Playing the Gender Card

An advertising campaign by an all-woman law firm was brought to my attention by AboveTheLaw today.  The firm is Schroder Joseph and Associates, a boutique labor and employment law firm, and the ad campaign plays squarely on gender stereotypes with taglines such as "Ever Argue with a Woman?" and "Labor Pains? Talk to us.  We're women... we get it."  The controversy is also covered here and here.

I have to admit, that I agree with some of the commentors to the ABA Journal article, the ads are funny, catchy, memorable and remarkable.  Therefore, I would say they are effective advertising. However, what are they effective at and what sort of message does the reciever of the advertising message leave with?  I'm left with the following ideas and impressions -- SJA is an all woman firm (neutral); they aren't embarrassed about that (positive); they think that this is an advantage worth advertising (negative).  My response to the idea that the firm sees this as something worth advertising is negative because I am not sure that it is an advantage.  I can't be somebody that thinks that gender diversity is good for law firms and, at the same time, think that an all-woman firm is better than others, can I?  I recognize the strengths of men and the benefits of diversity.   I would hire an all woman firm to represent my company but I don't think that I would hire such a firm BECAUSE they were all women and I don't think we as women should be encouraging that either.

I get that the ads are supposed to be funny.  I also get that the ads are intended to play on gender stereotypes.  Does a profit-making business take out ads just to "be funny"? Nope, not unless they intend for that humor to attract business.  I just don't see any other explanation for it.

What do others think?

Coming Soon: Ms. JD's Summer Book Series

Ms. JD is pleased to announce its Summer Book Series!  The series will begin Monday, May 19th, and will continue weekly for the remainder of the summer.  Visit Ms. JD every Monday to learn about books highlighting women in the law. 

Next Monday's Featured Book: Pinstripes and Pearls: The Women of the Harvard Law Class of '64 Who Forged an Old Girl Network and Paved the Way for Future, by: Judith Richards Hope.

Ms. JD Weekly Round-up: Week Ending March 21, 2008

Pioneering Attorney Fell in Love with the Law
Pat Butler, the third woman to attend Emory University Law School, is praised by Janet Reno as “a pioneer among women at the Department of Justice.”

UC Davis professor: Working women cry more on job than men

Kimberly Elsbach, a UC Davis professor, studies crying at work and discovers that women are more likely than men to shed tears and that "men don't have to spend as much energy working to hide or fight back tears on the job."

Mintz, Levin associate hits firm with MCAD bias complaint

Kamee Beth Verdrager, an associate with Mintz, Levin, "filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination charging that colleagues discriminated against her because of her gender and status as a wife and mother."

Raising the bar: Lawyer opens doors for women

Detroit lawyer Barbara Rom, Michigan's first woman named on the Best Lawyers of America list, is profiled.

Law students make appeal for change

Building a Better Legal Profession, a group started by Stanford Law students last year and now boasting over 1,000 Facebook members, is profiled.

'It's a bit odd that I'm the first female Attorney-General'

Pat Scotland becomes the first woman Attorney-General in the United Kingdom since the position's inception in 1315.

Jenner picks 1st female leader

Susan Levy becomes the first female managing partner of Jenner & Block.

Fla. to have its first black female chief justice

Justice Peggy Quince, "known for her quick mind and probing questions on the bench," will become the first black female chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court.

Has Heather's feminist American lawyer fallen for her fantasies?

Setting off a variety of alarm bells to the discerning reader, Gloria Allred, a U.S. attorney now representing Heather Mills, is described as "flamboyant" and "feminist" and a "twice divorcee."

NCJW elects Ratzan president

Nancy Ratzan, a Miami lawyer, was elected president of the National Council of Jewish Women elected a Miami lawyer as its president.

Ms. JD Weekly Round-Up: Week Ending March 14, 2008

Evelyn Baker, Missouri's first black female circuit judge, plans to retire from the St. Louis court at the end of March.

Profile: Pat Butler, the third woman to attend Emory University's School of Law, and pioneer in the Department of Justice, reflects on her legal career.

