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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.
I pledge allegiance to corporate America
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Law Firm
- Considering Leaving
- Non-Profit
- Interviews
- Worklife Balance
When I was getting ready to quit the law firm I was working at, I started interviewing at other firms. Employers cannot legally ask a candidate if they plan on having children but they circumvent the law by asking other subtle questions such as, "What are your plans for the future?" or "What kinds of hours are you looking for?" They want you to drop clues that you have no interest in having children, that you live to serve corporate America and that the blood in your veins flows with an undying desire for money. At one interview, I replied to one such question, "Yeah, I love corporate America. Kids aren't in my forecast for a long, long time." Not surprisingly, I received an offer to join the firm.