Covering Women Lawyers: Why Media Bias Hurts by Gay Grunfeld and Leslie Thornton
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® A Publication of California News Women Lawyers Summer 2011 Covering Women Lawyers: Why Media Bias Hurts By Gay Grunfeld and Leslie Thornton e are 50 percent of most law school classes, but make up only 19 percent of partners in law firms. In 2010, our median salary was approximately CONTENTS W77 percent of our male colleagues’ median salary. During the recessionary period of 2008 to 2010, our median salary decreased, whereas male lawyers’ median salary enjoyed a modest increase. Covering Women Lawyers - Why Media Bias Hurts 1 The gender disparity in the distribution of power and wealth in our profession is President’s Message 2 highly visible in prominent legal periodicals. We reviewed one such publication over Pipeline to leadership 6 a six month period ending February 28, 2011, recording the frequency with which Spotlight on San Francisco 7 men and women were pictured, as well as their professional titles. Only 19 percent Bratz Verdict 8 of above-the-fold, front page images displayed women, most of whom were modestly compensated judicial officers or government officials rather than private or Power Lunch Program 9 corporate practitioners. Particularly disturbing, however, were the publication’s Judith Soley tribute 10 “who’s who” type inserts — presumably chosen by an editorial board with FCWL - new judical officers 12 considerable latitude in creating these lists. These inserts displayed women well France bans the veil 13 below 50 percent of the time. For instance, women comprised only 16 percent of Fay Stender: History & Legacy 15 the “Top 100 Attorneys of 2010.” Status of Women in Santa Cruz 16 Although this particular publication acted commendably in printing our findings CWL 3rd Annual Conference 17 regarding its pictorial under-representation of women, its practices have not Legislative Update 19 changed since the article’s March 23, 2011 run date. Despite a letter to the Editor Fay Stender Recipient 20 from CWL’s president in April 2011 decrying continued biased coverage, it has Legal Eagles 21 continued. For example, this particular legal periodical published an insert on June 22, 2011, listing the “25 Leading General Counsel in California,” but managed to find Affiliate News: only four women general counsel worthy of mention in the entire pictorial insert. Sacramento 22 This stark underrepresentation is particularly shocking given that in-house counsel Kern County 23 has been viewed as one of the few successful areas for women lawyers. On July Los Angeles 23 13, 2011, this publication issued its top Labor and Employment Attorneys in Santa Cruz 23 California. Here again, in an area that has seen some success among women Orange County 24 lawyers, the publication was able to find only 25 women worthy of mention out of Santa Barbara 26 75 total lawyers listed. Alameda County 27 Our local daily legal newspaper is not alone in its discrimination. As Lauren Stiller Santa Barbara 29 Rikleen recently wrote in an article entitled “The Ultimate Men’s Club,” “The smaller Queen’s Bench 29 number of women among the legal teams honored in the NLJ’s 2011 Appellate Annual Dinner Flyer 30 Hotlist suggests minimal progress for women in the profession. … The percentage Membership Form 31 of women on the list is sadly similar to the percentage of women partners in firms nationally.” Indeed, pick up any publication on your desk. For example, the Expert Witness Directory for 2011 put out by the Forensic Expert Witness Association, which was recently mailed to me, has only 38 women experts listed out of 295 total recommended experts. Similarly, the July 2011 issue of Plaintiff, the magazine for Editor’s Note: We are proud to intro- Northern California plaintiffs’ attorneys, contains no photographs of women lawyers duce the new CWL News. Our redesign as authors of any of its articles. takes advantage of our online format, Of course, these issues are not confined to the legal field. Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s with more content, full color and easier recent documentary, Miss Representation, examines the media’s misrepresentation navigation. Enjoy! Continued page 4... Summer 2011 NEWS Page 2 2010-2011 Board of Governors President President’s Message Patricia Sturdevant, Sacramento.........................(916) 492-3578 First Vice President Jodi Swick, San Francisco..................................(415) 743-2412 Second Vice President Nanci Nishimura, Burlingame............................(650) 697-6000 ummer can sizzle in Secretary Sacramento, and CWL’s Wendy Ray, Los Angeles....................................(213) 892-5446 S Treasurer energy and activism have helped to Eliza Rodrigues, San Francisco..........................