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As she prepared for the birth of her first child in December, Jennifer Sabovik wondered how she could be a good attorney and a good mother at the same time. Then, after three months of maternity leave with her son, Max, Sabovik returned to work and Bullard Smith Jernstedt Wilson promptly named her a partner

鈥淚t was a lot to deal with, partly because when I came back from maternity leave my schedule just exploded,鈥� she says, adding she had a 6陆-day hearing with no second-chair support upon her return. 鈥淪ince I got back from leave I鈥檝e been busier than I had been in the previous four years.鈥�

Sabovik says her labor law practice usually has peaks and lulls, though of late it has been consistently busy. As a single mom, flexibility is particularly essential and working from home now and then comes in handy, especially when Max is sick and can鈥檛 go to daycare.

鈥淏efore I had a baby I couldn鈥檛 quite figure out how I would have a baby and do this job. But you just find a way to do it and it works,鈥� she says.

Like a growing number of working parents, Sabovik enlisted the aid of a grandparent. Her mother moved from California to Portland and lives with Sabovik, working full time as an independent contractor from her home office while helping out with Max when he鈥檚 not at daycare.

Sabovik faces the enduring challenge of maintaining work-life balance that most attorneys deal with, and she says a strong network of friends and some rare-but-treasured personal time are a key part of her success.

鈥淚鈥檓 a huge foodie, so I love to go to Portland鈥檚 restaurants with my friends. We also get together to cook and watch movies,鈥� she says.

Cinema holds a special place in Sabovik鈥檚 heart as well. Before earning her law degree from the University of Utah in 2001 and working for the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., she majored in creative writing at the University of Southern California.

鈥淚 wanted to do script development in Hollywood. Then I did a couple of summer internships there and decided I never wanted to be in Hollywood again,鈥� she says with a laugh.