Focusing on the ABA
Hi All,
This week we are starting the conversation on the podcast about the recent ABA Journal article, “ Are Women Lawyers Paying Enough Attention to Upward Mobility?” Please click here to sign the petition started by a badass lawyer mom, Elizabeth Lippy, calling out the ABA and demanding real action.
While the article appears to set us up for a discussion about women being interested in upward mobility in their careers, what is really turns into is an assault on a woman’s ability to be both a lawyer and a mother - by way of outside perception and assumption.
Here are some of the most startling quotes that I discussed during the episode:
“There is nothing that can derail a career faster than the responsibilities of motherhood—ask any successful woman lawyer with children. It is a game changer that can cause very busy women lawyers to lose focus.”
“Although many lawyer moms may have spouses and mates who help ease their burden at home, little children typically look to Mommy for on-time meals, rides to school before the morning bell rings, checking homework, and general comfort and care. And that is especially true when Daddy is a busy professional, too.”
“Finding the time for all that lawyer moms have to do is challenging. However, it is often the case that they are their own worst enemies. They typically are perfectionists, and they end up sacrificing good performance on the altar of perfection.”
“Effective mentoring and leadership are essential to successful business models, and as challenging as it can be for lawyer moms, they must be willing to be team players and invest time in the careers of others.”
“The young lawyers are concerned about the impact on their own careers from this inattention and perceived lack of caring, and the managers they most often complain about are the lawyer moms.”
It is clear that this article deals in generalization, stereotypes, and unwanted tradition. The idea that female lawyers who are also mothers lack focus is simply not true. So what is the point?
One takeaway I had was the that family is not generally valued in the practice of law. What is valued to dedication above all to the practice - we wear burnout like a badge of honor. Setting personal boundaries are typically seen as signs of weakness and a lack of dedication.
While men are rewarded for having families that they need to financially support - that same family need for a women is so often translated as a detriment that will take that woman away from her career. Unfortunately, the assumption and societal expectation reigns supreme and mothers are at a disadvantage from the beginning. This results in a constant need to try to prove ourselves, our work, and our commitment over and over again.
“Blaming women attorneys is appalling.”
From the responsive article signed by all of the female ABA presidents.
Blaming women attorneys absolutely is appalling - as is continuing to force us to fight for our careers and our families by ourselves.
We would love to hear from your on your reaction to the articles and action steps that can be taken. You can email us at info@lawyerswholaunch.com or reach out to us on Instagram @lawyerswholaunch.
Thank you!
Haley & Amy
Please keep in mind that your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice. Rather this is a discussion of tips we have found helpful in managing client expectations in our own experiences. This should not be taken as legal advice.
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