Blog #29

Barbara Johnson spoke eloquently about why so few woman have stayed in law firms. The statistics are frankly alarming, while 50% of law school students are women only 4% are law firm partners are women and even fewer are minority women. In the data collected from 920 women lawyers there was a resounding sense that they were faced with prejudice. 49% of the responders said they were subject to demeaning attitudes. Largely, they felt they were no longer subject to illegal sexism practices but they were leaving in droves because it was just not worth it to deal with the persistent assumptions of their inadequacy. From the look of doubt or surprise on the powerful when a minority woman took a stand to the annoyance that when a man made the same suggestion and their idea was more fully entertained, they felt the culture demeaned them. The billable hour requirement and the persistent neglect of career development and opportunities all contribute to the sense they are not likely to succeed.
As demonstrated in the text for women in general it is difficult to feel satisfied with work when you are not taken seriously. “Initial impression about confidence matter greatly because judgments are made quickly about perceived ability, especially in law firms. The informal machine quickly swings into gear to decide who is good and who is not, on the assumption that ability is inbred.” (English, 160) This proves the confidence is imperative and when this is taken away from a woman, she will automatically have a poorer performance and less job satisfaction. English also explains that “Because confidence is so critical, and because impressions about confidence morph quickly into predictions about future potential, how workplace leaders decide who is confident and who is not is vital. These leaders frequently draw conclusions based on survey behaviors, such as how people communicate, make decisions, and react to criticism.”