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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.
Shanna Zee's Experiences
I am an older woman who decided to enter the corporate world because the career I had chosen was no longer viable due to the extreme amount of physical labor it took to complete each day.
I always kept a professional attitude towards the clients of both of these attorneys. I would assist them but did not try to get to close to them.
I would have stayed with the first attorney if she had not struck me and she had paid me what I was worth.
If I were trying to assist someone else in how to be successful with the first attorney, I would say that you would have to work for virtually nothing and not let her talk to you in a rude or degrading manner.
Differences, even small ones, can lead to major problems in an employee/employer relationship
I have worked in many occupations, including being self-employed for many years. I chose to forgo getting married or raising a family and instead concentrated on my career.