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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 wasn't getting the experience I needed
- Workplace Unfairness
- Female
- African-American
- Law Firm
- Considering Leaving
- Assignments
- Career Development
- Double Standards
- Stereotyping
- Stifled Growth
- Underutilized
The first law firm I left specialized in environmental law and had about 40 to 50 attorneys. I left the firm because I wasn't getting the training I wanted. I wasn't getting the experience I needed. When I started comparing notes with people who graduated with me from law school and with associates at the firm, I realized the kind of assignments I was getting were completely different. I was doing glorified paralegal work. I was in my second year and I knew that if I wanted to make a career out of this I better hurry up and get some experience under my belt.