Biglaw, Sexism

Female Lawyer Who Called Out Biglaw Partner's Sexist Remarks Now Considered 'Unemployable'

Women lawyers shouldn't have to be publicly lambasted in the name of decrying sexism.

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Sexism in the legal profession isn’t something new. While we’d like to be able to say that it’s been lurking in law firms’ darkest corners, only rearing its ugly head from time to time, we all know that isn’t true. Sexism has been a part of law firm culture through time ad infinitum — from the 1950s, where “girl applicants” weren’t “rate[d] … on equal terms with the men applicants” to recent times, where women are advised to practice hard words without showing off their cleavage. Unfortunately, sexism seems to be part and parcel of the legal profession, but that doesn’t mean women have to like it.

Woe, however, to those women who believe that speaking out against the sexism that’s inherent in the legal profession will be anything but destructive to their careers. This is exactly what’s happened to Charlotte Proudman, a human rights lawyer who recently took Brown Rudnick partner Alexander Carter-Silk to task over sexist remarks he made via LinkedIn. Proudman shared their conversation on Twitter, wondering, “How many women @LinkedIn are contacted re physical appearance rather than prof skills?”

As we mentioned previously, Carter-Silk has since apologized to Proudman, but maintains that she “misinterpreted” his words. Luckily for Carter-Silk, just as many attorneys have taken his side in this sexism spat as have spoken out in support of Proudman.

Proudman has experienced a great deal of professional backlash since she brought Carter-Silk’s message public. She’s been told that her doing so was not only “career suicide,” but that she’d “ruined her career” and “blacklisted” herself by “bit[ing] the hand that feeds you.” Because she wasn’t willing to stand for what she thought was outright sexism, Proudman has become a pariah in her legal community. Lawyers now say they will refuse to give her work because of her “lack of judgment” and “breach of confidence.”

Is this fair? Of course not. Is it a shining example of what happens when women express their disgust with sexism in the legal profession? Absolutely. Proudman is well aware of this fact, and she’s more than willing to martyr herself for the cause before other women are subjected to similar treatment. Here’s an excerpt from her Independent op-ed piece:

It seems to me that women professionals have two choices: either call out sexism and face the prospect of career suicide (incidentally, solicitors have already informed me that they will no longer instruct me in legal cases) or become one of the boys and replicate or humour sexist ‘banter’. Is there any middle ground? In my view, there is. If women and men support each other in calling out sexism wherever and whenever it exists then change becomes inevitable. That is why I did what I did and responded as I have done.

I am prepared to accept the misogynistic backlash that inevitably accompanies taking a stand in the hope that it empowers at least one other woman to feel she doesn’t need to sit back and accept sexist ‘banter’. I accept that I’m in a more privileged position than most, so I hope to use that to my advantage. At the end of the day, this may be just a drop in the ocean – but we can’t challenge an entire system of sexism without taking issue with its constituent parts.

Per the Guardian, Alexander Carter-Silk has since deleted his LinkedIn account (although it still appears to be online here). Charlotte Proudman’s LinkedIn account has also been deleted, and her tweets are reportedly now private (but you can see her feed here).

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This may have been a “drop in the ocean,” but it highlights a continuing problem in the legal profession. Women lawyers shouldn’t have to be publicly lambasted in the name of decrying sexism, but if this is what it takes to get some traction on the issue, then we’re all for it. Until then, sexism will continue to be an uncomfortable truth in the legal profession.

Barrister faces ‘career suicide’ for exposing lawyer’s sexist remark [Guardian]
Law firm partner hits out at female lawyer after LinkedIn sexism row [Guardian]
Barrister says career is in ruins after she tried to shame man who messaged her on LinkedIn [Metro]
I’ve been called a ‘Feminazi’ for calling out a sexist man on Linkedin – but I spoke out for all women [Independent]
Human rights barrister slams Daily Mail journos as tabloids target LinkedIn row lawyers’ Facebook profiles [Legal Cheek]
Exclusive: Partner accused of misogyny by “stunning” barrister [Roll On Friday]

Earlier: Biglaw Partner Taken To Task Over ‘Sexist’ And ‘Misogynistic’ Behavior

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