ABA Journal

Is this the ‘fear of success’ argument?

By Esq. on 2010 03 19, 10:51 am CDT

I agree. There should be ample opportunities whether or not they are exploited.

By TheDA on 2010 03 19, 5:03 pm CDT

Why cannot people just tell the truth.  So many women go to law school to meet men so they can find someone to support them and get married.

There is nothing wrong with that.

Men want a woman to come home to.  So they marry the woman and she quits the law for raising the family.

What is wrong with that?

If people just realize that, there wouldnt be so many divorces and women and men living separately.

There is nothing wrong with this.  Get with the program, men and women, get together, get married, and have one household, not 2.

By Alva Bleek on 2010 03 20, 7:09 am CDT

Another obvious reason for the lesser number
of women partners would be the fact that law firms more often hire male associates than female associates.  If you can’t get a foot in the door, your chances of becoming partner are even more remote than the few women who are hired into larger law firms.

By Fem JD on 2010 03 20, 6:06 pm CDT

Finally!  Someone recognizing the obvious.  Face it, as much as the PC crowd is in denial, most of the statistical differences between men and women come down to the simple fact that men and women are not the same.  We have some different preferences (in the aggregate)!  Yes, shocking, I know!  It’s largely not discrimination, it’s making different choices.  The wage disparity is a prime example.  More women choose to take more time off, that’s why their average pay is lower.  Title IX is another.  It’s a simple fact that more males than females like to play sports. So do we accept that? Horrors, no, that wouldn’t be PC; so we mandate “equality,” which of course means… that colleges cut men’s programs because they can’t find enough women to play sports to equal it out.  Same thing here.  Does anyone know a single law firm that pays a different starting salary to associates of similar backgrounds depending on whether the associate is male or female?  Does anyone know a single law firm that pays a male and a female partner with the same billable hours and the same book of business differently?  I didn’t think so.

Obviously male and female lawyers should have the same opportunities.  But just because one gender chooses to avail itself less often of an opportunity than another is not cause for hand-wringing, gov’t intervention, or accusations of “discrimination.”

By Lex Luthor on 2010 03 24, 1:02 pm CDT

I know I have been undermined for being female.  For example, I have heard partners tell outsiders that I brought in certain clients because of my husband’s contacts.  This is not true, and I bring in my own business on my own merits.  However, the partners did not bother to learn the facts, and they felt comfortable passing on speculation.  How many male associates get their successes linked to their spouse?  Also, I have been told to “mentor” and “nurture” staff and junior associates to get recognition for leadership and management skills, whereas merely giving orders to staff and juniors appears to be sufficient for my male associates to get the same recognition.  Any wonder the glass ceiling is still firmly intact?

By guest on 2010 03 26, 4:49 pm CDT