U.K. law firm Dickinson Dees has set up a female wealth management team, made up of women lawyers and financial advisors, to cater to the rising number of independently wealthy women.

The Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association forms a human chain demanding proper investigation into the murder of housewife Nurunnahar Runa.

Paula Llewellyn, known as "a fierce competitor and a formidable opponent" in the courtroom, has been appointed as Jamaica's first female director of public prosecutions.

Patricia Menendez-Cambo, Greenberg Traurig attorney, has been appointed to the Univeristy of Pennsylvania Law School's Board of Overseers.

Top female lawyer, driven out of her job after being subjected to 18 months of secual discrimination and harassment, to receive a record payout of 13 million pounds.

Canadian Bar Association convention told that women at modern-day law firms are so petrified of appearing unproductive that they sometimes conceal cancer or heart attackes to avoid being marginalized.

Ms. JD Weekly Round-Up: Week Ending March 7, 2008

Advancing Women in the Legal Profession

Ten years after the initial report of New York City Bar’s Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice and Committee on Women in the Profession, the recommendations have received worldwide attention.

Penn law grad countersues over Web posts about women law students

Anthony Ciolli of AutoAdmit fame is countersuing two of the Yale Law students who sued him over the AutoAdmit scandal.

Look for female attorneys to improve justice system

Great Kolcon's essay on women's advancements in the legal profession.

More Female Attorneys Hanging Shingles for the Benefits of Solo Practice

Wisconsin lady lawyers are going solo "in search of flexible schedules and decision-making authority."

Karen Wagner: Partner, Davis Polk and Wardwell

Bankruptcy lawyer Karen Wagner talks about her professional journey to make partner.

LSUC targets female exodus

Another article from our friends in Canada on an initiative to "make it easier for female lawyers to remain in the profession while balancing family demands."

Collins fills county attorney post

New York attorney Cheryl Green is set to become Erie County's first female county attorney

Finding Balance: The Women's Forum At Norris McLaughlin & Marcus

Attorneys at Norris McLaughlin & Marcus talk about their women's forum.

Maternity leaves key to retain women: report

A Canadian group suggests better leave policies as a way to retain women lawyers.

Malawi Women Fight for Rights Amid Challenges

Malawi appoints its first woman attorney general.

Home Equity? Men Are Doing More Chores, But Women Still Do Most

A new study estimates that men now do 37% of the housework, which is pathetically a big improvement.

Cutting Women Out

Though focusing on female presidential candidates through the ages, this article has interesting insight applicable to women lawyers on how the press reports on influential women.

Ms. JD Weekly Round-up: Week Ending February 29

Linda K. Lorimer Wins Sandra Day O'Connor Award

Lorimer receives award that recognizes women lawyers who have served with distinction as independent directors of public companies and advanced diversity in board positions.

Maternity Leaves Key to Retaining Women

Paid maternity leaves and a pool of lawyers capable of filling in during the leaves are among proposals advanced by a working group that has been looking at how to stem an exodus of female lawyers from the profession.

Skadden Announces 18 Weeks Maternity Leave

Skadden increases the number of paid maternity leave weeks to 18.

Women Lawyers' Preferred Firm Benefits

Survey compares women and men attorneys' preferred firm benefits, including reduced-hour tracks and on-site child care.

Nixon Peabody Women vs. Men Cook-Off

Attorneys at Nixon Peabody face off in a camaraderie-building cook-off .

What Women Lawyers Really Think of Each Other

Women lawyers weigh in on who they would rather work with - men or women?

Increasing Number of Women Lawyers Start Solo Practices

Rising numbers of women lawyers in Wisconsin claim their independence and start their own practices.

Nevada Attorney Among Nation's Top 20 Female Lawyers with Business Expertise

Christine Spadafor, CEO of St. Jude's Ranch, gets Bar Association honor.

Female Attorney Named as New ACLU Legal Director

Chara Fisher Jackson, ACLU's new legal director, is a 1997 graduate of William & Mary's Marshall-Wythe School of Law.

