Ladies in Law

ho runs the world? If you

Wask the ladies, you know the answer you’ll get. And maybe they do run the world. More importantly, for the purpose of this publication, how are they doing in the legal profession? Law360 Pulse released its annual “Glass Ceiling Report: Women In Law” in August of this year. The report shows only a moderate increase in the number of female lawyers working in US law firms. Currently, only 38.9 percent of law firm attorneys are women, and only 27 percent of female attorneys are partners. According to Law360, these figures are “nearly identical results to last year’s report.” Certain practice areas remain maledominated. For example, only 12 percent of the attorneys who litigated before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board were women. Additionally, female criminal and appellate lawyers were underrepresented. However, women now make up 49 percent of associates.

Sadly, female attorneys have stories of being treated differently than males. Attorney Eve McClurg says, “Early in my career, I was sent to a conference to learn Workers' Comp. I was told when I got there to meet with the senior partner from the west coast, so he can tell me where to go, what to do and introduce me to people. The firm and adjusters were at a party. I was finally introduced to the partner, who hit on me, tried to touch me and was very explicit about what he wanted me to do. I was offended, left and did not go near him the rest of the weekend. When I got back to the office in Fort Myers, I didn’t say anything to anyone. I was told that the partner from the west coast told my boss that I was rude, and the adjusters did not like me. I showed my boss all the contacts I made and the adjuster friends I made. My boss was a woman, so I confided in her what happened. She told me that sometimes you have to do whatever it takes to get ahead and told me I had to apologize to him. I quit. Which was really difficult given that it is a small legal community and I had to quit my first job. I am not from here, so I didn’t have any ties or referrals to obtain other employment. I was really upset at the time.”

Attorney Danielle Levy Seitz also had a negative experience. She says, “I had a bad experience with an attorney in Fort Lauderdale that made comments to me about considering making it mandatory that I wear a skirt. He also commented that he thought I should straighten my hair all the time. He placed his hands on my back and commented to me that he is ‘handsy’. I definitely didn’t stay there long.” She adds, “(When I clerked at a local law firm), some of the partners treated me very differently compared to a male, who was also clerking. Interestingly enough, I find that from time-to-time clients tell me that they are seeking out a female attorney for any number of reasons. Sometimes because of how they believe the other party may respond to a female attorney, and sometimes because they say that their perception is that women can be more aggressive.” There is also a feeling among women that strong and assertive character traits in women are perceived negatively, whereas the same traits in men are admired. There are law firms actively attempting to attract and retain female lawyers. Some firms have established programs to provide their female attorneys with opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, professional development and growth both in the firm and throughout the community. As another step towards the goal of attracting female attorneys, firms are creating policies allowing for parental leave and flexible work schedules. Seitz says, “Having some flexibility to be able to work remotely can benefit all attorneys, no matter of gender. Traditionally, women fill more caretaker roles that may not be conducive to working in a traditional 100% in-office work schedule. I haven’t ever received any genderspecific training or guidance on navigating life as a female attorney, but I also haven’t sought it out. There may be some biases I’ve been exposed to that I haven’t even been aware of, because, to be honest, I’ve never viewed myself as less deserving or less capable because of my gender.” Law firms are also recognizing it is important for female lawyers to see other female lawyers elevated into partnership and leadership positions. Seitz says, “I think firms having female partners probably are more likely to attract other female attorneys. I know some female attorneys working at firms where all the partners are male, and I think there is some concern about whether their gender will be a barrier to them becoming a partner.” McClurg says, “(I have worked) for myself during a large part of my career. I worked for a large firm before and was always provided the same resources as the male attorneys. I believe they wanted me to succeed.”

Attorney Eve McClurg Attorney Danielle Levy Seitz

Self-Help Center benefits everyone in the legal community

by kevin karnes, lee county clerk of the court & comptroller

As the gateway to the court system, the Lee County Clerk’s office is often the first point of contact for many justice seekers. To address their needs, the office opened a Self-Help Center on the first floor of the Justice Center in March 2018. Soon after, free legal consultations were launched in partnership with Lee County Legal Aid Society. Each year, The Honorable Linda Doggett Self-Help Center has been instrumental in helping thousands of customers resolve small legal disputes or concerns. Many of these self-represented litigants are seeking a basic understanding of their legal circumstances and cannot afford an attorney, so it is critical that services are available to walk them through the process. Due to Hurricane Ian, we are also expecting a large increase in civil lawsuits to settle disputes with contractors and insurance companies. The Center has two Justice Navigators who assist with court form preparation for a variety of civil and family matters, such as simplified divorces, adult name changes, domestic violence petitions, evictions and small claims. They also assist with obtaining and e-filing court documents and viewing child/family support payment history. Customers can also easily file cases using TurboCourt. com, an online case filing system. Since the Justice Navigators are not attorneys, customers can schedule free, virtual 20-minute legal consultations with a Legal Aid attorney. The consultations provide self-represented litigants with the necessary legal resources available to them that they otherwise would not be able to receive. The attorneys cannot represent the customer in court, and they do not assist with criminal cases, intellectual property or maritime matters. By providing basic assistance, the SelfHelp Center helps filers avoid common pitfalls that would delay their cases and take valuable time and resources away from judges, magistrates and the Clerk’s office. Since many are unfamiliar with the legal process and courtroom protocol, self-represented litigants may not know how to file the proper paperwork in a timely manner. Legal Aid attorneys are available to assist, and they play a vital role in ensuring self-represented litigants avoid common filing mistakes. If you would like to contact Legal Aid, call 239-334-6118 or email Nanci DuBois at nanci@leecountylegalaid.org. Attorneys in the courthouse can also benefit directly from the Self-Service Center. You can stop by weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to use any public access computers and to get documents notarized, certified, printed and copied. Our online Self-Help Center at www. leeclerk.org/selfhelp also features “How To” video tutorials on a variety of Clerk services. To learn more about the SelfHelp Center, call 239-533-2835 or email justicenavigator@leeclerk.org.