Although we have made significant strides to close the gender gap in the last decade many women are still at a disadvantage and subjected to sexism in the legal profession. Personally, I find it a little ironic that the occupation notorious for being fair is still suffering from equality issues between both sexes.
Statistically, men and women are entering and graduating law school at the same rate (O'brien). Yet, a recent study by the National Association for Law Placement reported that women only account for seventeen percent of partners at major law firms. Furthermore, only one third of judges are women and just four have been nominated to serve the Supreme Court (Lowen). These statistics and facts only get worse for women of color.
I was not necessarily shocked to find this information out since I have always been aware of the fact that gender stereotypes prevent women from obtaining positions of power. What annoyed me during my research was reading several articles claiming that the reason women are not making partner is because they are starting families. I bet that a good majority of the men making partner at these large firms probably have kids and that has not stopped them from achieving their career goals.
Not to go on a feminist rant, but I feel like this patriarchal society puts so much pressure on women to choose between their career and family when men are allowed to have the best of both worlds. It is disheartening for me to actually take a step back and analyze the inequality between men and women in the legal field; however this just motivates me to beat the odds and make partner or be a judge as a minority woman.
By: Jasmine Shafquat
O'brien, Timothy L. "Up the Down Staircase." Why Do So Few Women Reach the Top of Big Law Firms. The New York Times, 18 Mar. 2006. Web. 02 Oct. 2015.
Awesome insight, its great to see a post with some emotion and opinion involved rather than just a report on statistics or something that everyone already knows. I totally agree that our society needs to start moving towards catering to the needs of both genders, and providing equal opportunities.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think that as a whole our society has improved, but there is definitely room for more growth. I believe that our generation has the potential to end gender inequality as long as we continue to terminate the stereotypes associated with women in the workforce.
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