One day I want to become a lawyer. Be able to defend people;
possibly own my own legal firm, and ultimately end up as a judge. Thanks to the
women who fought so hard to give me my rights, I’m able to contemplate what I
want to be later on in life. But, even though I’m pretty sure about my future
in the legal world, I know it won’t come without a cost.
I’m used to being treated as an equal by my peers, family,
and professors. I can’t really say that I’ve experienced discrimination based
on my gender. So I’m a bit worried that when I become a lawyer I won’t know how
to handle myself in a “man’s” world. Let’s face it, women make up only a
fraction of the legal profession. Women comprise 29.1% of all lawyers according
to the American Bar Association Research team. That means that less than 20% of
these women are named partners within their law firms, and only 11.1% actually
make it as judges (U.S. Supreme Court included). The odds of me becoming a
judge are a bit slim, statistics-wise, but not impossible.
And so, I actually want to talk about why it’s important for
women to have a voice within the legal world to make this possible. The few
women who are already lawyers, judges, paralegals are placed second to their
male counterparts, simply because of gender. Women are criticized on their
education, their clothes, their ability to simultaneously be a mother and a
partner. What’s worse is that even though the law supports women when it comes
to motherhood and other circumstances, the perspective of their male coworkers
often times devalue the nature of the regulation. Take for instance the FLMA
(Family & Medical Leave Act). It clearly allows for women to take time off
one they are pregnant, in labor, and after their pregnancy. In fact, it is
mandatory for each work place to have this (it can also be for men who need to
take care of their families). But, even with this law, women are discriminated.
They are seen as weak and undervalued.
And because of their underrepresentation, there really is no
avenue for them to change the perception men have about them. Women need to
realize that they have just as much power as their male counterparts, and the
sooner they take a stand within their legal professions, the sooner they will
have respect. Women have to stand tall. If former women who had no rights to
fall back on were able to FIGHT for their rights and defy all stereotypes,
what’s stopping us? We have the rights, we have leverage! We’re in the legal
profession for a reason. If men try to bring us down by stereotypes, then we
can easily pick ourselves up using logic and the law. Women are lawyers,
paralegals, judges…they should act like it. I know that retaliation, being
ostracized, discrimination can hurt and can make for a horrible environment to
work in. Still, it’s not enough anymore to be the one who understands men, who
goes out of her way to make things more peaceful in the work environment. Doing
that doesn’t solve anything.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that women shouldn’t walk
around with a burden on their shoulders and shouldn’t take anything from any
male coworker (of course only when she’s disrespected). She obtained a position
for a reason, and she should remind herself of that reason every time she feels
as a minority.
The Woman Behind the Legal World Section:
Christina Ontiveros is an undergraduate at UC Berkeley. She is double majoring in Legal Studies and Anthropology, and is an excellent and dedicated student. She is passionate and loyal; we can all count ourselves lucky that one day she might just be our lawyer!
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