Lawyers Club Blog (ARCHIVE)

I Am Not Your “Sweetheart”

Sometimes sexist behavior that occurs in the courtroom is as slight as a male counterpart refusing to look at a female attorney when she speaks, or as overt as a male judge or lawyer calling a female colleague “honey,” “sweetheart,” or “dear.” I distinctly remember the day the latter happened to me while arguing a motion. Prior to appearing before the judge, opposing counsel asked me if I was my partner’s secretary. I brushed that off as an intimidation tactic, but was absolutely gob smacked when the same counsel called me “sweetheart” in open court. I expectantly looked at the judge, thinking he would, in some way, reprimand opposing counsel. To my dismay, the judge just rolled his eyes and proceeded with the matter as if nothing had happened.

Student’s Corner: Reflection on the Las Vegas Tragedy

In the midst of the tragedy that claimed the lives of 59 souls in Las Vegas on Sunday, October 1, 2017, I wanted to reflect this week on exactly what it means to be alive in this world. We get so wrapped up in our careers, our commitments, and our goals that we lose sight of the most precious gift we are given without trying: life.

167 Years, No Women

Growing up in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, a kaleidoscope of race, ethnicities and culture was the norm. Being a “woman of color” was not even a phrase in my vocabulary until I became a lawyer. Being a woman of color and an attorney at the same time is no easy feat!

Passing the Torch

Edith (Edie) Windsor and LGBTQ activism were born in the 1920s. Both remained closeted for decades, but in the 1960s, a seismic event in New York City inspired Ms. Windsor and countless others to say “Enough.” 

Guest Blog: Fear of Flying or Just Say Yes?

In spring 2017, I hosted a podcast for the ABA Section of Antitrust Law entitled, “Women in Antitrust.” I interviewed three outstanding women in the field: Lisa Phelan, Antitrust Division Chief for the Washington Criminal I Section of the Department of Justice; Tianna Russell, a trial attorney working with Ms. Phelan at the Department of Justice; and Kristen Anderson, a partner at Scott + Scott in New York (her firm also has an office in San Diego). 

Guest Blog - Surviving Domestic Violence: My Personal Journey

Domestic violence is a serious, preventable, public health epidemic that affects millions of Americans each year. It can happen to anyone regardless of age, education, economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or national origin. Domestic violence is usually accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior that is part of a systematic pattern of dominance and control.

Life Imitates Law: Are There Things People Won’t Let Happen?

After the recent domestic terrorism and displays of white nationalism in Charlottesville and after a robust public discussion about the appropriateness of the resulting political response, I've been re-reading a book I’ve thought about often in recent months. With jarring accuracy, Nathan Hill’s The Nix, (aside from being one of the best books of 2016), covers a huge range of topics, including political response to violence. Although much of the book is set in the late 1960's, there are many ways that The Nix is – to my dismay – relevant in the 21st century.

No advancement in anti-discrimination, as recognized by Professor Hill, and as demonstrated by Google

At the 2017 Lawyers Club Annual Dinner, keynote speaker Anita Hill shared her experiences with both race and gender discrimination with a record audience.  Professor Hill acknowledged that while it is certainly more of a public issue now than it was in the 90s, solutions to the problem of discrimination have advanced little since that time.

The Lost Art of Lingering

As summer is upon us, hopefully you will take a vacation and have time for lingering. Lingering is a lost art for most of us. To linger, you must have time, company, and nothing more pressing or distracting than paying attention to the person you are with. Lingering after a meal, over a cup of coffee, or over a mug of beer, provides the ideal setting for conversation. Lingering gives time for personal interaction without an agenda. Be it at a park bench, beach, coffee shop, or cafe, lingering is taking the time to simply sit around and notice what is happening around you. Lingering allows for the unexpected, the leisurely; it is to do nothing, but with company.

Trashing the Guilt

Many women lawyers suffer from guilt over working too much (or not enough), shortchanging their kids and families on quality (and quantity) time, and in general, failing to be the perfect partner, mother, daughter, friend, worker, etc. Most of us have been there at one point in our lives. As we chase the last wave of feminism, isn’t it time we trashed the guilt and lived our lives on our own terms?