Ms. JD Weekly Roundup: Week Ending February 22, 2008

Closing the LSAT gender gap

While 49% of those taking the LSAT in 2005-2006 were female, only 46.9% of those entering law schools were female, perhaps because, according to this author, men do better than women on the LSAT.

Balancing the scales

Ashley Meredith Lowe's firm, Baker Donelson, "launched an initiative in 2006 aimed at enhancing the role of women in the practice through a mentoring program, work-life balance seminars, and opportunities for continuing education, leadership development and networking."

What to wear

Progress has been made in Oklahoma, where judges no longer insist women wear "suits with skirts" so that women don't "have to have a skirt to be in formal business attire."

Judicial nominee's record may aid confirmation

Catharina Haynes, President Bush's nominee to teh 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, is a "widely praised, longtime insurance defense lawyer with a particularly attractive quality – no record on controversial issues, such as abortion or the death penalty."

District Attorney's Race Ends At Primary

In Texas, the District Attorney race is between two women: incumbent District Attorney Stephanie Stephens and fomer Assistant District Attorney Nicole LoStracco, both described as "confident women."

Meredith Martin Addy Named One of Top 10 Illinois 'Super Lawyers' for 2008

Ms. Addy, who works for the Chicago firm of Binks Hofer Gilson & Lione, is one of the few women in the male-dominated specialty of patent law.

Former AG reflects on leadership Lawyer Mary Sue Terry, the first female attorney general in Virginia, reflects on her political career.

Sherry L. Hesselbein Elected to the Board of Directors of Women for Economic and Leadership Development

Sherry Hesselbein, an attorney with Ulmer & Berne in Columbus, Ohio, will serve as the Board Secretary of WELD, which "provides women with specific tools and skills needed to advance their economic status."

From teacher to litigator, she made career strides

Brooke Smith Murphy, president of the OKlahoma City law firm Crowe & Dunlevy, answers questions about her career, including her start as a first-grade teacher.

Punishment for prosecutor who was unauthorized to practice for 20 years

Think CLE credits don't matter? Gemme Graham, Assistant Hennepin County Attorney, was placed on probation for two years after failing "to submit affidavits for her continuing legal education compliance."

Attorney to lead school for girls

Pinney Allen, "a prominent Atlanta attorney," will leave her corporate mergers and acquisitions practice wtih Alston & Bird to head a girls' school of 6th to 12th graders.

Charlotte E. Ray: Beyond the law Charlotte E. Ray, who according to this article is the first African-American woman to practice law in the U.S., applied to law school under the gender-neutral name of "C.E. Ray."

San Antonio lawyer gets probation in blackmail scheme

Mary Roberts, convicted in December on five counts of theft for allegedly blackmailing her sexual partners, must do 400 hours of community service and will be on probation for 10 years.

Pitt Alumni Association Names 2008 Distinguished Alumni Fellows

Roslyn M. Litman, president of Litman Law Firm, is among those named as a 2008 Distinguished Alumni Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh.

Ms. JD Weekly Round-up: Week Ending February 15, 2008

Gender gap remains for aspiring politicians

A survey released by Kaplan Test Prep of students preparing for the LSAT finds that 52% of the men indicated they would "definitely or probably run for office," compared only 34% of the women. Commentary on this study along with quotes by Barbara Buckley, Nevada Assembly Speaker and woman lawyer, can be found here, and yet another commentary on Kaplan's study can be found here.

Rainmaking for women lawyers – the best start is an early start

Allison Wolf gives advice to young women lawyers on rainmaking, stating that "the way to develop business is through building trusting relationships with your colleagues, clients and contacts."

Hot Or Not?

Hearkening back to autoadmit, a blog by two anonymous employees at the New York office of Skadden Arps held a "Hottest Female Attorney" contest with the "winner" receiving over 400 votes, though Skadden management asked the blog authors to remove the results. Read more about it here, where the bloggers are quoted as saying it was all in "good fun" and that they wish readers "had chuckled, rolled [their] eyes or merely clicked away." The story even made news in the UK here.

Meet Judge Akua Kuenyehia in Office

Ghanaian Judge Kuenyehia, one of three female African judges working at the International Criminal Court, is now the first vice-president of the court.

