Women in the Judiciary Essay

Perhaps no other jurist could have come to the Supreme Court under greater expectations. When President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor in 1981 to be the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court, he did soto keep a campaign promise. O'Connor's nomination was quick to draw criticism from both the political people left and right. Conservatives put down her lack of federal judicial experience and claimed that she didn't have any constitutional knowledge. They considered her a wasted nomination and suspected her position on abortion. Liberals, on the other hand, could not deny their satisfaction at seeing a woman on the High Court, but they were disappointed in O'Connor's apparent lack of strong support for

The eighteenth century brought about a great deal of change and a new-found interest in science and reason. Because of this, many great inventions, ideas and innovative theorists arose from this time period. Among them was a forward-thinking essayist by the name of Mary Wollstonecraft. In her book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft preaches her belief that the oppression of women is largely due to lack of female education. Although the term "feminism" wasn’t coined until decades later, Wollstonecraft paved the way for future women’s rights movements by advocating equality in education for women. She believed men and women should be equal in the very basic aspects of life, such as in loyalty in marriage. Wollstonecraft

Despite legislation for equal opportunities, sexism is still evident in the workplace. Women have made great advancements in the workforce and have become an integral part of the labor market. They have greater access to higher education and as a result, greater access to traditionally male dominated professions such as law. While statistics show that women are equal to men in terms of their numbers in the law profession, it is clear however, that they have not yet achieved equality in all other areas of their employment. Discrimination in the form of gender, sex and sexual harassment continues to be a problem in today’s society.

“Portia’s Progress”, a speech given by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor demonstrates the numerous trials and tribulations throughout the years that women have faced during the struggle to not only practice law but to be considered an equal member in any position in the work force.

She was a mother, a moral and political philosopher, a writer, and a feminist. Mary Wollstonecraft was the ideal image of what represented the push towards modern feminism. Some may even consider her as the founding mother of modern feminism itself. Much of Wollstonecraft’s literature is influenced by her own life experiences. In 1785, Wollstonecraft took on an employment opportunity as a governess. While spending most of her time there, she had a moment of epiphany where she realized that she was not suited for domestic work. Soon after, she returned to London and became a translator and wrote for a well-known publisher and discovered her love of writing. Eventually, years later she was then able to publish her most notable work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is still a very popular book which can be seen as a guide to becoming a better citizen and understanding feminism in a critical context. This essay will argue that Mary Wollstonecraft is still relevant to the feminist cause today as her views portrayed in her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman are still relatable to many of the feminist issues that currently exist around the world. This essay will do so by comparing how her views in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman can still be used as guiding principles to tackle feminist matters.

Perhaps no other jurist could have come to the Supreme Court under greater expectations. When President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor in 1981 to be the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court, he did soto keep a campaign promise. O'Connor's nomination was quick to draw criticism from both the political people left and right. Conservatives put down her lack of federal judicial experience and claimed that she didn't have any constitutional knowledge. They considered her a wasted nomination and suspected her position on abortion. Liberals, on the other hand, could not deny their satisfaction at seeing a woman on the High Court, but they were disappointed in O'Connor's apparent lack of strong support for

(Roisman 2016 p. 689) Above the development of her long career in law and politics she has received over 70 awards and 8 honorary degrees from universities. Her events in the courtroom brought Motley massive gratitude. She was both feared, valued, appreciated and respected. As U.S. Congressman John Lewis remembered, "in the heart of the American South, during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement in the late 50's and 60's, there were only two lawyers that made white segregationists tremble and gave civil rights workers hope—Constance Baker Motley and Thurgood Marshall. When someone mentioned that one of them was coming to town, we knew there would be a shake-up for the cause of justice." (Wolfe 2014, p. 12) Motley credits former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall for giving her both the opportunity and the moral support she needed to succeed in the fiercely competitive judicial arena. "Lost in the shuffle may well be his personal, unique contributions to the advancement of women in the law," she wrote in a personal tribute to Marshall published. (Motley 1992, p.16) “He aided my career at a time when nobody was hiring women lawyers…. I am now a senior United States district judge, and I was the chief judge of the country's largest federal trial court from 1982 until 1986. But if it had not been for Thurgood Marshall, nobody would ever have heard of Constance Baker Motley.”(Motley 2004, p.3) Motley never lost her desire to change the world for the better. Her reputation only grew more eminent. Dedicated, loyal and committed to her work convinced of how important it was to others. Motley continued to fight cases until her death. She will be remembered as a courageous defender of righteousness. Her desired to fulfill her desire to change the world for the better was accomplished during her time and many appreciated her work. She opens the doors for many

The 1873 court case “Bradwell v. Illinois” is an example of structure contributing to gender formation. Myra Bradwell was a woman who had extensive law training and was qualified to practice law. However, when she applied for a license to practice law, the court refused. The court argued that, while she was extremely qualified to practice law, granting her a license would disrupt the idea that men and women were supposed to “occupy different spheres of action, and that it belonged to men to make, apply, and execute the laws (23)” because women were unfit for civil life. Not only did this ruling affect gender formations in Illinois, it also set a precedent for similar court cases in other states.

