Designed for postdocs who are parents or considering becoming one, this session will provide an overview of the challenges faced by postdoc parents as well as the strategies used to succeed as a new parent postdoc. Participants will leave with a better understanding of typical leave and benefit policies, postdoc rights to pregnancy-related accommodations, and where to go for help navigating policies. We will also discuss postdoc parent issues specific to the COVID-19 pandemic, including workplace safety for pregnant postdocs and navigating school closures.

Jessica Lee is a staff attorney at the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California, Hastings College of Law and Director of the Center’s Pregnant Scholar Initiative, the nationwide legal resource center for pregnant and parenting students and postdocs in higher education.

Lee’s advocacy focuses on empowering pregnant and breastfeeding students, working parents, and their advocates by providing them with the legal, policy, and strategic tools they need to overcome and dismantle structural barriers. She provides know-your-rights resources and trainings to educate parents and change-makers on the legal rights of caregivers. Jessica also seeks to prevent discrimination by working with institutions to draft and implement family responsive policies.

Lee’s writing has been featured in publications ranging from The Chronicle of Higher Education to the journal, Midwifery and Women’s Health. She is a co-author of Parents in the Pipeline: Retaining Postdoctoral Researchers with Families. She earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University.