ClaudiaElena Gomez-Ventura

80552010
Literature Review

Topic: Women in supreme courts and lower courts

Abstract
Women in todays society have come a long way in gaining respect even though living in
a mans world. Breaking down stereo types as well as the glass ceiling in the workforce and
setting a great explain for young girls. Women today are seen more as powerful and dominate
other than delicate and weak. Although women are still look as comforting, it is important to
point out that women didnt really had a saying back in the day on whether they were able to
obtain a highs-end degree. Gender discrimination is seen on all field they apply to, especially the
practice of law, yet society has evolved in order to except women, yet the question still stands on
if we as a society have fully on except gender equality. Nonetheless we can say that women
today have step up their game and shut down envious men. However, the question still stands,
Do women still live a mans world?
Women in supreme courts and lower courts: A Review of Literature
Women in law becomes very significant when it is talked about in the law society today.
But has it always been this way? A quick answer to that question is no, women have actually
come a long way in order to create a balance between men and women in law. This profession
was not an easy start from women to become part of. According to Law Practice Today
Magazine, gender equality made a huge step forward on 1869, where a woman named Arabella
Babb who became the first women lawyer in the United States. Of course, this only the start
gender equality in the law profession but like every step forward theres set back that made it
difficult for women to begin their practice.

The sets backs continue as more women begin easing the opportunity to practice law, one
set that became every significant to this case was in 1950. Literally a century when the famous
school of law, Harvard, finally open its doors to females and allowed them achieve their dreams
and their professions. Although Harvard open its doors the ones that kept shut were law firm.
These law firms believe that women were not capable or didnt have the mind capacity to go on
with a case. To put matters worse women who were lucky to obtain a job at a law firm were
pay less, so much for gender equality. At this point men were still seen as superior, this is where
one starts seeing the term mans world come around in this profession.
This gender unbalance not only hurt womens opportunities but it also hurt the law
profession its self. Coming back to when women were lucky enough to obtain a job they were
also seen as a higher chance to quit the job, either due to unfair treatment or salary wise. This
issue seems to have numerous amount of high drop-out rates towards women than to men.
Taking a look again to Law Practice Today Magazine, women not only tried to keep their
profession going in the right track they also had the responsibly to take care of their families. In
this time frame women had to make sure their families came first according to the culture norms
while their spouses also worked. This unbalance life for a woman caused again many set back
and sadly most of the women who actually had a profession had to give it up. (Womens in Law
2016)
Sadly women still have it tough since we are coming back to the say living in a mans
world, men did little to nothing to help out since they believed they were superior. Courtney
from the article This is a Manns World: A Womens Life in a Male Dominated Society, explains
through her publish that yes we are still surrounded by the stereotypes that a woman should
follow in the 21st century yet it does not require a woman to do whatever society says. Women

are seen in this society as men and women are equal yet the stereotypes beg a differ. We begin
to see that women are do not belong in the kitchen, staying home all day taking care of her kids
and of course not seen a minority. Courtney emphasis that women can be just as successful as
men and that they should feel afraid of their abilities. Men are afraid that women are just going
to gain so much success and a man will never survive but we all know that is just an excuse to
put a woman were she belongs.
Shamelessly there is very little thats been done in order to create a balance workplace for
both man and women. The gender roles made from women during the time period when the first
female lawyer, Arabella Babb, obtain her profession were simple; a stay a home mom taking care
of chores of the house. Women to this day are still seen as they should stay and make sure dinner
is ready for the working spouse. Make sure her children are well feed and dress, as well as
making sure any physical or emotional disturbance happening to their offspring is taken care by
them and only them since the father is too busy at work. At times, there was equality in the
family however most of the time it was only justified from women to stay home.
Nonetheless some women actually had the courage to break those gender roles and
pursue their dream career. And the biggest impact was both to society and to men. Yes men, men
were not only afraid of a womans success they are still to this day afraid of taking orders from a
female. As funny as it sounds men dont want their sister, girlfriend, or wife bossing them
around, even though the wife already does, they want to be in control of their surroundings. Men
want to feel like the hero at the end of the day and therefore Courtney from this article emphases
in the simplest words possible, men think they will not survive if they are not more successful
than woman, and what will hurt them more than anything is there ego. (Carroll 2013)

