Britney Colton’s Post

It’s Trial Training Day! This is one of my favorite events at Stoel. As a former litigator, going to trial was always one of the parts about my job that I loved the most. Now, I get to watch some of our litigation associates show their stuff in an all-day mock trial. Yesterday, you knew me as Britney. But today, I am Dr. Edwina Sharpe. 🤓

Grateful to Stoel Rives for hosting a wine tasting event for a local wine grower and client, Woven Wineworks (fully organic), at the PDX Executive Assembly event tonight.

Love where you work. Stoel Rives 2024 All Attorney Retreat. Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel.

And just like that the last final of spring semester of MBA school is in the books. Business law ☑️ Entrepreneurship ☑️ Organizational Behavior/Negotiation ☑️ Communication/Persuasion ☑️ No rest for the weary. One week off and then summer semester begins. 💪

I’ve sat on this because on one hand, it seems silly that at 44 years young I still care about something like a GPA. And, as a wise mentor told me recently, it doesn’t matter what my grades may be in this MBA program - it’s what I’m learning that matters most. But, I also think it is important to continuously recognize achievements and accomplishments along the journey. There is a lot that is hard, painful, and downright frustrating. So it is critical to celebrate the small wins along the way. As I near the halfway point of this MBA journey, I am reminded that one of the main reasons I’m doing this is to show my kids that it is never too late to pursue a dream and we should all endeavor to be lifelong learners. So here is to this mom, wife, lawyer, and colleague making the Dean’s list at USC Marshall School of Business.

Very proud to be getting my MBA from the #4 ranked program in the world (#1 in the U.S.), according to the Financial Times. Accomplished professors, challenging curriculum, but honestly the best part is my amazing cohort colleagues. And thank you to Stoel Rives for your support! #usc #uscmarshall

And the last final of the first semester of MBA-land is in the books. What a long 17 weeks. Strategy, Communication, Teams, Microeconomics, Financial Accounting, Statistics. This has been an equal parts humbling and empowering experience. I’m grateful for what I have learned and all the friends I’m meeting along the way. Now for a much needed break before we start all over again!

Twenty years after I began practicing law, I decided to go back to school and get my MBA. I have been kicking around this idea for a couple years, and now it is finally happening. As my family packs for our annual Black Butte vacation, I’m packing for an entirely different reason. Next week is “resident week” at USC where I will meet my 60-person cohort for the first time. For the last eight months, I have been taking the math prerequisite courses (differential calculus anyone?!🫣😝). And next week launches the rest of the two-year course. There will be many sacrifices and I will need to lean on my family in a whole new way. I am so excited and yet I am so terrified. As one of the more “seasoned” members of this cohort, can I keep up? Will they be able to pull the all-nighters better than I can? (Most assuredly so). Given that they are more freshly out of school, will they be more prepared than I am? I’m sure I will continue to miss more than my fair share of kid sporting events, school assemblies, and field trips. That makes me sad and I feel selfish. And yet, there will never be a “right” time to do this. There will always be excuses or reasons to delay. The time is now. I will continue to show up for my kids and my family the best I can and give them all I am able to. I also hope that through this journey they understand that it is never too late to chase a dream. If you set a goal, don’t give up. There will be bumps and turns along the way, and a lot you cannot control. But your dreams are worth the pursuit and I am so grateful Stoel Rives is supporting me in this journey.

I am humbled and grateful that Stoel Rives sent me to a six-day intensive course on leadership in law firms. At Harvard Law of all places! Met some outstanding legal leaders from across the globe.