing what she called “busy work” more than building a career, she was planting deeper lessons. She wanted me to be independent. She always told me that you want people in your life because you want them there, not
because you have to rely on them. My mom encouraged me to have my own thing and to build a career and a name for myself. After college, I worked as a paralegal, drafting documents for an attorney to sign. I would come home and tell her that I felt like I could be the person signing the paper rather than the one writing it. She didn’t brush that off. She said, “All right, so how do we go about doing that?” and started walking me through LSATs, tutors, and the next steps toward law school. On top of all that, my mom is the most resilient person I know. She has dealt with several autoimmune conditions that changed her skin and took all of her hair. That alone would knock a lot of people down, and she’s gone through more than most people will ever see. But through it all, she has remained a positive ray of sunshine. She’s still the person uplifting others. I think about that a lot. When I catch myself sliding into a negative headspace, I try to picture her. If she can walk into the world with a smile after everything she’s faced, I can find a way to do the same.
Professor Silver gave me a different kind of picture to work from. In the classroom, she showed me what it can look like to be a “woman boss.” She was assertive and commanded respect, but she wasn’t rude or arrogant. She was tough, yet gracious. She gave a lot of her time because she wanted us to succeed as badly as we did. I carry that with me when I walk into a room. I want that balance of confidence and kindness. Those two women shaped the way I try to show up every day. In my work, that means being independent enough to take responsibility, confident enough to speak up for my clients, and kind enough to remember there is a real person on the other side of every file. This month, while we celebrate women’s history and International Women’s Day, I’m thinking about my mom and my professor and
how lucky I am to build a career on the lessons they gave me. -Victoria Noto
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In personal injury work, not every case fits a neat pattern. We kind of live and die by the facts, and sometimes those facts force you to think differently. One of my current cases is a good example. My client was a passenger on the back of her partner’s motorcycle. They turned onto a block in New York City, hit a defect in the roadway, and she was thrown off the bike and injured. She first came to us thinking it was a case against the city. For her, the problem was the road's condition. I understood that, but I also had to look at the bigger picture. Yes, that defect shouldn’t have been there. But I had to ask whether the person operating the motorcycle could have avoided it. That’s where things get complicated. You suddenly have competing theories of negligence and more than one party who may share responsibility for the same crash. Once you see there are two issues, the work behind the scenes changes. In a case like this, I have to sit down and decide how to draft the bill of particulars and the allegations for each party. Do I split everything into separate sections, one for the city and one for the motorcycle operator, or do I frame it as what we call concurrent negligence, where both of them helped cause the same accident? That’s where you have to reinvent the wheel and get creative. These cases are very fact-heavy, and you have to walk that line so everybody who may be responsible stays in the case. You don’t want one side pointing the finger at the other and slipping away. It also means having an honest conversation with the client. In this case, I had to explain that yes, we are absolutely going after the city for that roadway defect, but just to protect you, we also have to explore this other avenue. Situations like this aren’t rare. Any time the facts point in more than one direction, we have to be ready to rethink our first idea and build a strategy that fits the case, not the other way around. FACTS FIRST IN A TRICKY CASE Reinventing the Wheel for Clients
Do you ever wish you could accomplish more in a day? Whether you’re trying to squeeze out as many tasks as possible at work or take care of all of your chores before Sunday, it can feel like you’re always trying to maximize your productivity. But many of us feel like we fall short each day. You may think you just need to regularly refresh your coffee or eliminate every distraction from your mind to improve your productivity, but this only gets you so far. Instead, focus on incorporating strong, simple strategies into your routine. Here are three ideas to help you be as productive as possible, no matter the situation. Put a plan in place. When do you start thinking about what you need to accomplish on any given day? Too often, people wait until they face their work computer or stare at a sink full of dishes to strategize their day. Instead, take some time before you wrap up work to establish your priorities for the following day. Before the weekend starts, figure out which chores you need to do and the best time to tackle them. Having a plan will increase your likelihood of sticking to it. Stop saying yes. How often do you say “no” to others? Many of us are people pleasers who often agree to requests, even if they exceed our capacity. Saying “yes” all the time will lead to burnout, regardless of whether it’s your boss asking you to complete a project before noon or your friends wanting to go out for the fourth night in a row. Say no, and keep your main priorities at the forefront of your mind. Take regular breaks. You may want to push through all your tasks so you can finally unwind and relax, but this could lengthen the process. Sticking to your responsibilities like glue prevents your body and brain from taking necessary breaks to recalibrate and reset so you can operate at peak performance. Stop Trying to Hustle Harder Plan Smarter Instead
My job, and our firm’s job, is to use our knowledge, experience, and creativity to keep every realistic path to recovery open for our clients.