Lets say be damage a mans ego, so what, a women has to move in order to succeed in a
mans world, for us women we would have to follow these simple secrets and there we have it
success. The first secret is to except whatever name they call you even though it is not what a
woman expects to have. Being called offensive names not always can bring down a woman, only
by embracing it will put down anyone who is a pebble thru ones path. Another most people have
a problem about a woman in power is how good looking they are. Most people would think that
her sexuality is what brought her to the top, which 100% of the time is not true.
In a male dominated profession, us woman have to know the cheat sheet in order to
succeed, of course theres going to be envy mostly from men and women will be women and
envy anyone better than them. In this competition to the top women have to let go of their weakminded mind and be the man in the office. According to the blog, 4 Secrets to Success in a Mans
World, nicknames or offensive names your co-workers will call you, take all of them and
shove it in your pants and say thank you for that amazing compliment. Indeed, it sounds some
kind of joke, however they are demonstrating that they envy and admire your greatness to be the
boss.
Now being the boss and being a woman can some of the time have a little set back as
well as a misunderstanding. For us women we cannot help having certain charms in our body, its
not like we asked to be born a female and grow breast and a rather nice hind area; yes, we are
talking about a females sexuality. In most cases a women sexuality can be perceived as bad,
where in some cases it becomes a distraction from males in the workplace. This comes back to
the law firms who didnt want to hire new-coming female lawyers. They believe that their
sexuality wouldnt get the job done. However, what they fail to remember is to mind their own
business and keep their wondering eyes to themselves. Being an attractive female is not bad

neither is being a handsome man, it is just part of how you carry yourselves in the workplace that
is bad. Nonetheless in a man and a woman know how to respect themselves and have successes
for both gender should not be a problem. (Zynczak Deason 2014)
Is there discrimination towards female lawyers and all the women in different
fields?
Just in the outside world theres discrimination so there is in the workplace. Caroline
from The New Press, first starts writing her blog on the federal laws protecting one and she
demands the they must be reinforced. A company that does not support a female leader is bound
to come to falling to the ground eventually. One of the main conflicts are women who are
pregnant and are not supported by their own company. Another thing that Caroline comes
through in this blog is the appearance and the ability and the wages is of a woman.
Indeed, it is sad to see that there are actually laws out protecting women from
discrimination yet women are still discriminated against their gender. Although the laws have
done so sort of help, but what happens when the employers do not feel the need to follow what is
said in stone. Both the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Equal Pay Act of 1963, were
created to protect not only women but any form a of discrimination toward minorities and even
majorities, despite their religion, race, color or origin. These acts apply in which the employer
decides not to hiring or fires without giving a reasonable justification.
In the act that women fall heavily in is the Equal Pay Act of 1963, just as before women
werent payed as good as men in the beginning of their career. This comes back to the law firm
that would pay very little to women just because they were women, yet it said because they
werent capable of doing what a man does while carrying a case. Of course, this is wrong,

however take a look when this act was passed 1963, the first female lawyer was in 1869. This
again comes to the argument where it took almost a century for someone to realize that women
werent getting fair treatment. And it still took a few years after Harvard opened its doors gender
inequality. Although, this continues to downsize, we can still see this in todays society yet not as
common.
Just as the Equal Pay act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has a few tricks up its
sleeve as well. This act protects women and their families from a sort of mistreatment. As we
mention before women play a huge part in their family and most of the time is their main
priority. This act prohibits any working long tiring nights that keeps them from their families.
This law not only applies to women but to men as well. In other word this act was create in the
mind of have equal treatment to both genders.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is just as important however this act protects the
family of the women or anyone falling in discrimination. Once again, we come back to the fact
that law firm employers do not want to hiring women because it is seemed as a waste of time.
Now what happens if the women do get hired and becomes pregnant? As Donald Trump, would
say This is unconvinced to employers. Of course, we arent as brutal as he is, therefore this act
is here from. Caroline emphases that pregnancy discrimination act make a huge contribution with
is act protecting women. This act strictly forbids unfair treatment towards a pregnant woman and
any disability or sick leave being offered must be also offered to the pregnant women or new
mother. (The New Press 2015)
Are women are seen as more comforting/delicate when it comes to purposing a
strongminded degree?

Throughout the years women are seen more as delicate human being that needs to stay
home where it is safe. Well, we have mention women and their sexuality in occasions throughout
this paper. And the point keeps coming up, if we see a woman with high power most men would
see that she made it to the top because she used sex to get her to the position. This of course
effects the mans ego and they hate to see a woman with higher power that them. Womans body
is sexualized and only seen as an object and said that women cant control their bodies. Not only
women have to worry of obtaining the career they want but they have to watch out for the
penalty that they might get for being a woman. As I mention before women don not have any
control of how their body will become. In the blog Think progress written by Tara Culp-Resseler
states that a womens body is constantly sexualized and objectified that is reaches to a point
where the consequence ends up by towards the women. Women are accused for supposedly
having a more higher chance of cheating their spouse, responsible for men looking at them, and
being the main reason why there is a high rate of teen pregnancy.
This conflict between a woman and the workplace begins when a employer hires a
unmarried female employee. Take a second to understand how ridicules this sounds, yet it is true.
Women are more likely to get fired because they are the cause that a separation between a
married couple. And the blame continuous goes on, young women are to blame for the high rate
of pregnancy. One is not say that the young women is to put fully to blame, what about the male?
He just as the girl were at fault, however this is only targeted at the female because of their
sexuality.
Sexuality seems to play a huge part in the womens discrimination, because of a womans
sexuality it causes a distraction to men, or how I rather call them boys. Throughout this essay, I
am going to emphases that women do not have any control of being born the way they are. They

