No, Sexual Harassment Is Not Part Of Being A Female Criminal Defense Attorney

Why aren't we willing to do more to protect women in the legal profession?

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 have a story about a criminal defense attorney who was forced to endure an untold amount of sexual harassment throughout her career, and is disgusted by the fact that no one cares that the legal profession is so hostile to women. 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. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations of women in the law.


In 2012-2013, I had already been working as a criminal defense attorney for a while. First, I was a public defender in Miami, Florida, and then I moved north to Palm Beach County where I took a job as a felony defense attorney for a state agency that was not the Public Defender’s Office. It’s a long story which I don’t know if you want to hear, but here’s the super super short version: management changed. New appointed official came in. Male with two female deputies he brought along with him. They had all been friends a long time.

After a few months of really crazy office things where not a single lawyer was happy, I had a client’s father come in screaming about me not going to visit his son in jail in weeks. It wasn’t true, as I had been out there just a few days before, and I was also literally walking out to door to pick a jury in a robbery with a firearm case. I was in an urgent hurry because we were on call and the judge gave us very little time to get to court. Client’s father made alllllllllll kinds of sexist remarks. He called me a little girl or something, incompetent, etc., etc. I told him not to speak to me that way and please call his son, as well as if he wanted to meet me, make an appointment with my assistant, and then I left. I didn’t yell or do anything unprofessional. He was shouting. My trial partner was there. More long story short: I was disciplined and cursed at, threatened, for my response to this client.

I told them the law says I don’t have to accept being sexually harassed like that and I was professional.

I WAS TOLD SEXUAL HARASSMENT WAS PART OF BEING A FEMALE CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND IF I DIDN’T LIKE IT, TO QUIT.

I quit and filed an EEOC claim. They got the county legal aid to represent them because the boss of my agency and the boss of legal aid were friends. I couldn’t afford a lawyer. My complaint was dismissed for no corroboration. I had dozens of abusive emails as well as witnesses to the supervisor’s abuse to me in court. The EEOC said that wasn’t gender-based abuse and they said it was my poor performance. All they had to do was impugn my professional abilities and use it as an excuse for their abuse. They lied. They denied telling me sexual harassment was part of being a criminal defense attorney. I don’t believe legal aid, which is a county agency, had the ability to represent them. I complained to the Bar multiple times about the investigation and the lawyers.

The Florida Bar told me there was nothing they could do about sexual harassment. I could not file an ethics complaint because sexual harassment was not specifically in the code of ethics.

This summer, I needed a letter from this employer outlining my employment dates, pay, benefits, etc., because I am moving to Canada under a grounds for permanent residency that is employment-based. All my other employers provided the letter. This organization refused to return my emails or calls. I know they received them. I called the Bar to complain.

The Florida Bar told me they could not help me because a law firm denying me my employment information (including dates of work salary benefits etc) was not a Florida bar violation. I advised them this was in retaliation for an EEOC complaint I filed against them for sexual harassment, and they still said there was nothing they could do. The guy I spoke to on the phone was sympathetic and said he could call them and say I was trying to file a bar complaint. I asked him to. I never received a response. Thank goodness a woman at the State of Florida went through my employment file after hearing my story and forwarded me all the information she could find. I did get my permanent residency in Canada.

I was forced out of criminal defense after this incident because the only law firms for criminal defense in the County were essentially the state agencies. And they all knew each other. So I went civil, which I hated, and then went to a firm where my supervising attorney was fired for sexually harassing me and four other women (three attorneys and one paralegal) and for using company iPhones to stalk me at night and on weekends.

I previously had been assaulted by a client in the jail, advised my supervisor, asked to be removed from the case (I think that was a felony domestic violence case), and she said no. Since I was afraid to go to jail alone, I could take the investigator who is male with me to see a client. There were male attorneys who could have represented him at the firm. Female criminal defense attorneys were exposed to clients and men masturbating at the jail, and literally no one cares. The profession is so hostile to women and no one cares. I was such a good defense attorney. I’m a true believer in human rights and minority rights — it was my passion. I’m grateful to be writing criminal appeals now so at least I can advocate from my computer.

Honestly, the truth is sexual harassment ruined my litigation career. I just couldn’t take it anymore.


Do you have a law school or law firm story you’d like to see appear in The Pink Ghetto? Email me (subject line: “The Pink Ghetto”) or find me on Twitter, @StaciZaretsky. You will be kept anonymous. Submissions are always welcome.


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Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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