Browse Stories
Vote on Desiree Davidson's Story
Were they afraid we were planning a coup d'etat?
I spent my first summer during Columbia Law School at a firm in Philadelphia described as one of the best places in the city for black lawyers. I believed that if there was any place where I would have an equal chance at opportunities, be treated fairly and succeed, this would be it. There were three black female summer associates out of sixty that year but any time all three of us were in an office talking, one of the partners would knock on the door to see how we were doing. It happened too often to be a coincidence that sometimes we would purposely agree to meet in so-and-so's office to test our theory that we were being monitored. Like clock work, ten minutes after we would get together a partner would stop by.
Melissa Andrews's Experiences
I walked by the vice president's open office door. Inside was him, the CEO, and legal counsel (three males).
Several months before, at the holiday party, the vice-president got extremely drunk and told a good friend that he was having an affair, and that it wasn't so unusual, because the CEO was having one, too.
These experiences definitely caused me to lose respect for the management team, and as a result I was less willing to work hard and go out of my way to assist clients.
A work atmosphere is as important as the pay scale. I was fortunate enough to leave this job for another that paid the same (and then gave me several promotions), but I would have also left for a bit less money and a better atmosphere.