#MeToo in the Legal Profession
Women and the Law Program Addresses Preventing Harassment in the Legal Workplace
March 23, 2018
In February, the American University Washington College of Law Women and the Law Program brought together a group of women lawyers to discuss concrete steps for change at “#MeToo: Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Legal Workplace.” The evening event included a conversation about preventing sexual harassment in the workplace, and how practitioners could lead the way in demanding workplaces free from sex-based harassment, abuse, and discrimination for all women.
Watch a video of the discussion here.
“The #MeToo moment is an opportunity for change, not just in the general law, but in lawyers,” said Professor Daniela Kraiem, associate director of the Women and the Law Program. “There are specific and concrete steps that we can take now to make our workplaces exactly that—places where we work. Where we represent our clients, or draft legislation, or decide cases. Not places where we have to think about our basic safety and security.”
Key contributions from the #MeToo event included:
- Llezlie Green Coleman’s call to rethink the use of non-disclosure, confidentiality, and binding arbitration agreements in employment litigation;
- Cara Greene’s assessment that ethical obligations with teeth are needed to reinforce that our profession will not tolerate sexual harassment in any form; and
- Emily Martin’s reminder that of the need for federal legislation to create humane and effective procedures for reporting sexual harassment on the Hill, as well as her call to get involved with Time’sUp.
Read Kraiem’s full post recapping the event on Gender and the Law Prof Blog, where she discusses harassment in the legal profession from Anita Hill to her own experiences.
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“The #MeToo moment is an opportunity for change, not just in the general law, but in lawyers.”
Daniela Kraiem, associate director of the Women and the Law Program