Women's Issues

As The Federal Government Backs Away From Sex Discrimination Enforcement, These Lawyers Step Up

"How can I help right now?"

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(Photo by Joel Sheakoski / Barcroft Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

Do you watch the news much anymore? Though there seems to be more going on, the constant onslaught of depressing news can be overwhelming, and you wouldn’t be blamed if you needed a break. But the nonprofit National Women’s Law Center today launched the Legal Network for Gender Equity for lawyers asking, “What can I do right now?”

According to president and CEO of the Women’s Law Center, Fatima Goss Graves, in an interview with Huffington Post, the rollback of women’s rights and the need to respond was the motivation behind creating the new network:

“We received an outpouring from so many people but in particular from lawyers, [asking], ‘How can I help right now?’” Graves said.

The network of lawyers is committed to taking cases that defend the rights of women and girls — some of the populations disenfranchised by the Trump administration. The network — which is currently 73 lawyers strong — has also announced that a member attorney has taken on their first case, that of a Virginia law enforcement officer who alleges pregnancy discrimination. In a political environment where the Department of Justice and other government agencies seem unwilling to defend the rights of women, these attorneys will stand up for them:

“In real time we are seeing an erosion of our civil rights and it’s critical that we send a message that these laws still apply,” Graves said. If the federal government won’t stand up for women, the private bar is ready, she said.

….

“We have seen a series of efforts that have seemed like an all-out assault on women’s rights,” Graves said. “Many of us thought these questions ― on equal pay, Title IX, birth control ― were settled.”

Creating a network of lawyers with the dedication and experience to take on sex discrimination in employment, healthcare, and in schools is a valuable tool for those who find themselves without other recourse. If you’re an attorney interested in helping to fill this enforcement gap, you can sign up here.

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headshotKathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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