The 2020 display of female political power came in the centennial year of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed by Congress in 1919 and ratified by two-thirds of the states in 1920, which granted women the right to vote. It was a fitting coda to a 100-year-old story about women achieving access to the ballot box.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 400,000 women lawyers in America today, and women comprise more than 36% of practicing lawyers. Women are working at all levels of practice and in every specialty area. They are smart, competent, thorough, dedicated and much more. But that does not mean it is easy for any of them.
When I sat down to write this column, my thoughts were interrupted by a mechanical noise coming from my backyard. It was the comforting sound of the weekly “test run” of the generator that keeps our house powered during electrical outages.
New concerns about maternal risks in pregnancy emerged as COVID-19 plowed its way across the country this year. Maternal mortality across the spectrum shows stunning increases in the United States. The number of deaths has risen while declining in almost every other nation.
Last week, we lost a giant—a giant who stood just a little more than 5 feet tall and who made the world a better place for all of us. She will be remembered for many of the legal theories and opinions she espoused during her 27 years on the U.S. Supreme Court, but more than anything else, she will be remembered for the critical role she played in advancing equality for women.
Black female prosecutors—a small cadre of top district attorneys across the country—have faced more scrutiny and second-guessing than their white or male counterparts. They’ve also been subjected to racist and violent threats and sexist attacks.
The number of female lawyers promoted to equity partner has increased by almost 25% in the past five years, according to Working Mother Media’s latest list of best law firms for women.
Updated: Despite the distance between them, an appellate judge from Washington, D.C., and four attorneys from around the country came together virtually Thursday to receive the 2020 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Awards.
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex,” reads the 19th Amendment, which was ratified on this day 100 years ago.
The ACA has extended coverage to more than 20 million people while providing protections for women who had faced discrimination from insurers and struggled to obtain coverage. In the coming term, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear California v. Texas, which casts doubt on the future of women’s ability to obtain affordable insurance.
Seventy percent of female minority lawyers report leaving or considering leaving the legal profession, according to an ABA report on the challenges that they face.
“In a world where multiple sexual orientations and gender identities are becoming more accepted in mainstream culture, it seems past time for the ERA to finally become law,” writes Oklahoma lawyer Adam Banner.
To celebrate Law Day 2020, the ABA and Law Library of Congress plan to host a virtual panel discussion on April 30 that focuses on how the women’s suffrage movement and ratification of the 19th Amendment changed the United States.
The ABA Journal wants to host and facilitate conversations among lawyers about their profession. We are now accepting thoughtful, non-promotional articles and commentary by unpaid contributors.
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