Supreme Court was a step in the direction to further women’s equality. When Ronald Reagan ran for president, “one of his major campaign promises was to appoint a woman to the nation’s highest court” (Alter 3). After her appointment, she urged for other women to be on the bench. One woman in specific that O’Connor encouraged to be on the bench was Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who became her right hand in the law. Although O’Connor and Ginsburg disagreed on disparate court cases, they were relentless allies. “Justice O’Connor encouraged Ginsburg to write the famous 1996 opinion that required the all-male Virginia Military Institute to admit qualified women” (Alter 3); O’Connor wanted equality for women. She was strong in her beliefs and was determined to see them sought out.

The legal profession far precedes the conclusion of the United States Revolutionary War, but the role that the field plays today does not mirror the same discipline of the founders, specifically in regards to women. The first female attorney, named Arabella Babb, began practicing in 1869. Since then, the legal profession has been consistently evolving in diversity, however, as of 2015 women only made up 35% of the bar registered attorneys according to the American Bar Association. The advancement of women in the legal field closely emulated that of other women’s rights movements. There were surges and shrinkages with some outstanding exceptions along the way, but regardless, the overall trend shows an improvement for women. Analyzing this data demonstrates the possibility of a continued trend for women in the law. History and present circumstances would indicate that the role of female attorneys will be predominant and advanced as time continues to pass.

Sandra Day-O’Connor was nominated for the Supreme Court in 1981 by President Ronald Regan. An amazing woman, O’Connor’s accomplishments are many. After, surprisingly, being accepted into Stanford law school, O’Connor graduated third in her class of 102 in 1952 (Institute 2000). O’Connor, like many women of her time, could not get a job as a lawyer because of prejudice and discrimination. This did not stop this determined woman, or even slow her down! The road from a remote southwestern Arizona ranch to the first female Republican Senate majority leader and then first female Supreme Court Justice was fraught with stereotypical female prejudice.

Females are labeled as being too assertive, but as an attorney, one would think that it was good to be assertive. It is much harder for women to get employment at a law firm. Some go on to work for a private practice. Gender bias also affects hiring and promotion. Female lawyers perceive that it is harder to get hired, and once hired they are paid less and have fewer opportunities for promotion (Neubauer, 2008).

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor famously said: ‘A wise old woman and a wise old man will reach the same conclusion. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has made similar observations, but at the same time, she said that women bring to the table their own experiences, which inform their decision making’ (“How Women Changed the High Court... And Didn’t”). This shows that since Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were sworn in, women have been able to present their own experiences, allowing themselves to make more just and informed decisions. In a more diverse court, more experiences and life stories

I examined different professional industries in The United States to get a familiar understanding of gender inequality around me. Gender inequality does not particularly favor one sex in every professional industry. Joanne Lipman’s article, "Let’s Expose the Gender Pay Gap," dealt with professional women in the work force and the gender pay gap that exists between professional men. There is also a distinct gender gap between a woman and a man asking for a raise or promotion within a company. “Female doctors and surgeons, for example, earn 71 percent of what their male colleagues make, while female financial specialists are paid just 66 percent as much as comparable men. Other researchers have calculated that women one year out of college earn 6.6 percent less than men after controlling for occupation and hours, and that female M.B.A. graduates earn on average $4,600 less than their male classmates for their first jobs.” (Lipman). There is a statistical gender pay gap in The United States that is undeniable.

In the past 3 decades, women made great advancements in the workforce. First, they have become an integral part of the labour market; they have access to higher education and consequently to traditionally male dominated professions such as medicine, law and business. While statistics show that women are equal to men in terms of their numbers in the law profession, it is not clear however, whether they have achieved equality in all other areas of their employment. In this paper, I will examine women’s experiences in the law profession; whether women are earning equal salary compared to the male lawyers, do they still face barriers that are gender related and whether they have broken the glass ceiling in a profession that is supposed to be