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Skirting the Ceiling: Beating the Billable Hour
By Sydney Reed • November 05, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
We've all heard the age-old idiom, "Time is money." In the legal world, the time that matters even more than time spent with the client and time spend on the job away from family and friends is the time that can be billed. At law firms, meeting your billable hours target can be a make or break not only for the year but maybe even your career. Last month, we talked about how the gender parity gap increases as lawyers move up the law firm food chain. In particular, I highlighted these unsettling facts from the National Association of Women in…
Failure Turned Inside Out: Risk It All- The Anita Hill Story & Workplace Sexual Harassment
By Patricia Jjemba • November 04, 2017 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Legal Academia, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, •Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media
This kind of behavior is what makes it extremely difficult to speak out against workplace harassment and assault. To date, more than sixty women in the film and production industry have accused acclaimed Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault. At least two of these accusations have resulted in law enforcement officials and prosecutors opening criminal investigations that may lead to his indictment on rape and sexual assault charges. And while many may be interested in the salacious downfall of Weinstein for their own diabolical interests, there are those of us who appreciate the important conversations that have…
Microaggressions Experienced By Women in Law School
By Anonymous • October 17, 2017 •Law School, Curriculum and Classroom Dynamics, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
Having just finished my first month of classes as a 1L at law school, I see now how classes, cold calls, and reading assignments can really wear people down and precipitate impostor syndrome. While we fight off self doubts, it is particularly disheartening to also have to defend ourselves from microaggressive commentary—little hints here and there that suggest people’s surprise that I am Harvard material. For example, sometimes when I said I was going to Harvard Law, my conversational partner of the moment would ask, “But did you get accepted?” In response, my internal monologue was usually something like: Ah,…
Just a Girl in the Room: From Litigator to Novelist
By Amy Impellizzeri • October 01, 2017 •Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media
Since my first novel, Lemongrass Hope, was published in 2014, I’ve had the fabulous fortune of being invited to (read: have lovingly crashed) dozens – maybe even close to a hundred book clubs. When we get to the part where I left my career at Skadden Arps in 2009 for what was supposed to be a one-year sabbatical, but stayed away from the law to keep telling stories, I’m often asked an understandable question – so why don’t you use your legal experience to write legal fiction? My answer has always been simple and true. Because I wasn’t a criminal…
Tips for building a Legal Career when you have Caring Responsibilities
By Naomi Smith • September 29, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
In many law school lecture halls, you will now find at least as many women as men. There are also more students starting higher education (or retraining for a career change) in later life than ever before. The logical consequence of this is, that more people than ever are having to balance home life commitments with the demands of studying. And few career paths are as demanding as law! While it isn't only women who have to deal with caring responsibilities, the reality is that we tend to be the ones performing balancing acts more often. And it's not just children…
Relevancy of Linguistics: Power From Categories
By Anonymous • September 29, 2017 •Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Other Issues
INTRODUCTION At its core, feminism is equality for women. There are different forms of feminism each uniquely named and categorized by how a person defines equality and the route a person utilizes to achieve equality. These names and categories quickly identify a person’s beliefs as it relates to women’s rights. Ultimately, recognizing common ground and subtle differences enables groups to form and work towards achieving a unified purpose--whether that purpose is short term or long term. This article discusses the power of linguistics, the likelihood that you are a feminist, and why different categories of feminism matter—especially to lady lawyers.…
Re: Twelve Year Old Girl Lawyer
By Claire Carden • September 16, 2017 •Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
“You would make a good secretary” – Attorney in my office “Are you a paralegal or a legal assistant?” – Opposing counsel “You’re a lawyer? But you look like you’re 14.” – Receptionist for my office. I read Ms. Raposa’s Ms. JD blog post about being a twelve-year-old-girl lawyer. I am a twelve-year-old-girl lawyer. In reality, I am 25 and I have been out of law school just shy of two years. The above quotes are just a few examples of the things I hear on a daily basis. I recognize that blog posts are limited by their nature in…
Four Reasons Why Telecommuting Is Better For Women (That Have Nothing To Do With The Mommy Thing)
By Alexis Lamb • September 11, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
I’m going to throw out a bold prediction. Working from home is better for women. Especially for women in high-intensity, male-dominated professions, such as law. Here are four reasons why – none of which have anything to do with childcare flexibility. 1.That Hair-and-Makeup Thing. This morning, I witnessed one of my closest friends (a non-lawyer who works in an executive role at a financial institution in Midtown Manhattan) spend close to an hour on hair and makeup prior to leaving for work. After rising before the sun and disappearing into the bathroom, she sat down next to me on…
Skirting the Ceiling: Hope in the Aftermath of Harvey
By Sydney Reed • September 10, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
To celebrate the end of the first week of school and the start of 2L year, Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston and wreaked widespread havoc on a city that houses a population similar to that of the entire state of Delaware. As a citizen of Houston, I saw firsthand the damage my childhood neighborhood took from a tornado and subsequent flooding that drove thousands from their homes. I watched on the news as flooding caused evacuations, explosions, power outages, and contamination of drinking water due to chemical plant and water treatment plants’ inundation. Each and every day, we woke up news…-100x100.jpg)