Welcome back to The Pink Ghetto, a series where we take a look at some of the most appalling stories from one of the most sexist industries in the world: the legal profession. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the gender-based treatment that female lawyers receive in the workplace, ranging from being ignored to being sexually harassed. These are real emails that we’ve received from real readers.
When you see things like this happening, say something. Together, we can inspire the change necessary to stop this disturbing behavior from being so prevalent in the law.
8 Tips For Creating A Comprehensive ‘AI In The Workplace’ Policy
Corporate investment and usage in generative AI technologies continues to accelerate. This article offers eight specific tips to consider when creating an AI usage policy.
I work at a small firm on the east coast. I am a single mother, and I often need to take breaks to pump. The treatment I have received has been even worse since I had my child. My male colleagues used to proposition me, saying they’d never been with a pregnant woman before. Now, when they aren’t ignoring me or diverting work away from me, they’re asking if they can help milk me. How can they think this is appropriate behavior at a law firm?
My 1L summer, I worked at a prominent firm in a mid-size market (New Orleans). In my exit interview, I told the hiring partner that I was considering applying to firms in a larger market (Houston). I asked him about the discrepancy in the salaries and why I should choose to work for less pay. I was expecting his answer to be about firm culture, greater responsibility, lower cost of living, etc. Instead, he said the lower salary would make an excellent “second income.” I was single at the time. I did not accept the offer to return my 2L summer.
A Career In Legal Services: Practising Law Institute Honors Toby J. Rothschild
PLI honors Toby J. Rothschild with its inaugural Victor J. Rubino Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Training, recognizing his dedication and impact.
I am a young (under 30) female lawyer just finishing up her fourth year of practicing law in a tiny firm in a “flyover” state. The sexism I experience is simultaneously less overt but perhaps more severe: many opposing counsel just don’t acknowledge my existence. My boss, an older male attorney, and I work as a team and both of our names and email addresses appear on every pleading. I do the vast majority of the daily work, which means sending out a wide variety of emails and letters. And so often, the response is labeled, “To Mr. Boss,” and many times, they don’t even copy my email address on correspondence. Even though things go out signed by me, under my name, and from my email account, many opposing attorneys just deny my very existence and pretend that only Mr. Boss is involved in the case. The worst part is that this has real consequences — if I don’t get something, my boss doesn’t always notice, and then we have delays on issues that needed to be addressed immediately.
Last week, I was at an eight-hour mediation before retired a retired male judge in California. I am a nursing mother and excused myself twice to pump (which I cleared with JAMS beforehand) and he yelled at me both times for taking “breaks.” He then refused to talk to me and only spoke to the male attorney in the room, even though it was my client and I was the lead attorney on the case.
Do you have a law school or law firm story you’d like to see appear in The Pink Ghetto? Please email me with “The Pink Ghetto” in the subject line (or find me on Twitter: @StaciZaretsky). You will be kept anonymous. Submissions are always welcome!
Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.