Monica Yant Kinney: They press the fight to break glass ceiling

Three women talk about sex discrimination in the legal and medical professions.

Office Romances & The Law: a Q&A With Ashley Brightwell

Apparently "the number of affairs in law firms and romances that end up in marriage seem to be greater than in the general population" and, not surprisingly, "the partner can really affect the person’s employment – in terms of the work they get, their reviews, and possibly even their salaries."

For The Love Of Law

Barrie Goldstein talks about her over 30 years practicing as an attorney, including recollections of the 1970s, when "women were a rare sight in the courtroom" and "she was one of fewer than 10 female attorneys on a team of about 200 lawyers."

Supreme Court candidates speak at medical forum

West Virginia Supreme Court candidates--including two women--share their views.

A lawyer's former life on the links

Atlanta lawyer Patricia Cunningham left pro golf for a career in the law.

Female Attorney Arrested For Assaultive Handshake

Female attorney Kathy Brewer Rentas is charged with assault for allegedly injuring the shoulder of the U.S. Attorney (also female) prosecuting her husband for violating probation with her handshake.

The perfect match

Do successful men want to marry equally successful women?

Hillary in the Media: the Couric Interview [Blogwatching]

Via Shakesville: Katie Couric asks Senator Clinton about being a nerd and being labelled "Frigidaire" by boys in high school. These are only tough questions if you think high school girls shouldn't be studious and ambitous despite the attitudes of high school boys.

Full transcript reads:

Couric: What were you like in high school? Were you the girl in the front row, taking meticulous notes and always raising your hands?

Clinton: Not always raising my hand. Not always raising my hand!

Couric: Someone told me your nickname in school was Miss Frigidaire. Is that true?

Clinton: Only with some boys.

Couric: I don't know if I want to hear the back story on that!

Clinton: Yeah, well, you wouldn't want to know the boys, either. [laughs]

What Not to Wear (Or, What Not to Say?) [Blogwatching]

I ignored this story as long as I could. Last week Christina Binkley published the article, "Law Without Suits: New Hires Flout Tradition." She subtitled it "Young Attorneys' Casual Attire Draws Criticism at Big Firms; A Crackdown on Ugg Boots." And that... was pretty much the whole story. A few senior partners at Big Law firms went on record to say that basically, some junior associates dress like slobs. Sara Shikhman, a 26-year-old associate from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, went on the record to say "Getting up in the morning and putting on a suit is hard," which mildly embarrassed women like myself on behalf of our generation and our gender. I hope her words were edited out of context (as in, "Putting on a suit is hard... but you suck it up and do it when you need to.") Anyway, I was hoping that was what she'd said.

Oh, and there was also a male partner--Tom Mills, of Winston & Strawn--who apparently had to apologize to female associates at his firm for commenting on their dress. Here's what he had to apologize for:

Mr. Mills says that when some associates do make an effort to dress up, they seem to base their look on Hollywood. "You get the TV-woman lawyer look with skirts 12 inches above the knee and very tight blouses," he says. "They have trouble sitting and getting into taxis."

Why did Mills have to apologize? The way Binkley tells it, he didn't necessarily generalize to say that "all" or even "most" female associates dress too provocatively. Just "some." I don't find that hard to believe, or anything to apologize for. He didn't make any claim about female associates in general.

What am I missing?

Yet today Above the Law took news of Mills' apology as a chance to ask readers whether it's "Time for Winston Women To Go Burqa Shopping?" Let me say that I like ATL, it does some good reporting and seems to have a sense of humor. Sadly, some of their readers don't always get the satire. Instead commenters at ATL, insightful as ever, took the opportunity to have unprintable discussion #973 about (a) how female lawyers dress slutty/are sluts (but who cares because they'll be leaving to have babies soon), or (b) female lawyers should dress even more sluttily because male colleagues and clients should be able to take in the view, with caveat (c) that "fat piece of trash" lawyers have no business whatsoever in the workplace, much less "dressing like Ally McBeal."

Stay classy, anonymous ATL commenters. I'm so glad to share the profession with you.