There’s a reason that women are sorely unrepresented in upper leadership. America’s workplaces – especially legal offices – are riddled with bias against women leaders. As a result, women seeking to advance in their legal careers face both biases that prevent them from reaching the upper echelon of their firms and careers.
In this thoughtful and fast-moving program, Andrea S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris discuss the nature and extent of the achievement disparity between female and male lawyers, and how gender stereotypes and gender bias prevent women from advancing in their legal careers as far and as fast as men. Andie and Al mainly discuss the ABA’s response to increase diversity & inclusion, the root of the gender bias problem and what women can do to overcome gender bias. Andie and Al also talk about ABA Model Rule 8.4(g), ABA Resolution 302, men and #MeToo, communal & agentic stereotypes, biases that flow from gender stereotypes, the Goldilocks dilemma, impression management, seeking make allies and encouraging organizational change.
Andrea S. Kramer is an attorney and a partner in the international law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, LLP. The managing partner in the Chicago office of Nixon Peabody, Al is a frequent writer and lecturer on the financial markets, financial regulation, corporate governance and diversity in the legal profession.