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I thought I was a feminist. Yes, I am a member of Lawyers Club of San Diego. Yes, it’s a feminist organization. Yes, I am on the board. So, you would think I would know all about the ways in which our society has undervalued women. I thought I knew plenty, but I was wrong.
As we entered the last month of 2020 —December, and the ninth month of the COVID-19 pandemic, for each of us the world has changed in ways that we did not imagine before March 2020. Terms like socially distanced, six feet apart, face masks, quarantine, immediate family, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, what tier are we in, vaccine, Dr. Fauci, have become part of our daily vernacular. We long for the day when we can convene and enjoy each other’s company without the fear of COVID-19. Most of us in the legal community are privileged to be able to pivot to the new normal without despair and hope.
When we look at the wage gap in 2020, women overall made 77 cents for every dollar men earn. (Equal Pay Today.) On October 29, Latinas, the last demographic census group of women, earned the same dollar a white non-Latinx male earned in December 2019, some 23 months prior, while Black women worked 20 months; Native American women, 21 months; Asian women, 14 months, to earn that dollar. (Ibid.)
As many of you know, June is Pride Month, a month to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and create awareness for their continued struggle to achieve equality. This month we join the community in celebrating a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court, which finally recognized that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ individuals from discrimination and unequal treatment. Under this decision, the Civil Rights Act now protects LGBTQ employees from being fired or otherwise discriminated against due to their gender identity or sexual orientation.
As I prepared my final address for the newsletter, I thought of the message I wanted to leave our members to conclude my service as president. Serving as our 48th president and reflecting on all of the achievements Lawyers Club has accomplished since its founding, some important rights and legal protections remain out of reach for women, like paid family leave, protecting access to reproductive rights, and equal pay.
This week marks the 47th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right for women to have a safe abortion. While some have criticized the decision on legal and ethical grounds, this landmark decision on women’s reproductive rights is supported by 73% of Americans. Lawyer Club supports a women’s right to choose and a women’s rights over her own reproductive health.
As many of you know, despite comprising half the population, women only make up thirty-six percent of judges in the Superior Court of California. Women are likewise underrepresented in leadership positions on the bench. Lawyers Club is excited to recognize that Judge Lorna Alksne was elected to serve as the new Presiding Judge for the San Diego Superior Court. Importantly, Judge Alksne is only the third woman to serve as Presiding Judge in San Diego County. The first woman to serve as presiding judge was Justice Judith McConnell, one of our founding mothers.
As you begin to make plans for the holidays, you should also plan to make your pitch for a raise or promotion. December is the month that many San Diego law firms and organizations make determinations regarding promotions and raises. This is the time to make the ask.
I remember January 21, 2017, like it was yesterday. It was an emotional day. The new president had been sworn in just the day before. I was in a fog of confusion. I was depressed and disappointed in the results of the election. But a part of me hung on to hope, thinking I could be wrong in my assessment of an administration that was just about to begin. I hoped that the new administration would be different from what was advertised—more respectful of women and other diverse groups in America. Maybe it was just a tactic the new president had used just to get elected? But I wasn’t sure.
