IN THE NEWS
Karen K. Harris (right) a partner at Amstein & Lehr LLP and her Jackson Park Yacht Club teammates set out on a 333-mile race from Navy Pier to Mackinac Island, Mich." on July 22, 2016 Their sailboat a 38-footer named the Mise en Place, was one of 326 boats participating (Partcial printing)
Arnstein & Lehr Partner Sails Stress Away BY EMILY DONOVAN Ñ LAW BULLETIN STAFF WRITER If you're cruising Lake Shore Drive on a Wednesday evening. you may look out at Lake Michigan to see a partner of one of the country's oldest law firms sailing in what's called a beer can race."
Karen K. Harris, a partner at Arnstein& Lehr, LLP is Vice Commodore of the Jackson Park Yacht Club. In July, for her Þfth year, she sailed 333 miles up Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club's Race to Mackinac with one of the races only predominantly black teams. For Harris, sailing is how she avoids burnout after long hours of legal practice.
Being able to get out on the water and being one with nature is my way of recharging, destressing and balancing life." she said. As a black woman. Harris notices that both the legal practice and sailing are predominantly white. When her team placed fifth in its division in 2012, she said she was the first black woman to be on the Champion's podium since the contest to reach Mackinac Island, Mich. was founded in 1898. She said she was proud and hoped her accomplishment as the Þrst black woman on the podium would encourage a second and third to follow. Eight of the nine sailors on Harris' Mac Race yacht were black including fellow Attorney David A. Shelton.
The Mac Race is Óno luxury cruise." said Shelton a sport and entertainment solo practitioner who lives on his sailboat. It is an endurance race, sailing to the island between MichiganÕs upper and lower peninsulas as fast as the wind allows. In this yearÕs race, Harris and SheltonÕs team sailed 67 1/2 hours straight through the nights, leaving Chicago at 3 pm. Friday and arriving at Mackinac Island at 10: 30 a.m. Monday. They split into three teams of one skipper and two crewman sailing in twoÑhour shifts and sleeping when off duty
Their vessel. owned by another member of Harris's yacht club. was a 38- foot sailboat named the Mise en Place. which gets its name from a French cooking term meaning 'everything in its place.' Theoretically. it would be nice if all equipment were in place. Harris joked. This year, the Mise en Place's alternator broke, which meant they sailed the old fashioned way with basically no power. They used ßashlights for boat lights and their refrigerator was out. They knew they needed to go north, but they had to use a handheld, backup GPS device to find their heading. And they could sense a storm was coming in-but couldn't use the ship's radar to figure out exactly how or when. There were a few periods with no wind. and they passed the time swimming off the back of the boat in the middle of the lake. Harris explained she had to wake up at 3am. to prepare for her 4 a.m. piloting shift, but at least she was able to appreciate the night sky as the boat cut through the waves. She said more stars are visible from the middle of the lake.
Sailing, Harris said, is such a different environment from her office downtown. "There are many a days when it's nice outside and I'm sitting inside like. 'Why did I go to law school? Harris said. She can often be seen sitting on the boat with her laptop open. rushing to answer the last few e-mails before she loses cell service. Amstein & Lehr partners cover for her during the race and until she is back online after she reaches the island. When not serving clients or working on her firm's diversity efforts. Harris is out on the water three times a week. (For more of this story, http://www.blackchicagosailors.org/KarenHarrisSailingArticle.PDF