Blog #29

So few minority women stay with law firms because they face discrimination in the office. Fewer than one percent of partners are minority women. Minority women are exposed daily to harassment, discrimination, and exclusion. The NPR report involves the stories of black women who have tried to work in a law firm with no success because of the constant biases and stereotypes that they face. With the stress of the job and the added stress of being a minority in sex and skin color, it is often not worth it for these women to stay in their careers and sacrifice their times and morals to a career that does not fully respect or appreciate their work. The “good old boy” network that exists in most law firms prevents minority women from progressing in the law field. Most people are shocked when they see minority women come into a courtroom and have the power, and it takes a toll on these women. Minority women are also denied the same social and informational resources as other attorneys in the firm. The NPR reports and other course material is consistent with what is said in the book about minority women as attorneys. Women leave law firms for so many reasons and adding the minority race factor makes it even more of a struggle to survive among the white male majority of the partners and other associates that dominate the majority of firms. The culture of the firm is hugely important when it comes to minority employees and if the firm is committed to a diverse environment they will likely treat their minority employees with equal respect as the rest. It is truly awful and damaging to American society that minority women are not more prominent in the legal field because the stereotypes and inequalities discourage minority women to pursue this career path, reinforces these stereotypes, and prevents more diverse professional law firm environments.

Blog # 28

“Proving Yourself in a Man’s World” is an excellent title for this blog because it is exactly what Justice Sonia Sotomayor had to do when she was nominated for the Supreme Court. Because she was a woman, and a minority at that, she faced extremely harsh criticisms which included accusations of stupidity, a poor temperament, and vanity. She was negatively portrayed in the media by many men and opposers who did not like or respect her. These are attributes that are often associated with females in the legal field and it comes as no surprise that Justice Sotomayor was heavily criticized for these characteristics. If it had been a man running for Supreme Court he would likely be scrutinized for different attributes and probably not as harshly at that. Just like we have seen in the examples provided in “Gender on Trial”, Justice Sotomayor had to prove herself as worthy at a much more difficult level that a white male. Men talk about her in a disrespectful and condescending way that goes to prove that they think she is unable to do her job as good as a man. Competency is treated significantly differently between men and women in the law career and Justice Sotomayor’s case is a prime example. Since when was it such a big deal electing a Supreme Court Justice, and has this much controversy ever risen from a male nominee choice? Personally I cannot recall a time that such a commotion was caused over a Supreme Court Justice and some of them are arguably very extreme. The articles that were published about her character were largely biased and viewed her in a negative light with no actual credibility to the accusations they made. The election of Sonia Sotomayor into the Supreme Court is monumental for women and minorities because it shows it can be done despite the obstacles and biases against women.

Blog #27

On page 77 of “Gender on Trial”, Holly English uses an example from the American Bar Association to demonstrate the competency gap between men and women lawyers. The American Bar Association poll taken in 1983 revealed that 38 percent of women lawyers said they believed they had to work harder to prove themselves. In 2000, the percentage increased to 60 percent. Similar surveys were conducted that demonstrate similar results. The same survey also showed that there was a perception of less respect for female attorneys. Seventy percent of women attorneys in the survey said that their male colleagues were condescending towards them. These studies show that there are obvious gender inequalities inside the law firm today and that these are not issues of the past that should be ignored. Women attorneys are less likely to get promotions because they are not typically seen as leaders. In the NPR report in the course materials, one woman was demoted for absolutely no valid reason other than her gender. It is also a struggle for women attorneys because they have to work much harder to prove themselves and juggle more stresses and obstacles. Men attempt to win a case against women attorneys through bullying them, because there is a preconception that women attorneys are much easier to intimidate and can knock them off their stride. Some men lawyers act like women lawyers are not competent in their case and attempt to call them out and make them look stupid in the courtroom. Male attorneys will interrupt female attorneys or try to provoke them for no logical reason. Minority women lawyers experience more scrutiny than while women lawyers or sometimes they feel that they get complimented more because of their race. When women respond to the skepticism, it reinforces the questions of competence and effectiveness that they face daily.

Blog #26

In Chapter four of English’s book, she discusses the roles males have in assisting female lawyers. Some women explain that they need a male voice to “seal a deal” with a client or to get some reinforcement. Some women believe that their clients do not listen to them as attentively as they would to a male attorney, and to ensure that the client hears their advice, they have a male relay the information to the client as well. Other female attorneys use their male coworkers to validate their advice and input to clients. Many clients do not seem to trust or respect the work done by female attorneys over male ones. In other instances, male attorneys also treat female attorneys with more aggression than they would another male attorney. If there is a message that needs to be given to a client or opposing party that is particularly a difficult one, a male is most often chosen to do it. When people act out these certain roles inside of the law firm, it reinforces the law firm as a gendered organization. When women attorneys take on separate responsibilities from men attorneys, it is creating stereotypes and boundaries between the sexes. It exposes the law firm as a place that is not gender neutral. When skeptical clients or aggressive opposing counsel require a man to back the woman, it leads the woman to believe that this is the proper way to respond. Personally, I think that women need to be able to assertively and professionally approach these opposing counsel and skeptical clients and call them out in a way that will not get anyone angry. If women just continue to assume the passive role then these gendered roles will always exist and more men than women will be seen as the people who actually get things done, even though the women are perfectly capable of handling the same situation themselves. Hopefully any client or attorney would realize how badly they had acted once they were reasonably called attention to their disrespect.

