5 and moved ahead, and I never had any trouble or noticed that anything was different simply because I was a woman. I remember one thing that was funny was that the secretaries had to have a meeting to figure out what to call me — was I esquire or an attorney? It was determined that I couldn’t be called esquire because I wasn’t a man, so they called me an attorney instead. That worked for me. My philosophy was (and is) that I had to prove to people that I knew what I was doing and that I was a person they wanted to be around. It worked, and I never felt that people saw me as different. In terms of becoming a partner, I figured everyone could be a partner, and that I would work my way up to become a partner, and I did. I wanted to be a partner, expected to be partner, and became a partner. Mintz understood the different contributions that different people could make to a firm, including me. Can you tell us a little bit more about your career, and the various twists and turns your career has taken since you first joined Mintz? When I joined the firm, Fran Meaney trained me to be a generalist. I was hired to take all of the pension plans off of Bill Glovsky’s desk, and I became an expert in estate administration. I also did real estate and corporate work and drafted charities. I became a good old-fashioned generalist and loved it, but still wanted to be a tax lawyer and because of this, I left the firm in 1975 to go work for the US Treasury. Did you end up becoming the full-time tax lawyer you dreamed of becoming? I did! When I got to the Treasury in 1975, I helped draft tax legislation, worked up on Capitol Hill, and had the opportunity to handle press responsibilities. I even drafted a section of the Internal Revenue Code that is still in the code today. I loved it. It was the most rewarding stage of my career — the people, the sophistication of the work — and it was exhilarating. Where did your career adventures lead you after the Treasury? I returned to Boston, and because I wanted to do tax full time, joined Goulston and Storrs (becoming their first female partner). Since returning to Boston from DC, I have remained a tax lawyer, and am now with Vacovec, Mayotte & Singer, LLP. I hope to continue working until I am no longer able to. What has been most challenging about your legal career? I am a singer and have studied voice since I was in high school. It is a challenge to have time to practice when law is your profession. I used to sing when I was at Mintz — I bet people would remember that! I still sing and study voice, and am president of the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus. What is the most important advice you would give to a young lawyer starting out today? If you like it and want to do it, you can do it. You’ll find a way. The key given to Pat Metzer when she was elevated to Member. During Pat’s tenure, a key to One Center Plaza (then home to Mintz’s Boston office) was presented to every attorney who made partner.