Quote:
Originally posted by c2ed
Simply put, I welcome the day when there are fewer impediments placed in front of women and minorities in our profession with regards to their careers and when the ranks of "the best" aren't nearly de facto white and male only because that's the pool (this is way generalizing, but I hope it's clearer). I see that day coming, as there are many many more women and minorities in law school and becoming lawyers with each year. Thus, in an absolute sense the chance of seeing them on these sort of lists increases.
|
C2ed, I do agree with you. Thankfully we're long past the days when little armies of women lawyers (and other professionals) marched to work dressed in uniforms of manlike suits, Di-Fi scarf ties, and tennis shoes (to be exchanged for high heels once their offices were reached). While women no longer need to wear the white male lawyer's uniform, I suspect that, in order to survive and succeed, they must still adopt (at least a convincing facade of) most of the traditional white male values, pov, and modes of thinking and behaving. And, quite likely, lawyers of color (men and women) must do the same.
Using Brobeck as an example, though some might dismiss it as stereotyping, I believe that the women and minority lawyers were/are likely far more troubled than their white male colleagues by how badly the staff was and is being treated. Almost without exception, however, the women and minority lawyers (associates and partners) have not spoken up, have done virtually nothing to help the staff. Rather, again almost without exception, they have kept quiet and towed the line set by the four white guys who are running Brobeck's winddown.
So, in this and many other instances, I'm left wondering what is the point of striving for that which results in only skin deep diversity in a law firm? If women and people of color must alter and/or mask that which is different about them to be allowed to enter and remain in the white male club (class), where's the value of diversity? Of course, it's nice to see women and people of color get more of a shot at the big bucks. And maybe that's all it is. (Ah Bartleby, ah humanity.)
