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Desiree Davidson
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.

Should she stay or go?

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After the acquisition, silly new rules

Wendy Craft

When the company was bought out, there was a culture change and there were a lot more silly rules. For example, I had people who worked for me on the road. They were elites at the time who were constantly going out to put out fires. One guy came back from a trip and the accounting department had a problem with his expense report. They gave him such a hard time and he got so furious. He said to me, "You know that was a $15 hamburger in Brussels at midnight." He was on the road, working late, and he needed to eat. I said, "I am so sorry," but there was little I could do about it. He quit.