Blog #27

English tells about the competency gap between men and women. A large perception exists that “female lawyers have to work harder than male lawyers to get the same results” and there is a perception of less respect for women as well. She explains that “female attorney are accorded less respect than male attorneys”. Although females constitute nearly one-third of the profession, and their share of the workforce increased dramatically in a very short time, they remain younger and less experience, and many take time out for raising children. “As a result, women’s very “female-ness” is conspicuous, an exception to the general rule of male dominance.
There is a feeling of dismissal among older women lawyers. Although they may have even been partners they feel very tired of being treated poorly and not having the power they ought to have. Management professor Judith Oadkley defines “competency testing” as “a process by which a person is required to prove herself over and over again”. She writes that men freely admit “That women in upper level positions were subject to competency testing much more often than their male counterparts. This behavior on the part of male executive could be seen as an attempt to band together to preserve the upper ranks as a predominantly male domain by sending the message to females who attempt to infiltrate their domain that they are less than welcome and will have to fight to gain entry.”
One strategy mentioned in the book that exemplifies the way some male lawyers engage in an attempt to win a case against a women lawyer is by a woman who had been very successful. Her firm told her to write the brief, but that another person would present it. When she asked why, she was told it was because of her short stature and that she may not be taken seriously because of it.