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.
When I spoke up there was retribution to be paid
I confronted my boss about the way certain cases were treated. I was really vocal about it. I felt one of the cases was handled very unethically. I noticed there was retribution that was very subtle. There was nothing overt about it. It would happen in situations where he would just embarrass me in front of other staff members. The sad thing about it was that everyone else who was a woman submitted themselves to it.