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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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I was born with this name

Brigitte Burlington
Brigitte Burlington

I was working for this woman who unfortunately had my same name. So she announced at our first staff meeting that I would go by Brig and she would go by Brigette. I said, "Excuse me. I was born with this name and I'm going to keep it." She said, "Okay. Then I'll be Brigette A and you'll be Brigette B." My last name started with a B and hers with an A, so that made sense. But then she said, "That way, I'll still be ahead of you."

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