Letter of the month
I just finished reading the Summer issue of Precedent, and wanted to write to tell you that I loved it. It really is an extraordinary thing that you’ve done with this magazine project, and I wish you every success.
Dr. Ian Holloway Q.C.
Professor and Dean of Law
The University of Western Ontario
Go further
Re: How quitting helps women, Summer ’08
I was glad to read May Cheng’s article about the Justicia Pilot Project and the issue of retention of women in private practice. I applaud the initiative, but am also concerned that it focuses almost exclusively on women who have children. By assuming that the only barriers that female lawyers face are rooted in our biological capability to have children, the project not only excludes women who do not plan on having families, but also shies away from some of the more difficult and systemic challenges we face.
Melissa Ghislanzoni, M.A., LL.B.
Fraser Milner Casgrain, LLP
Online discussion
Re: How quitting helps women, Summer ’08
Fasken Martineau lawyer May Cheng’s opinion piece also generated discussion at lawandstyle.ca. Cheng argued that women who leave the profession for jobs in-house could choose to award legal work to firms committed to the advancement of women. Karen Selick wrote, “If the women holding these powerful roles … have the full endorsement of their corporations and institutions to implement affirmative action for women, then I don’t see a problem. But if they are sneaking in their personal preferences in ways that actually might undermine their employers (by not letting them choose the best law firm for the job, and instead favouring a law firm that merely promotes women) then this is misconduct vis-a-vis their employers.”
Cheng responded: “What is already proven is that women lawyers are every bit as competent as their male counterparts … thus the suggestion that choosing women over men would be to the detriment of the company, because the woman selected would not be ‘the best,’ is the epitome of the bad stereotypes we are all trying to overcome.” Sue Van Der Hout added that Cheng’s comment “affirms a reality that has already played out in the U.S.: Those deciding beauty contests have a carrot that can cause the most curmudgeonly partners to rethink firm priorities. It makes walking the talk a win/win situation.”