Now That We Are Here: Discrimination, Disparagement, and Harassment at Work and the Experience of Women Lawyers

This article examines the sexist work experiences of a sample of women lawyers in a medium-sized midwestern city. Specifically, it focuses on reports of discrimination, gender disparagement, and sexual harassment as components of gendered systems that maintain and reinforce inequalities between men and women on the job. The relationships between these experiences, professional role orientation (feminist versus careerist) and structural work characteristics (types of workplace and deegree of tokenism) are explored. Respondents report lower levels of discrimination at the more visible and legally protected "front door" (in recruitment and hiring) than on the job (in salary, promotion, and job assignments). For the most part, private (versus public) sector employees and those in token positions report higher levels of sexist behavior. Contrary to expectations, those with careerist orientations (versus feminist orientations) report more sexual harassment. The interrelations and implications of these findings for women's careers in the law are discussed.