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Did you know …?
Adults spend an average of seven hours online per day, and teenagers can spend up to nine hours. Even subtracting schoolwork, homework, and communicating with their caregivers, teenagers spend a considerable part of their day in front of a screen, often unsupervised. Every. Single. Day.
I have a request. No, I have a demand: Stop using the phrase “you guys” . . .
Not surprisingly, as programmers’ salaries rose and the computer industry grew lucrative, the industry pushed women out or excluded us by using a tragically flawed “programmer aptitude test” developed by two male psychologists who “determined” that good programmers 1) like to solve puzzles and 2) dislike people!
The news this week has been dominated by Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the team competition in the “2020” Tokyo Olympics. I admit, my initial reaction was one of disappointment. After all, she is the GOAT, and I was excited to see her compete and win a gold medal for our country.
After I had time to reflect, however, I realized that the pressure placed on Biles as a single member of an incredibly talented team was untenable, unfair, and in fact diminished the talent and contributions of the rest of the team. The entire country—if not the entire world—looked to Biles, and Biles alone, to secure the gold medal. In doing so, we bought into the paradigm that team USA could not win without Biles. But that was not the reality. As Biles courageously made the decision to withdraw to protect both her mental and physical health, Biles’ teammate, Sunisa Lee, won gold in the individual all-around competition.
What are you?” A question I constantly have tried to find a correct answer to growing up. My appearance next to my Caucasian mother would often collect second glances from others in the grocery store, at restaurants, or even school events. Once, I had a doctor who apparently did not read my chart before coming in the room, who suggested a course of action he thought best for “Hispanic women.” I should clarify, I am a half-Caucasian and half-African American woman. This is why, on November 7, I ugly cried as Kamala Harris was confirmed as the first female to be elected vice-president—a woman of color elected to the second-highest office in the nation.
It isn’t possible to talk about the progress female lawyers and women in general have made without paying homage to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg’s recent passing begs reflection on how our lives have changed as women, how these changes have affected our financial freedom, and what still needs to be done for true financial equality.
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.
I would like to congratulate our new board members, Vaani Chawla, Deborah Cumba, Tristan Higgins, Kara Siegel, and Audrey Surridge. All of these women are leaders in our community and we are thrilled that they are joining the board. Combined they have many years of legal experience, many with over 10 years of experience, and are all accomplished attorneys. All have been active contributing members to Lawyers Club, including committee co-chairs. They have also been active in the legal community, including past presidents of specialty bars. Please join me in congratulating them as we all look forward to the great work these women will do for Lawyers Club.
It is the time of year when we ask our members to vote for our new cohort of Lawyers Club board members. Our board members are the backbone of the organization who ensure that engaging and valuable programming fulfills our mission and values. I have found serving on the board as an especially rewarding experience. Our board members are talented women who devote countless hours of their time and inspire others to continue to carry the torch of the fight for equality.
