BEFORE AND AFTER TITLE VII: A MID-CENTURY MEMOIR

Schroeder reflects on her experiences as a law student in the 1960s and the significant changes that occurred with the enactment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She describes the challenges she faced as one of the few women in her law school class and the discrimination she encountered in the legal profession. She highlights the impact of Title VII, which prohibited employment discrimination based on sex, and how it opened doors for women in the legal field. She discusses her own career as a trial attorney in the Department of Justice and the progress made in achieving gender equality in the judiciary. She credits leaders like Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall, and Jimmy Carter for their efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. She concludes by emphasizing the importance of historical context and the role of societal forces in shaping individual careers.