The Oklahoma Bar Journal September 2023

N AVIGATING THE WORKPLACE AS AN ATTORNEY can be like stepping into a minefield of potential liability; one misstep and you could land in your boss’s office, the Human Resources Division or under the scrutiny of the bar association due to a griev ance or a bar complaint. Our profession requires a unique balance of making a good impression, respecting others in the workplace and getting things done in a high-stress environment. After 16 years of practicing law, owning a business and mentoring law stu dents and new lawyers, I have cautionary advice for my new colleagues that will help to ensure not just that you are respected at work but that you respect others. By the time you are through with this article, I want you to understand what the climate of the legal work place looks like today, what type of behavior is expected from you as a member and what may constitute illegal or unethical sexual harassment.

lawyer. You learned the rules of the game. You knew who was in charge, so you compromised your own values and interests and tried not to stand out so that you could ultimately advance your career. Things are different in today’s society and corporate climate. Women are progressing and evolving into the majority in the legal world. In recent years, there have been more female law students than male law students. 1 The OU College of Law saw an 11% jump in female enrollment in 2018, and the female class population has been above 50% every year since. 2 Right now, about 42% of law school deans are female, doubling from 21% in 2014. 3 If male lawyers aren’t already outnumbered, they will be soon.

In turn, increased female repre sentation and a new generation of innovative and progressive profes sionals have positively impacted the legal workplace. The #MeToo movement created a new aware ness of previously overlooked sexual harassment problems by educating people and stimulating workplace trainings to enhance preventative measures against sexual harassment. 4 Overt plays at sexual harassment and assault are now less common, and sexual harassment charges under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have substantially decreased. 5 The days where sexual harassment was tolerated or even condoned are over and have been

FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES IN WORKPLACE CULTURE The culture of the legal work place has changed significantly, even in the last 16 years. If you came out of law school when I did, you would have been exposed to a different set of spoken and unspo ken rules than what you may see today. To look and act like a lawyer meant you had to play by a typical male lawyer’s rules. As a woman, you dressed the part: stockings with your hair pulled back and a skirt suit if you were interviewing or appearing before a judge. You laughed off inappropriate com ments in interviews where partners would mention your looks or tell you about how sex sells as a new

Statements or opinions expressed in the Oklahoma Bar Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Oklahoma Bar Association, its officers, Board of Governors, Board of Editors or staff.

SEPTEMBER 2023 | 29

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL