Blog # 36

I think that American can lure women back into the workforce; it is going to take alot of change and understanding on all parts. Americans are working for money and that is what every American wants ands strives for. Now that the economy is in a recession that need and want for money has surely increased. They will also have to insure equality and they will need to show it. The women would also need higher pay and an easier way to advance themselves which would come along with the inequality. It is important that they do not have unfairness and they treat men exactly how they treat the women. Respect is a big issue in the workforce and that is what women rarely ever get even if they deserve it. American can lure women back into the workforce but they will have to make changes because if they do not they will be losing alot of women. Women now days are more independent and they are more powerful then they were years ago. One downside might be that these women are so used to being home that they may not want to leave their families at all and they do not want to go to work. They might just rather get help from the government instead of going to work taking time away from their families. There are many reason why the women are no longer working and it could be because the inequalities at their last job that would restrict them from going back to work because they do not want to see that same thing happen to them again. Many times women would rather stay home then work because they don't feel that they want to or have to work. I would believe that even though some women may not go back to work no matter what I do believe that there will be many women that will see this as the perfect opportunity to suppport themselves and to support there children.

Blog # 35

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) wrote a document that was trying to make a business go above and beyond the minimum requirements to promote work and balancing family. The EEOC understands that it is a necessity that care giving is required and they are realizing that the employees need that care giving option. This document goes on to remind employers that they are not being paid for the hours after they clock out and that these caregivers are working for pay. The document also says that their has been a major change within families because many of their husbands have been laid off and now the women havee to go to work while the men tend to the children and they take care of the household. This document is stressing that the work environment needs to be family friendly but the down side is that when the women go to work they are not making the same amount of money their husband would. This family friendly idea will make it less stressful for the caregivers and they would be able to make money and feel successful. The work and family life is not balanced and unevenly distributed. Flexible hours need to be put in the work place because many people have many different issues that they need to be home one reason or another. These women are struggling to stay and continue to be successful while also trying to take care of their family.

Blog #33

Women lawyers face many challenges that may constrict them from moving up in the legal system. Mothers are more important to hold together their family than what the fathers role is. The mother unfortunately has choices to make between her family or her job and if she decides to make her work more important than her family then she is labeled as a bad parent. Women are now trying to make a difference in the legal system because their are increasing statistics, it would be unfair for the women end up quitting their jobs because they are not getting the times off that they need to take care of their kids. This is not allowing women to advance in their positions and this is why the leadership of women is very minimal. Women are attending college and they are trying to further their education and their knowledge in the legal system but in many ways they are being held back from advancing in their professions. Women also face many stereotypes that make them looked down upon. Women are not allowed to be aggressive because if they are then they have anger issues but if a man was to do so they are just striving for what they are trying to get. If a woman shows that she is upset or sad then she is a very emotional person and she can't make those tough decisions that are needed to make. When a man shows the same emotion then he is caring and a bit sensitive. This is only keeping women down and away from enabling themselves to advance just like the males do. Women are facing these harsh challenges which are not allowing women to be equal just like the men are. In this society it is important to be fair because we have been changing out ways since years ago, but the women are still not being treated fair.

Blog # 32

Women lawyers and men lawyers are very different when is comes to parenting. When it comes to parenting it depends on what the mother and father planned to do with their children and what roles they decided to take. Women are supposed to be the caretaker of the family according to the gender expectations and the men are supposed to work the odd hours to support his family. With the mom being a lawyer she needs to be ready for some insults because she will be called an unfit mother if she is not home with her kids when they need her. It may be very hard for the mother to always be with her children and she may need to have someone else watch her kids or even take them places but she will also be called an unfit mother because she is choosing work over her kids. Men have a very different role in the family they are expected to not be home with their kids during the day. They would be called an unfit dad if they were the ones staying home all day to watch the kids and take them to and from school. It is important that the family does spend time together but if a women does want to be a lawyer the family already knows that their mother will be a very busy person because of the amount of work that she has. Males are expected to work extra hours and to be busy throughout the day, to busy that they can't be with their kids. Women on the other hand are expected to work very minimal hours if they even work at all, but if they don't work then how are they being successful? Success and knowledge is very important in today's society because there is new technology and now days people continue to go to school to get a profession that they could have that will bring them a lot of money. Although with men, they also want to be an involved parent and as a lawyer that would restrict their times that they get to spend with their child so it also becomes hard for the men that want that time off to spend with their kids. There are also those men that are single parents that should be able to have flexiable hours because they are the only ones that are able to tend to their childrens needs. There is a high importance with child care and they need to be changed so that the children of these lawyers are not the ones being hurt.

