Quantcast
Channel: The Legal Shakeup
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 11

New Years Resolution: BE the Change

0
0

It’s only been like nine months since I’ve last written…which is appropriate for this post, since I’ll be talking about women in the workforce. But let’s address that elephant in the room – where the hell was I?

PREGNANT.

It’s been a crazy couple years for this gal – marriage, buying a house, having a baby, getting a new job…it just takes a lot out of you. But here I am, getting back on the horse, because writing is what I like to do!

But before I get into today’s post, I’d like to introduce my daughter, Evelyn, born in September!

EF1A7650
I could seriously brag about her all day! Motherhood has been, no joke, a huge adjustment, but it’s been so rewarding and exciting. I can no longer imagine my life without her!

So anyway. This stuff is normally reserved for my baby blog, but now you know. Back to today’s post.


Law firms could possibly be the epitome of the “good ol’ boys club.” An institution that requires one’s precious time as payment in exchange for lots of money, which means that, typically, females are at a disadvantage. Especially mothers.

Laws of nature require the females to physically carry the next generations of human beings, so the probability of a female taking more time off than their male counterparts is high. And even if you hate children, you’re still carrying the burden of your sex. So it’s no wonder males dominate the legal profession.

But it’s sad that law firms place higher value in males because they can “give” more time than females. That, and because females have a tendency to be more empathetic, and therefore we give less to work and more to family (because who else is going to be the “default parent“?). In theory, those values should be promoted – family,  empathy…but not when the billable hour is what brings in money; when more hours billed = more profit. Such is society’s greediness, and our willingness to be dragged along for the ride.

But instead of plugging away, staying just because the money is good; running yourself into the ground day after day; wearing four-inch heels because you have to “keep up” with the rest of the “successful” women; playing the game even though it makes you miserable – why don’t we do something about it? It’s a bit like politics – if you don’t vote, do you really have the “right” to complain about it? Not that one women has the ability to change the world, but essentially, change starts with one person. One person who could start a domino effect.

We might still be in the era where greed takes precedence, but there are enough humans who don’t merely accept the so-called “inevitable” – there are those who find value in the valuable. It’s scary to take the next step – to venture into the unknown, where failure is a possibility. I know lawyers are inherently risk-averse, but…take one! Stop complaining and do something about it. The more individuals that take a stand, the more chance that we can shift the culture that thinks it’ll never change.

So my new year’s resolution is to be the change. Instead of complaining about how women have it hard in law, I’m going to find great examples of law firms doin’ it right. Instead of trying to be the fashionista, I’m going to do what’s right for me – that’s comfy outfits I can put on on-the-fly, shoes that don’t have heels, and “mom-jeans” on casual Fridays – and I will refuse to care when a fabulous-looking partner sashays past my office (and on the flip side, I won’t knock those fashionistas who devote time and energy into their outfits). I pledge to help other women succeed because sometimes, it takes a village. (Also, I will offer to babysit anytime there’s a baby in the office.) And if the law firm model has been around for as long as it has, it’s going to take some dedicated, driven women to change it. It just starts with one.

Where do I sign?

Share


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 11

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images