In 1890, three women applied to Columbia Law School, great school. Three women were turned down. Now this is 1890, and I think at the time they had a trustee named George T. Strong at Columbia University, and he said, “no woman shall degrade herself by practicing law if I can save her”. So news flash. We don’t need to be saved. We’re doing okay. That’s a perception that I think held sway in the 1940s, 1950s, and even the 1960s. But with sexual stereotyping and socialization, women were relegated to certain roles, which is very dangerous.
And I think the fact that we no longer pigeonhole women into having to live their life on someone else’s belief of how they should be a mother, that they should have children, or that they should just have certain jobs and be school teachers or be librarians or something safe and something that is ladylike. I mean, that’s out of the window now.
Frankly, we earned our seat at this table by working hard. We earned the seat and we can cook the dinner. So we’re capable of doing it all. We fought for that seat at the table. So don’t give it up. And also, that means being curious, not being afraid to ask those questions. I mean, I’ve gotten to the point I’ve asked one question in a deposition. I may ask it 10 times, but I’m going to keep asking it until I get an answer. Okay? That’s perseverance. That’s why we are allowed to be in court today as women. That’s why we have just as many opportunities, if not hopefully more as we come into our own.
But don’t be intimidated. Don’t be afraid if the defendant objects, keeps objecting to you or makes threats. I’m going to sanction you. I’m going to do this. I mean, I’ve had motions to compel filed against me. I’ve had motions for sanctions filed against me. It doesn’t stop me. It means I must be doing something right because I must be getting under someone’s skin. So the typical lawyer is that good old boy network. Don’t fall prey to that good old boy network. Don’t think that you have to act a certain way or be a certain way.
The typical male trial attorney, when you think of it, is a guy with a cigar and a white guy with a three piece pinstriped suit. It’s not us, not women that they see every day. And that’s a good thing because there’s something different to look at because the jury can’t talk about the case. So what are they going to talk about? And remember half that jury’s women. So if you have a big case and you don’t have a woman trial attorney, and I’m not talking a potted plant, someone just to sit there to be a female, I’m talking an engaged woman partner at your table doing the openings, doing those hard crosses, then you’ve done a disservice to your client and your case.
We persevere. We don’t give up. In the words of Winston Churchill “never, never, never give up”. And that’s really the best advice I can give us. Give anyone, man or woman, whatever profession you are, is just keep going. Head down, keep going.
To read more about Liz click here: www.thegomezfirm.com/our-team/elizabeth-zwibel/