Blog #31

In every family you will most likely find them trying to juggle work, kids, school, and other activities. In legal professions the parents face the same things and they always have to miss time with their families because of the extensive amount of work they have to do. The problem with women is that they are the ones that take care of the kids the majority of the time so they find it very hard t0 be away from their kids. Women lawyers have to find a balance between working as a lawyer and working as a mother, and at times it may be very difficult. Many times women find themselves needing to be at two places at once but at the same time they are also working at their office and they need to be there too. Mothers really need to have flexible hours because they are the primary care taker of their kids. Having flexible hours may not allow them to have great credibility because they are taking off of work to tend to their kids. This may make them receive more criticism because they are missing a lot of work and they may not be depicted as real lawyers because they are hardly ever there. They should also have telecommuting available to them because there are many times when kids get sick and they need to be home. Allowing them time off of work throughout the day may conflict with their clients and they could begin to lose their client which means they will eventually lose their status in the firm also. When people see that their lawyer is working at scattered hours then it may seem that they are unreliable and you won't be able to reach them when you truly need to, so that will drive clients away from this lawyer. Even though there is a phone that could be used for communication while the lawyer is tending to her kids there still is a fear that they may never be able to meet face to face until the day of the trail and that may be unacceptable to many clients. Another problem is that telecommuniting will not be as effective because they do not have a supervisor standing over them or a male to apparently tell them what is right or what is wrong.

Blog #29

Very few minority women stay in law because they are treated differently then men and experience racism and discrimination. These women are judged not just solely on their gender but their ethnicity also, which makes it twice as worse. Just because someone is a minority doesn't mean that they give you permission to talk down on them or to look down on them, they are a person just like everyone else and they should be treated with respect no matter what. There are several minority women that try to advance themselves but when they get their cases their clients don't treat them right and they end up leaving because they are being mistreated. The stories of NPR relfect the frustration that former women lawyers have had with their law firms and the legal system as a whole. Even though we are supposed to be living in a society that is supposed to be equal we are instead facing and allowing males to chastise women. Many women leave because they are being mistreated and many times it is planned by the men because they want them to leave. They are either given a hard case or cases that they will continuely lose only because they are being discriminated against. Many women noticed that even if they were a minority that gave from a great prestigious school they would still be treated worse than a white male or female from a state school. These women work hard at what they do, and they should also be praised but unfortunately they are being mistreated and they are being pushed out of the legal system just because many males believe they are not equal to thm. Especially in the legal system there should not be an inequality because we go to the legal system for justice so what are they supposed to do when the inequality and unjustice is inside the system itself. It should not be the color of your skin or the gender that allows you to succeed or not it should rely on your ability to be good at what you do.

