Sexism Rears Its Ugly Head At This Small Law Firm In The South
When you see things like this happening, say something.
(Image via Getty)
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 from a woman who works at a small law firm in the south, who has been subjected to continued sexism, double standards, and a hostile work environment from the start.
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.
I currently work in a pretty rural town in the south. I have a male co-worker (“John”) who is about my age. He has had his license for less than a year longer than me and has been at this firm for less than a year longer than me. John has been difficult to work with the entire time I have been here. Difficult for me and the other females at the firm. He hovers over paralegals and I am honestly not quite sure what he really does since he is really just bothering people and sitting next to them at their desk all day. One of the partners at the firm said “he is just trying to learn.”
Well, John was apparently trying to learn when literally dictated an entire email to a paralegal while she typed it on several occasions. I guess he was also trying to learn when he went through a paralegal’s desk, computer, and phone. Not looking for anything in particular, by the way. He said he had a right to per the firm handbook (obviously not in the handbook). In addition, he also put his wet lunchbox, umbrella and coat on a paralegal’s desk every morning. Just to assert some power. He is just a few years older than her daughter and he treats her like this on a daily basis. I tried to stand up for this paralegal one day and told John he should not put things on other people’s desks as it is rude and not his. To which he responded that he could “give me some work that I really didn’t want to do.” As if he has the authority. Yet, I guess that is just John’s way of learning.
On one occasion, I spoke to one the partners about John’s behavior and noted that the way he treated me and other females in the office made me uncomfortable. On that occasion, the partner told me if I had more things to work on I wouldn’t worry about things like that. That those things wouldn’t even bother me because I would be too busy to dwell on those kinds of things. As such, he would find me some more work to do. Later at an attorneys meeting, John would complain about some of the paralegals. Rather than coming off as meddling, his comments were noted and his concerns were brought up to the paralegals the next day. As I was being oversensitive, John was merely looking out for the firm’s best interests.
Unfortunately, the problem isn’t just with John. Apart from John, I have found two swimsuit editions of sports illustrated when cleaning an office, received a lesser bonus than my male counterparts, and have been excluded from a topic that would be “too much” for a female to handle. To top it off, one of the partners is known for interrupting women at the firm by holding up one of his hands up to mimic that of an open mouth and then snapping his fingers together to indicate the person talking should be quiet.
For what it’s worth, there are three floors at our office. Well, the third floor is more of an attic. There is a small kitchen, a bathroom, storage space, archived filing cabinets, and a small office. I work in the one small office on the third floor. My door is a glass sliding door that does not lock. Moreover, there is no way to really hang things on the wall because it is shaped somewhat like a pyramid since it forms to the roof. Recently, an attorney left our firm. As such, I asked if I could have his old office on the second floor. The one with a locking door, a name plate, and a place to actually speak with clients, rather than having to use a conference room every time.
When I asked for the office, a partner stated, “Let’s discuss that when things settle down.” I thought he was referring to a big case we were currently working on. The case was resolved this week. So, I asked again yesterday. The partner advised me that there is a lot of potential for the office on the second floor and that they would like to evaluate what to do with the office. He said that the partners may decide to hire a more experienced attorney in the future and that a newly hired attorney would get the office rather than me. He encouraged me to enjoy my “penthouse.” The “penthouse” that people only visit when they need to use the restroom.
John, who I mentioned does not have more than a year of experience than me, has a name plate, locking door, and an office on the first floor. I have the “penthouse” that smells from time to time.
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.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked 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.