Blog #25

Using sexualized behavior as “a weapon in the arsenal” can have negative and positive effects on women lawyers. Women have more room to express their sexuality positively without automatically being labeled as incompetent. A con is that sexual harassment keeps negative sexual stereotypes about women alive and it remains an issue for younger women who have to constantly fend off advances. Men are more prone to leave women out for this reason; they do not want to be accused of harassment. Some women flirt to advance their careers. Many women do this instead of using their academic and professional credibility to get a job advance, which negatively affects the whole of women attorneys. Some women even dress in “riskier” clothing in order to get what they want from a judge or boss. However, at the same time, some women dress attractively to simply project confidence and professionalism. This strategy is presented in the media through law films. In most law films that star females as attorneys, they are typically always romantically or strictly sexually involved with a make colleague. Even when the women are credible, they often are second to the male attorney. In “Erin Brockovich”, Julia Roberts plays a strong, independent paralegal who uses her sexuality to get what she wants. She is able to obtain records that she would not have been able to access had she been male. She also does not let male colleagues push her around. In “Sex and the City”, one episode shows how Miranda, the attorney, has to pretend that she is a lesbian in order to fit in with the partners of her firm in hopes for a promotion because the firm wants to add a female couple to their group. Instead of earning the promotion on her own merit, Miranda is convinced this fake relationship will help her, until she decides it is not worth it and she does not care. For the most part, women are not necessarily viewed as incompetent attorneys in media, but they do often come second to male actors or end up being devious in some way, which ultimately negatively contributes to stereotypes of women lawyers.

Blog #24

For my interview assignment, I interviewed a female attorney who practices probate and estate planning. During my interview with her, I asked her many questions that were gender related. Generally, she felt that she did not feel discriminated against as a female lawyer, but she did have some instances where she felt disrespected by others in her work environment because of her gender. When the lawyer I interviewed practiced in a mid-sized law firm, she was the only female attorney in her office. While she felt that she was part of the group and never left out or discriminated within the office because of her gender, she was denied an opportunity for partner based on her sex. A male attorney was given the partner position even though he had worked there for less time than she and was no better at his job than she. This frustrated her because from the beginning of being employed at the firm, she enthusiastically expressed in interest in becoming partner someday and strived toward that goal. This ultimately led her to leave the firm and start her own practice. The lawyer I interviewed also said that some male attorneys did not have as much respect for her because she was a female, and would make cracks about her sex. She said that you have to put them in their place before they start take advantage. She also said that once a female attorney becomes demanding or confrontational, people might stereotype that she is depressed, going through menopause, etc. The lawyer I interviewed said that one of the best things for a female attorney to do is never cry because that automatically gives the other attorneys the upper hand and makes you look weak. She also said to always put the client first and to never let personal issues or preferences prevent you from properly representing your client. She stressed the importance of remaining balanced in the professional workplace, and not being too emotional or to confrontational. The interview with this respectable female attorney was extremely beneficial because of the insights she provided on what it is like to be a female lawyer.

Blog #23

In Chapter two of “Gender on Trial”, Britton outlines the history, issue, and overall politics of gender and fashion. She reports that fashion is still an issue among professionals because most of them have a sense of what to where when meeting with certain clients or going to certain meetings. One of the most commonly asked questions of a trial attorney named Randi McGinn is the question about what should be worn inside the courtroom. When women first entered the legal profession, they felt out of place among their male coworkers and in order to “blend in” they took on a more masculine look through short haircuts, minimal makeup, navy blue or gray suits, and low-heeled shoes. This was an attempt to make women attorneys as unnoticed as possible and was even called the “power look” to some, according to English. This approach, however, did not keep women and fashion from critics. If a woman did accept certain fashion types, such as revealing the shape of her body, she was seen as nonserious but if she kept her breasts, hips, and legs hidden, she was accused of not being feminine enough. When the late 1980s and 1990s emerged, women started to be more comfortable in expressing themselves through their fashion and wore bright suits, silk dresses, softer hairstyles, and distinctive jewelry and accessories. (English p. 21). This came about as women wanted to increase their self-confidence because they were uncomfortable dressing like men. More and more women wore what made them comfortable when they noticed that other women in the field were “coming out”. How a woman presents herself through her fashion may have a strong, negative impact on her position in the firm, sometimes even being denied partnerships for not having the “right” appearance. Women can use their fashion to their advantage, by showing that they are strong, intelligent, confident, and respectable people no matter how they choose to dress. With advancements like casual dress and the increase in women attorneys, the stereotypes against women have eroded. However, they do still exist and women still are judged more often for their fashion over men.