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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…
Skirting the Ceiling: Standing Up to Gender Stereotypes
By Sydney Reed • August 05, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Other Issues
This summer we’ve talked a lot about standing up to sexism in the workplace. As summer winds down, I have one last story to share. Not too long ago, I observed a trial in which the male defense attorney made the following remarks to the young victim on the stand, “Your least favorite subject is math, correct? I’ve always found that females, such as yourself, aren’t as good at math and are better at subjects like English. I know I was always better at math.” He then paused and waited for the victim’s response. Seated in the gallery, my jaw…
Skirting the Ceiling: Sexual Harassment and the Intern’s Dilemma
By Sydney Reed • July 04, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Internships and Clerkships, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine was asked out on a date by another intern at our office. She awkwardly and politely declined, and we laughed about it a little later because it was so unexpected. My friend asked me if I thought it would be weird at work for the two remaining weeks she had there. I said that I didn't think so, but that if it was, she could always explain to the guy that she just didn't think it was professional to date within the work place. Little did we know that the next…
Skirting the Ceiling: Sweetiehoneybaby-That’s not my name
By Sydney Reed • June 04, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
Last month, we talked about making a positive first impression and how maintaining that impression can be key to building a respectable reputation in law, in court and at the office. This month we are going to focus on how to respond when others make sexist comments that could undermine that positive impression you worked to make and solid reputation you built. Two days into my new summer internship, I was reminded of an issue that I had read about just two weeks before the start of my 1L year, the use of sexist nicknames in court, when a young…
Skirting the Ceiling: Finalizing that First Impression
By Sydney Reed • May 13, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Law School, Internships and Clerkships
My 1L year is done! Behind me are long days and nights spent cramming for exams and right around the corner lies my first day of work at the local District Attorney’s office and my first day in court as an advocate! Anticipation for these two big Firsts got me thinking about another big first—the First Impression. Research shows that the first impression matters significantly and can be monumentally hard to change. So, whether it be the first 30 seconds or the first day in court or on the job, follow these four tips to finalize the first impression that…
Skirting the Ceiling: Life Lessons from Women Shortlisted for SCOTUS
By Sydney Reed • April 05, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Issues, Women and Law in the Media, Other Issues, Features, First Women
To date, there have been 112 justices appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States. Four have been women. For every opening on the Supreme Court, there’s been a handful of judges considered for the nomination. Those judges made the “the shortlist.” Over time, twelve women received a spot the shortlist, yet not a seat on the bench. History recognizes each of these women as more than qualified to wear the robes at a time when women were the extreme minority in private practice, law schools, legislature, and courtrooms alike. Yet, presidents passed over each of them for reasons…
Skirting the Ceiling: Black Hair Shouldn’t Be an Occupational Hazard
By Sydney Reed • March 07, 2017 •Writers in Residence, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
Before last week, I thought that, as Elle Woods once said, "The rules of haircare are simple and finite," but after attending Occupational Hazards: What's Hair Got to Do With It?, I realized that is anything but the case. The keynote speaker at the event, the fabulous Professor D. Wendy Greene, focused her discussion on grooming code discrimination in the workplace and how such discrimination disparately impacts black women. If you're saying to yourself, "What's grooming code discrimination?" That's okay. I was right there with you up to that lecture. A grooming code is a standard issued by employers that employees are expected to meet in terms of appearance.…
Skirting the Ceiling: Politics and Professionalism
By Sydney Reed • February 04, 2017 •Writers in Residence
With the 2016 election year and the 2017 administration transition, politics seems to lurk around every corner. Navigating these turbulent waters while frantically participating in the 1L summer job search, got me thinking—how do politics and professionalism interact? Are they mutually exclusive? My mission this past month was to find out. Politics and the Job Search It’s common knowledge that bringing up politics in a job interview is usually a bad idea. But what other red flags are there? I turned to Margaret DeYoung, my career counselor at the University of Houston Law Center, for advice. I asked Margaret if…
Skirting the Ceiling: Femininity and Professional Empowerment
By Sydney Reed • January 05, 2017 •Writers in Residence
Since starting law school this past fall, my classmates and I have been bombarded with messages trying to instill in us what it means to “think like an attorney” and have found that acting and looking like an attorney also come with the territory. Lost in the middle of 1L year, we’re still attempting to work out what to th ink like an attorney means (and probably will be grappling with that for some time). Yet, there’s one lesson I feel like I’ve learned for certain: While there seems to be agreed upon guidelines as how to act professionally, those…