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Bar News - October 17, 2003 Opinions - 'Ideal Attorney' Article Promotes Gender Stereotypes I am writing to express my comments and concerns regarding the article titled "The Ideal Attorney" published in the October 2003 issue of New Hampshire Magazine. This article was promoted in the Aug. 15 issue of New Hampshire Bar News as a survey to "celebrate the ideal attorney," to "honor those lawyers' lawyers" and to cast a positive light on the practice of law. The article also took a "whimsical" look at the practice of law by comparing lawyers in film, literature and television with New Hampshire practitioners. It is here that the article failed to meet its goal of honoring and celebrating New Hampshire attorneys. The article placed male and female attorneys into categories such as "Most like Atticus Finch," "Most like Perry Mason," "Most like Ally McBeal" and "Most like" the character in the movie "Legally Blonde." I spoke with several attorneys, both male and female, and all were offended at the characterizations made by this survey. It is especially disheartening and disconcerting that our own colleagues did not recognize both the inherent and express stereotyping and discrimination in this survey. Members of the New Hampshire Bar have always striven to promote equality in the practice of law and be above those who blatantly perpetuate stereotypes. I would be curious to know if anyone voiced a concern in filling out this survey, or if anyone challenged particular questions before answering them. We should all be offended at the nature of this survey, even though it was wrapped in the guise of "whimsy" and "humor." All of the categories from television and literature pertaining to men represented strong, positive male role models. When we think of Atticus Finch or Perry Mason, we think of ethical, professional, strong-willed men who fight for justice and for the underdog. When one thinks of Ally McBeal or Elle Woods of "Legally Blonde," one automatically thinks of ditzy, loveable, emotionally-turmoiled, short-skirted, anorexic women who let their personal lives interfere with their professionalism. Interestingly, no female attorneys made the "Atticus Finch" and "Perry Mason" list. No men certainly made the "Ally McBeal" or "Elle Woods" list. If we really wanted to achieve parity and fairness in the survey, the magazine should have picked, for example, the character of "Arnie" from "L.A. Law" as an equal partner to Ally McBeal. It is not that the characters chosen by the magazine were offensive, it is that the "male" characters bolstered the credibility of those who made the list, while the "female" characters harmed the credibility of those who made the list by comparing them to emotionally needy, unstable and powerless women. It is ludicrous to think that because this article was intended to be "whimsical" we must ignore how it promoted disrespect to our colleagues. It is more disheartening and disconcerting that our own colleagues did not recognize the discrimination in this exercise. If I suggest that Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sandra Day O'Connor should be compared to Ally McBeal, everyone is horrified at the insanity of that suggestion. Perhaps we should list Janet Reno as most like Elle Woods. Somehow, this no longer seems "whimsical" or funny. We would all be horrified if one of our female judges or marital masters made the list as Elle Woods. We would stomp up and down and demand apologies if such suggestions were made, as we should. Members of the Bar would decry this as disrespectful and a mark against the integrity of our profession. Did anyone stop to think of the consequences to the reputations, integrity and respect of both the male and female attorneys who made this list? Should we demand less because the attorneys on the list are not public figures and are less known? One attorney described being "horrified" that she had made the list. Another attorney discovered that she had been listed after she was informed by a client who brought the article to her attention. This is probably not the way anyone wants to find out he or she has been made famous by being compared to a ditsy, emotionally distraught television character. As one attorney told me, she did not blame the magazine in the entirety. Some blame must sit squarely on the shoulders of the media for not promoting more positive female attorney role models. The media, whether subtly or not so subtly, perpetuates and promotes stereotypes of female attorneys that we all fight against everyday. I am a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association's Committee on Gender Equality, whose mission is to recognize inequitable treatment and to what extent it exists in order to ensure the fair treatment and equality of all members of our profession. The New Hampshire Women's Bar Association also promotes the advancement of women in the profession. My point in writing this letter is to suggest that we all need to raise our awareness of stereotyping and its perception in our community. We must police ourselves and be indignant when we see incidents of discrimination, no matter what light is cast on them or how the media spins them. Most of all, we need to give the respect and consideration to each other that we demand for ourselves. Catherine E. Shanelaris, Nashua Editor's note: The Bar Association did promote member participation in the "Ideal Lawyer" survey conducted by New Hampshire Magazine through mentions in Bar News and in our e-mail newsletter, although we did not control the questions or the outcome. The survey was presented to us by the magazine as an attempt to highlight attorneys in numerous roles as counselors and litigators, and we felt that such a survey would project a positive image of NH lawyers. We agree, in retrospect, that the questions cited by attorney Shanelaris perpetuate stereotypes and are discriminatory and offensive, not only to the persons named, but to women in the profession. We regret that an otherwise useful and positive depiction of lawyers in New Hampshire was marred by these insensitive questions. Opinions in Bar News UNLESS OTHERWISE indicated, opinions expressed in letters or commentaries published in Bar News are solely those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the New Hampshire Bar Association Board of Governors, the Bar News Editorial Advisory Board or the Bar Association staff.
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