(415) 537-3000 heat things up. Assembly Majority Immediate Past President Nancy E. O’Malley.............................................(510) 272-6222 Floor Leader Charles Calderon Executive Office ignited a spark or perhaps a Renée Calta, Sacramento....................................(916) 646-3114 conflagration with his personal E-mail:[email protected] remarks about California’s Chief District Governors 1 Vacant Justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, during 2 Megan Lewis, Sacramento..............................(916) 441-2430 3 Cherri Allison, Oakland.................................(510) 208-0220 a hearing before the Assembly 3 Nanci Nishimura, Burlingame........................(650) 697-6000 4 Jodi Swick, San Francisco..............................(415) 743-2412 Judiciary Committee on AB 1208, 4 Eliza Rodrigues, San Francisco......................(415) 537-3000 his controversial bill to decentralize 5 Prudence Hutton, Fresno................................(559) 917-3889 6 Naomi Dewey................................................ (805) 963-3301 control of California’s courts. 7 Susan Formaker, Los Angeles........................(213) 576-7200 7 Lara Krieger, Los Angeles..............................(310) 859-7811 Inexplicably, he had this to say 7 Meehan Rasch, Los Angeles 7 Wendy Ray, Los Angeles................................(213) 892-5446 about her: “It isn’t ‘Is she nice?’ 7 Sara Terheggen, Los Angeles.........................(310) 407-7588 8 Betty Fracisco, Riverside...............................(714) 747-5457 ‘Cause she is,” ‘Is she smart?’ 9 Wendy Behan, San Diego................................(619) 238-1811 ‘Cause she is. ‘Is she attractive?’ Affiliate Governors ‘Cause she is. It isn’t about that.” Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Andrea Van Leesten Contra Costa County Bar Association Senator Noreen Evans, head of the Women’s Section, Natasha Chee Fresno County Women Lawyers, Legislative Women’s Caucus, Christine Levine Kern County Women Lawyers Association, immediately called those remarks Brandie Gasper Lawyers Club of San Diego, degrading and inappropriate. In an interview with the LA Times, Calderon Rebecca Roberts.............................(858) 720-8951 disparaged Evans’ assertions as a “sideshow” and added, “I certainly apologize if Napa County Women Lawyers, Mary Hudson..................................(707) 418-5118 anybody misunderstood. Those were hardly contrite or reassuring words. Orange County Women Lawyers, Solange Ritchie..............................(714) 673-6500 Following Senator Evans’ lead, CWL partnered with the National Association of Queen’s Bench, Kelly J. Robbins.............................(415) 788-5400 Women Judges to send a letter to Assemblyman Calderon the next day. We Santa Barbara Women Lawyers Laura Dewey..................................(805) 966-7949 expressed our outrage at his comments and his refusal to acknowledge and Santa Clara County Bar Association – Women Lawyers Committee apologize for his disrespectful remarks in a letter which appears at page 4. Neda Mansoorian...........................(408) 279-8700 Ventura County Women Lawyers, This incident illustrates a larger problem of disparate treatment of women in society Lynn Ryder Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and the media, about which Gay Grunfeld writes in this issue. She points how Kimberly Arnal..............................(213) 978-7840 Women Lawyers’ Association of San Luis Obispo, women are often overlooked. But even when there is coverage, it frequently Jacqueline V. Frederick..................(805) 929-1120 Women Lawyers of Alameda County, includes commentary on appearance and tastes. It seems no woman is immune Tara M. Flanagan...........................(510) 452-9212 Women Lawyers of Long Beach, from these personal comments; remember the incessant coverage of Hillary Michele Flurer................................(310) 519-6008 Women Lawyers of Sacram ento, Clinton’s pants suits when she was running for President. And recently when Rebecca Dietzen ............................(916) 446-2300 Women Lawyers of Santa Cruz, Christine Lagarde was on the short list to be the new head of the International Dinah Sapia Monetary Fund, a position of considerable power and prestige, the New York Times Governors-at-Large Kristen Sagafi observed in a story about the leading prospects: Lagarde is “tall and stylish, with a Holly Fujie Judicial Liaison shock of silver hair and a penchant for Chanel jackets.” The article made no similar Hon. Charlene Padovani Kiesselbach, San Francisco.................................................(415) 551-1399 assessment of the size, hair or clothing of the men. Affiliates Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Despite these distractions, CWL has been active and effective in the legislature, Contra Costa County Bar Association Women’s Section Fresno