Blog #28

Sonia Sotomayor ws characterized as many different things, from the very beginning when she ws simply just nominated for the Supreme Court by Barack Obama. She was called a "fiery Latina woman" which was a common sterotype of Latina women for many years. Sotomayor was judged by her behaviors in the court from the media. When she was compared to a male his actions were seen as more acceptable then hers even if their actions were the same. Sonia is very tough and very quick and has an extremely good work ethic but that is all overseen because they are busy critizing her because she is a women and she is hispanic. She is seen as being a person that is rude and too tough but when a male did the same as her in the courtroom he was praised for his proformance. If Sonia decides to put up a fight she is seen as difficult and someone that is easily angered, basically she is looked down upon because of her actions, but if a male was to do the same thing he would be considered right for doing so. Males do not believe that they should hold such a high position in the workplace like the males currently have. The women are not able to work as a male because if they do they are look at as they are out of their character even if that is how they really are. To be a lawyer it requires you to be tough and to get the respones you need, Sonia knows what she is doing and went to school and learned how to be a lawyer just like the male lawyers did too. Sonia is seem as being at the same level as the other males she works with but the males find this disturbing and they try to push her down any way they can. Sonia is doing what she does best and she is trying to get justice out of what she does but because she is a woman people do not want her to act like she is a tough woman. Gender plays a huge role in the law profession.

Blog # 27

Male are very much priviledge in the law profession and therefore they would be able to get better internships that would lead to better careers which would allow them to move up and provide better opportunities. This also allows them to become much more knowledgeable rather then the women in that same position. Women seem to be purposely left behind and are not able to get those big breaks like the men. Women are stuck in certain position for a very long time because they did not get to go too school when the males did or they were not able to advance themselves like the males did, this is why the women have to rely on the men when they are working on cases. It is as though the women are invisible in the workplace and they always have lots of work to do on a daily basis. Males are always getting praised by their bosses and colleagues for the work that they are getting done but the women get nothing even if they are doing more or better work than the male. Both male and female lawyers go to law school and get paid around the same amount of money but they are tampered because of the gender roles that the law profession is seeming to contribute to. Alot of jobs prefer to have males in higher positions because they are already looked at as dominant and this is providing another sterotype. This could also cause the male and females to fight and this could also lead into the courtroom. Male and females should not be very different because it is important that we do not show the gender roles but lawyers are showing that the male is still in the dominant position even if the female should show the same dominant status. Depending on your ability you should be able to move up and get promoted without a problem but in the law profession it seems that you need to be a male to move up or it will take a countless number of years to do so if you are female.

Blog # 26

Many places do not let women work alone or with other women, therefore, women are mostly assisted by men with their cases. Gender roles are certainly the main practice in this department because they are insisting that a male be present when a female is working on her case so he can oversee this process. They are making sure that the female does everything right, and showing her that the male worker is obviously smarter than her if he is overseeing her work. In Gender on Trial there are some female lawyers that have discussed the times that they had to be assisted by a male and they were looked down because their clients were expecting a man instead of a woman. One woman in particurly talked about how she was talking to her clients about their upcoming trial and since they would not listen to her she had to ask a male to come in and talk to them just to get them to listen to what she has done for them. It seems as though men have more credibility than women do, but that is inaccurate. Another woman talked about how when she talks to her customers at work she sees them ask someone else that same qquestion as if they don't believe her. This is just showing that the law profession has many gender expectations because they are showing that mena are still the dominating roles in our society. Client choose to ignore the female lawyers because they don't see them as stable and secure and they would rather go to a male for an answer or to get the work done simply because they will feel comfortable about their work and their answers. These women do not feel like they are given the same credibility even though they should because they have went to the same type of schooling the male lawyers have. It is unfair for anyone to not listen to you or decided to take their case somewhere else just because you are a woman. Now days gender expectations should be different because we have different gender roles in our society.

Blog # 25

Many times using sexualized behaviors as a weapon usually comes with many restrictions especially in the work place. People should be able to move up in which ever profession or job they have without having to use their body sexually in any way. Everything about sexualized behavior seems very bad to me I can;t really honestly say that there is any pros about this subject. The only thing would be that if a person does use this behavior they might be able to get their way and if they do get what they need and want then they would feel that this behavior was succesful. It depends on what type of person the boss is, now days it seems to be getting worse. There seems to be a lot of favortism going on in many workplaces and it seems to be getting worse as they go. If a woman were to use this behavior on her boss and her accepted the advances she would be able to move up in the company so that would mean she would get a raise and she could also get more hours or less hours whenever she needed to. When using this behavior it is really 50/50, you either get what you want or don't get anything at all. Allowing this behavior will only let this behavior to continue and will accept further sexualized behavior from other women. They would also be continuing to hire these certain type of women because they would expect that same bahvior from these women also. The boss would have total control of the matter and if it was a good boss it would put a stop to it as soon as it happens.

