Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms (Women of Color in Professional Services Series) PDF Download

Author:
Publisher: Catalyst
ISBN: 0895842947
Category : Minority women in the professions
Languages : en
Pages : 73

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Book Description

Author: American Bar Association. Commission on Women in the Profession
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 96

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Book Description
To fully examine advancement and retention issues among women attorneys of color, the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession embarked upon a groundbreaking research initiative to answer these questions: Do the work experiences of women of color in law firms surpass or fall short of expectations? How do legal employers hinder or increase job satisfaction? Why do women attorneys of color change practice areas and organizations--or leave the profession at an alarming rate? Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms presents the findings of the survey and focus group research and concludes with specific recommendations for law firms interested in retaining women of color.

Author: Tsedale M. Melaku
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538107937
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Book Description
You Don't Look Like a Lawyer: Black Women and Systemic Gendered Racism highlights how race and gender create barriers to recruitment, professional development, and advancement to partnership for black women in elite corporate law firms. Utilizing narratives of black female lawyers, this book offers a blend of accessible theory to benefit any reader willing to learn about the underlying challenges that lead to their high attrition rates. Drawing from narratives of black female lawyers, their experiences center around gendered racism and are embedded within institutional practices at the hands of predominantly white men. In particular, the book covers topics such as appearance, white narratives of affirmative action, differences and similarities with white women and black men, exclusion from social and professional networking opportunities and lack of mentors, sponsors and substantive training. This book highlights the often-hidden mechanisms elite law firms utilize to perpetuate and maintain a dominant white male system. Weaving the narratives with a critical race analysis and accessible writing, the reader is exposed to this exclusive elite environment, demonstrating the rawness and reality of black women’s experiences in white spaces. Finally, we get to hear the voices of black female lawyers as they tell their stories and perspectives on working in a highly competitive, racialized and gendered environment, and the impact it has on their advancement and beyond.

Author: Stefan H. Griffin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : African American women lawyers
Languages : en
Pages : 689

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Book Description
Women attorneys of color face continuing professional challenges and increased opportunities. I interviewed 56 women attorneys of color and asked them questions about their law school experiences, demographic or social structural constraints on career options and opportunities, mentor relations, job satisfaction, and work-life balance, and whether they would become a lawyer again. I examine their responses from race, gender, and class, organizational behavior, and symbolic interactionist perspectives. The accounts of my informants generally supported by hypothesis that social structure influences, such as race, gender, and class affect their careers. My informants understood their own agency and accepted the concomitant responsibilities. Informants were generally satisfied with their present legal work, despite the obstacles. I also interviewed two white male partners at a large, national law firm. They articulated the mainstream perspective on diversity, which emphasizes competition, meritocracy, ascribed characteristics neutrality, and a firm belief in a strong work ethic. Informants shared varying degrees of faith in the mainstream perspective, but felt their profession sometimes failed to live up to its professed ideals when it came to supporting their careers. I suggest that institutions work harder to expose women of color to legal education and law practice while young; nurture them throughout their careers; develop mechanisms to help all attorneys meet clear, consistent expectations about work performance and business development; encourage interaction between these women; other attorneys, and clients; recruit and promote qualified attorneys outside of traditional hiring processes; and understand that facially neutral criteria can still pose obstacles to women of color. Corporate and governmental law offices. These clients can demonstrate that changing U.S. demographics in the 21th century are making their stakeholders more diverse and better educated. These stakeholders will expect that professional institutions will reflect the new dempgraphic reality; otherwise, they will demand changes that will affect the political and financial well-being of various institutions. If the law does not become more responsive, clients may decide to shift more business to competing global multidisciplinary professional services firms in a multi-polar world.

Author: Spencer Headworth
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316489868
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 455

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Book Description
Expressions of support for diversity are nearly ubiquitous among contemporary law firms and corporations. Organizations back these rhetorical commitments with dedicated diversity staff and various diversity and inclusion initiatives. Yet, the goal of proportionate representation for people of color and women remains unrealized. Members of historically underrepresented groups remain seriously disadvantaged in professional training and work environments that white, upper-class men continue to dominate. While many professional labor markets manifest patterns of demographic inequality, these patterns are particularly pronounced in the law and elite segments of many professions. Diversity in Practice analyzes the disconnect between expressed commitments to diversity and practical achievements, revealing the often obscure systemic causes that drive persistent professional inequalities. These original contributions build on existing literature and forge new paths in explaining enduring patterns of stratification in professional careers. These more realistic assessments provide opportunities to move beyond mere rhetoric to something approaching diversity in practice.

Author: Monica R. Parker
Publisher: American Bar Association
ISBN: 9781590319925
Category : African American women lawyers
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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Book Description
Monica Parker, an African American lawyer, Harvard graduate and renowned career coach, writes about the specific issues facing female attorneys of color, providing solid advice on finding career satisfaction and success. What it Takes provides a wealth of practical advice for achieving greatness at a large firm. mid-sized firm or boutique, government or in-house firm.

Author: American Bar Association. Commission on Women in the Profession
Publisher: American Bar Association
ISBN:
Category : African American women lawyers
Languages : en
Pages : 22

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Author: Catalyst (Organization)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Author: Roberta D. Liebenberg
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Women lawyers
Languages : en
Pages : 26

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Book Description
"Authored by Roberta D. Liebenberg and Stephanie A. Scharf, the report includes input from more than 1,200 big firm lawyers who have been in practice for at least 15 years, and shows that women surveyed were far more likely than men to report factors that blocked their "access to success," including lacking access to business development opportunities, being perceived as less committed to career and being denied or overlooked for promotion."--Publisher's website.

Author: Deepali Bagati
Publisher: Catalyst
ISBN: 0895842874
Category : Businesswomen
Languages : en
Pages : 73

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Book Description