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We’ve all been there: juggling bags, hunting for space in overhead compartments, and wishing we had packed lighter. But with these five simple strategies, you can pack less, move faster, and enjoy your adventure instead of dragging it around. Choose a smaller bag to guide your packing. We all have that impulse to pack “just in case,” stuffing extra clothes and gadgets into our luggage because, well, there’s room. But here’s the trick: Pick a smaller bag than usual. A carry-on around 10 liters smaller than what you usually use acts as a gentle nudge, forcing you to rethink what you need. Build a capsule wardrobe for travel. Clothes are where overpacking really sneaks in. Instead of thinking in terms of outfits, think in terms of items. Build a travel capsule A GUIDE TO MASTERING THE MINIMALIST TRAVEL MINDSET Your Carry-On, Upgraded
wardrobe of 10–12 mix-and-match pieces, including shoes and jackets. These can cover a week or more. Don’t stress about underwear; pack what you need outside the capsule. The goal is simplicity, flexibility, and style without the suitcase overload. Maximize space with compression cubes. Packing cubes might not reduce the amount you bring, but they sure make it fit better. Compression cubes help you organize and compact your clothing, allowing even a modest bag to hold everything neatly. Keep toiletries tiny and simple. Skip the half-bottle of shampoo and overstuffed toiletry bag. Travel- size containers for shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen, and a few first-aid essentials are all you need. Bonus: Running out of toothpaste gives you a perfect excuse to explore a local grocery store. You might even discover a quirky, new favorite. Think short, even on long trips. Longer travel doesn’t mean more packing. Essentials, such as your passport, phone, chargers, a water bottle, a comb, and a travel pillow, remain constant. Clothing? Keep it minimal and plan to do laundry. Sink-washing, hotel services, or local laundromats all work. A few spins in water and a quick hang to dry is surprisingly effective. Travel lighter, explore further, and enjoy the freedom that comes from packing smart. Less baggage means more adventure, and a little extra space for souvenirs. SUDOKU
St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Swirl Pie
Ingredients • 1 cup heavy cream • 8 oz cream cheese, softened • 1 cup powdered sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1/2 cup mint chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup green food coloring, for vibrant color • 1 premade chocolate pie crust • 1/2 cup chocolate syrup, for drizzling
1. In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. 2. In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. 3. Add powdered sugar and vanilla to cream cheese, mixing until well combined. Then, gently fold whipped heavy cream into the mixture. 4. Divide mixture into two bowls. In one bowl, add mint chocolate chips and green food coloring. 5. Layer mixtures into chocolate pie crust, alternating between mint mixture and the plain mixture. 6. Drizzle chocolate syrup over top. 7. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set. Slice and serve chilled. Directions
Inspired by MixUpRecipes.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 2
Role Models Worth Celebrating The Productivity Upgrade You Didn’t Know You Needed Inside a Complicated Motorcycle Injury Case Pack Like a Pro and Say Goodbye to Suitcase Overload St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Swirl Pie Brides Who Wore Parachutes
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DRESSES FROM THE SKY PARACHUTES TURNED INTO WEDDING GOWNS
Most wedding dresses come from boutiques or family closets. But in the 1940s, some came from the sky. During and after World War II, brides across the U.S. and parts of Europe walked down the aisle in gowns made from parachutes. Equal parts scarcity and sentiment contributed to the development of this tradition. At the time, budgets were tight. Brides- to-be faced fabric rationing, and the military got most of the nylon. A parachute offered yards of strong, clean material, making it valuable. But for some couples, the biggest draw wasn’t the fabric. It was the story tied to it.
to parachute out of a burning bomber. The chute delivered him safely to the ground and served as his bedding while he waited for rescue. He proposed to his girlfriend, Ruth, after returning home and suggested she use that same parachute for her gown. She hired a seamstress to construct the bodice and gathered the skirt herself using parachute cords. The finished dress, inspired by one from “Gone With the Wind,” now sits in the Smithsonian.
grade. It is now part of the San Diego Air and Space Museum’s collection. A far more elaborate dress is stored at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. It originally belonged to an Air Force family and was pieced together from nine parachutes used in combat. One of the most meaningful parachute dresses, though, came from a displaced persons camp in Germany. Two Holocaust survivors, Ludwig Friedman and Lilly Lax, married at the camp in 1946. To make the wedding dress, Ludwig bought a parachute from Allied troops, and Lilly hired a seamstress using cigarette rations. Two more brides at other camps borrowed their dress before it was preserved at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Parachute nylon was never meant to be heirloom fabric. But during a time of shortages and uncertainty, that’s what it became.
Another bride, Carolyn Martin, made her own parachute dress after her fiancé, Chuck, survived a training flight crash. Carolyn transformed his parachute into a wedding dress using the sewing skills she had picked up in eighth
One of the most famous examples is that of Major Claude Hensinger, who was forced
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