Ethel Badawi is Co-Founder & Principal of Pollack Badawi Group LLC. She is a current member of the WBA Board of Directors. She is an active member and past president of APABA-DC, the largest and oldest association of Asian Pacific American legal professionals in the DC area. She also serves on the Board of Directors for NALSC (the National Association of Legal Search Consultants) and on the Board for Spur Local, a DC area nonprofit focused on creating a stronger and more equitable region by cultivating critical connections between residents and the nonprofits in their neighborhoods. Last year, DC Bar President, Ellen Jakovic appointed Ethel to serve as a member of the DEIA Task Force.
In 2021, Ethel started PLACE (Philanthropy Leadership And Community Engagement), a giving circle of DC area attorneys to educate, explore, and cultivate personal and group philanthropy in the greater Washington, DC area. The group meets once a month for happy hour to discuss a variety of topics related to charitable giving and select grantees for our funds. In our first two years, they raised over $17,000.
The Pollack Badawi Group is a legal search firm based. Ethel has counseled over 500 law graduates and attorneys in strategic decision-making to advance their careers and find their professional home at law firms, businesses, and the government. As a first-generation attorney of color, Ethel takes particular care in helping other BIPOC attorneys identify and secure professional opportunities to meet their career aspirations.
Ethel earned her B.A., magna cum laude, in Spanish and Economics from Wellesley College and a J.D., with honors, from The George Washington University. She loves to travel and has lived in Taiwan, Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, and Malta. Her old-fashioned name complements her old-fashioned hobbies of knitting and crocheting. She is a mediocre mid-distance runner and lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two cats.
When did you join the WBA?
2018
In what committees/forums have you been involved?
Diversity, Membership, Career Development, and the Board’s Governance Committee
Why did you join the WBA?
After living abroad for five years, I wanted to get back into the DC Community and the WBA was at the top of my list. The women who are a part of the WBA are an inspiration!
What benefits do you get from being a part of the WBA and why do you think others should join?
The WBA provides opportunities for connection, support, and mentorship. It’s a vibrant community that is truly supportive and not competitive. Whether it is an educational panel or a simple social gathering, I always leave WBA events feeling energized!
What words of advice do you have for women new to the profession?
I take every opportunity to share two of the main guiding principles I try to follow myself. First, focus on what you can control. So often, we stress about “what ifs” or other factors that we cannot control. What I’ve learned over the years is that spending energy and overthinking and stressing about things we cannot control is exhausting. I try my hardest to focus only on things I can impact or change, many times this means simply focusing on my own reaction to a tough situation because I cannot change the situation itself.
Second, I am strongly against the glorification of “busy.” Sure, it’s good for business to be busy, but being busy should not and does not signify success. Busy is not better. Busy is not more important. When people ask me how I’m doing, I make an effort not to resort to “busy” as an answer, but instead to share other aspects of my life that bring me joy. This allows me to take the focus off of the pace of work and focus on an opportunity to connect in a more meaningful and personal way. So instead of letting “busy” take me over, I am steadfast in my commitment to protect my time for my own priorities. For me, this means quiet, alone, time — knitting, reading, and running. I’m better at everything when I am not overstretched.
What is the best advice you have received?
Learning to say “no” is a decision to say “yes” to the things that really matter to you.