blog 33

Before it was normal for women to be in the workplace many believed that females could not possibly have the brain power to become lawyers. It was a man’s job, and even though it is still a male dominated profession women are charging ahead and breaking through glass ceilings. The fact that women are usually viewed as competent in this profession is a high step. Although there are a multitude of problems regarding sexism in the legal profession.

Most women have to face different issues when trying to get hired on in a law firm. They usually have to have better bar exam scores, and come from higher ranked law schools than their male colleagues do. Women in general have to do more once they are hired as well, they miss out on opportunities that men solely benefit from (guy talk, parties, functions) so they have to work harder with longer hours to get the same recognition. Men’s achievements at the firm are more recognized and more seen then a female’s. Women of different races also have a extremely difficult time being recognized and usually have to work harder than anyone at the firm to get promoted or gain a better book of business.

Family life also interferes with career, women are less likely to be hired because they are thought of as not as serious about their job. Women tend to take time off to have children, which is understandable but in the legal profession it is seen as a nuisance. Male partners are less likely to hire females solely for this reason, and because once a female lawyer has children and a family they sometimes go to part time which is also frowned upon in this work environment. Women even though they may have no intention of having a children still have that bias against them from the start making it harder to prove themselves. They are grouped together instead of being looked at separately.