have no control just as men do and that is something employers as well as school districts have to
understand. Theres been several instances where young women are sent home because they
became a distraction to young boys. Not only is this take away valuable education time it is
setting the explain that women will never be as equal as men. Objectively speaking women are
seen as sexual objects and at any point they can get fired for being a temptation as Tara says.
Once again men should really keep their eyes and comments to themselves since women have no
say on them being perverts and glazing at them, that is called harassment. (Think Progress 2014)
In the generation and society, we live today do you think women are able to break
over the glass ceiling or is there still a long run for a woman to even reach a glass
ceiling?
One thing that women have always struggled in is called the Glass ceiling where
theres an imaginary ceiling where one can see its goal they want to reach, however is unable to
obtain it since theres a barrier (obstacles) forbiting them to meet their goal. This term is sad for
the fact that many people not just women have suffered because of this. When in 1869, Arabella
Babb became the first female lawyer she shattered just a small part for women pursuing the law
profession. There was still time withdraws for society to adjust itself to this new up-coming. Not
only she was significant many other women who came down in history to try and break the glass
ceiling once and for all. The main problem for women and the glass ceiling is time, time take
way to long to adjust and show what each of are able to do. Today more and more women are
reaching that barrier create amazing opportunity for the young women to come. There will
always be a positive and negative in look toward the glass ceiling. Positive by setting examples,
as well as keep the barrier so they can strive higher and higher. Nonetheless, in every positive of
are two negatives and this case its the barrier as well as society.

In the society, today we can take a look on how people help one another to become
greater and the other few who do up to the impossible to make sure one gains success other than
themselves. In the case between the men and the women we mention how men rather be superior
then women because that effects their ego. The main reason being is that they do not want to take
orders from a female since they are the ones who should be in charge. Well this is where the
glass ceiling still stands for women and men in the workplace. (Women in Law 2016)
Another prefect explain for women in the law profession is the first female Supreme
Court judge Sandra Dar OConnor in 1981. Once again during these time frame one werent seen
to be in those high-end professions, nonetheless Sandra broke one of the significant glasses
ceilings in the United States become a Supreme Court judge. Although many people werent too
fond of she being part of a Man job or to carry such Heavy decisions. Or like I said before
women were thought not to have the enough mental capacity to be part of this important job.
Many men werent too fond and began to send her rather lovely hate which most of it said she
didnt belong there and she should do something women are good at which is cooking and
cleaning.
Proudly Sandra didnt listen and on September 26, 1981 she resumed as a judge. In this
article How Sandra Day OConnor Beat the Odds, Ruled the Court, and Became the Most
Powerful Woman in America by Lizzie Jacobs says that Sandra was seen as the lady of justice.
Within a her first month of being a Supreme court jdge she became one of the women most
powerful as well as influential. Sandra was able to shape up the any political issues and the
making of decisions, not that she was able to break the glass ceiling setting explains to young
women. (Jacobs 2016)

As we all know Hilary Clinton is nomination was a huge for women in America. She
proudly accepted the democratic party and is just a step closer on become the first women to
become president of the United States. This sets a prefect explain on the glass ceiling and how
women now in this society are shattering it little by little. This moment became very emotionally
for many of her followers and well for non-follower. Setting the road straight she might be the
reason why we do not have a glass ceiling no more. If Hilary becomes president the many
opportunity very young women will gain, every closed door with be opened for good. Just like
Sandra Day OConnor and Arabella Babb, Hilary has already made an impact even without
being in office, she made a huge impact in the law profession. These three ladies are the reason
more and more women are becoming more law orientated. (The Huffington Post 2016)
Conclusion
Living in a mans world can be difficult for a young woman pursuing law profession and
wanting to take it to the next step with her career. Giving the example with Hilary Clinton she
did not become president of the United States, but she became a role model of how strong one
must be when they fail. Hilary got up and stood in the podium and said how proud she was for
being our nominee. This demonstrates that you will fail, however that failure is only going to
make you better and prove to oneself. Young women should know that there will be obstacles
like the glass ceiling and even people they trust surrounding them hoping for them to fail.
There will be people envious of ones success, envious what the accomplishments that you
obtain. Young woman there will be discrimination towards you, one just has to turn the other
cheek and move on. Nonetheless what they should know is that to keep doing what they love and
to keep striving to do their best. And they might just end up being the first female president.

References
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February2013
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Zynczak Deason, Heather. 4 secrets to success in a Mans world The Huffingpost.
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