Blog # 24

I talked to my aunt about the exppectations that the lawyers had since she was working with them on a day to day basis. They had many interns and those were the ones that would run their errands for food or drinks, or any little things they needed picked up. The interns would never work on a case alone at least because they were not trained well enough yet to be able to know what to do by themselves. She herself received alot of cases and at many times they were difficult to deal with especially when they were death cases or rape cases. The lawyers always seemed to be very professional while around her, they always talked to her with respect and was never too demanding with her, they recognized how much work that she had to get done for them. She would help them get ready for their next trial and many times spent many hours helping them prepare. She also commented about the ration of women to men in her work environment and she found it interesting to find that there was only one women working their and all other lawyers were male. This was something that she never noticed until I asked her, so gender expectation must not be as high where she works because of this example. The men lawyers never caused any problems and never acted any way they shouldn't be acting. She also said that the expectation for her department was to do most of the lawyers work they would set the paperwok up for the lawyer then when the case was done the lawyer would review it before the actual court date. Her job was very stressful and I'm sure the interns feel the same stress.

Blog # 23

Chapter 2 of Gender on Trial discusses the difficult choices that the female attourneys have with their wardrobe choice inside the courtroom. This problem has been dated back to the 1960's when women began to enter into the law profession, so this topic is not a new discussion. Chapter 2 contines to say that tracing the way women change clothes indicates that we have a path form timidity to confidence, now our clothes show that women now have a greater individuality. Women before felt they were betraying their true identities with a male-style and now feel a stronger look because they have an outer look and an inner person.

Man tend to believe that women have it easy when it comes to dress because women have a greater range of clothing then men do. Men believe they either look formal or casual with whatever they wear. English states, "[W]omen's dress has ranged from masculine to feminine to casual to sexy means that women now have many more options for how to dress than they did in the past" (English, 2003, 32). Let's take Hillary Clinton for example, she has been an icon of entertanment for many years, she wears women's pant suits, which closely resemble a man's suit. Then there is Michelle Obame that is always seen wearing dresses with her hair down. She always looks very formal, and her appeal is very different from the women's pant suit. The media has started paying attention to her clothes now rather then what she is saying or the more important things. Tight clothing has also become popular, it seems if someone were to wear loose clothing they would not be seen as important or would not be taken as seriously.

Blog # 22

Sotomayor was nominated for appointment to the US supreme Court by President Barack Obama in May of 2009. Her nomination was confirmed by the US Senate in August of 2009, she was the third female justice on the US SUpreme Court. She was also the second jurist to be nominated by a President. She was the first Hispanic woman, being a minoirty woman brings some level of discrimination. This discrimination was also brought on because she was a womanof power. When people think of her it is becasue she was hispanic and a women. She knew that she was looked at ont he basis of sterotypes and not on her work ethic. Her ethnicity and gender also made people believe that she would not be able to put aside her own personal biases with her judgments. She made sure that she said that she does not believe that any ethnic, racial, or gender group done not have an advantage in sound judgment. Many times Republican senators would confront her regarding remarks from her speeches, but she would point out her judical record and she made sure that she never let her own life experiences or opinions influence her decisions. Harsh allegations made against Sotomayor that have surfaced includes the most talked about which would be that she is a racist woman. Sotomayor makes sure that she assures the public that ethnicity does not give one group a greater ability to make sound judgments. Sotomayor seems to threaten the historical norm of white male power; if SOtomayor had been a white male chnces of any allegations would be slim to none. Her biggest problem is that she is a hispanic woman, if she was a white male or even possibly a white female she would not be getting talked about but unfortunatly we still have racism within the government.