W.I.L.D. Woman: Bella Abzug

Bella Abzug.  What an inspiration!!!

We need more women worldwide to heed her call (used in her successful 1970 campaign):

“This woman’s place is in the House — the House of Representatives”

See Wiki and this tribute.

W.I.L.D. Woman: Anita Alvarez

 As a minority and a women, I am always happy when the legal community makes strides towards looking more like the client base it represents.   Anita Alvarez would be the first woman and the first Hispanic to lead the state’s attorney’s office if elected over Republican Tony Peraica in the November general election.  I’m not saying that people should vote for her because of gender alone, but seeing as there is such a large Hispanic population in Cook County, her rise in politics is news.

Her win in the Cook County Democratic primary for state’s attorney on Tuesday is a real feel-good story in that by winning, she is shaking up the system and people’s perspective of justice.  As this Tribune article states:

“The good ol’ boy mentality still exists,” she said. “We need to create a better atmosphere of inclusion, and I think I’m the person to do that because I see it and I recognize it.”

As an assistant state’s attorney who often brought cases against Hispanic suspects, Alvarez said she frequently heard complaints that she had sold out her race.

“To be called a sellout is wrong because who am I speaking in court for? The victim who happens to be Hispanic as well,” she said.

Criminal courts are careful about the rights of the accused and rightly so.  Prosecutors also know that they technically represent the People, not the victims of crime, but I know what Alvarez is getting at.

W.I.L.D. Woman to Watch: Mayawati Kumari

I am always interested in learning about how other female lawyers have used their law degrees or legal education outside of litigation since litigation is basically all I know.  Politicians often have a legal background.  This Reuters article features someone to watch: Mayawati Kumari, the leader of India’s low-caste Bahujan Samaj party in Uttar Pradesh state.   Mayawati is the first Dalit woman to become the Chief Minister of any of India’s states.

She studied law at the University of Delhi.  I’m sure that her law degree prepared her for many things in life, but administering to a group of Dalits numbering 170 million people is not something anyone can truly be prepared for through classroom education.  No matter how law schools teach the laws and legal theories on equality, discrimination, justice, and the rights of the poor, one can’t really “learn” how to identify with the poor.  Either you do or you don’t, in my opinion.  Clearly, she knows how to give voice to these people although she is not ‘poor’ by any means now.

Brave Lawyers of Pakistan: Asma Jahangir and colleagues

By now I’m sure everyone’s heard about the lawyers in Pakistan who first demonstrated peacefully and now are defending themselves from attacks.  [If you want a good background of the events to date, read this Economist.com article: "Lawyers against the general."] The photographs I have seen in the past few days show many lawyers and political and human rights activists protesting against General Musharraf. Many of whom, on any other day, would be arguing with each other over the usual legal and political mumblejumble, but on this issue, they have found a common cause.
Judges and lawyers have been placed under house arrest and the courts are closed.  Asma Jahangir is among those under house arrest.  She earned her law degree in 1978 and was featured as an Asian Hero by Time Magazine in 2003.  She is currently the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.

Imagine that, putting a world famous human rights lawyer under house arrest?!?  What is it that the General doesn’t want her to see or say? The more this dictator tries to suppress the protesters’ message, the more important it becomes for Pakistan and the rest of the world to voice the suppressed words of the arrested protesters.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all the judges, lawyers and activists.  We all pray for their safety and freedom.

W.I.L.D. Women: human rights lawyers

When people talk about how lawyers can make a difference, they often use human rights lawyers as examples.  If you are looking for a field of law to specialize in, consider this field.  It is noble and a true calling for some people.

The Canadian version of The Lawyers Weekly has an article on human rights lawyer, Liliana Uribe.

W.I.L.D. Woman: Catherine Rorabeck

She was the only female in her graduating law school class at Yale in 1948.  Wow!

There’s loneliness at the top, I would bet. But according to this Courant.com article, Catherine Rorabeck seemed to be able to handle anything and she must have had to work hard to be taken seriously by the ol’boys.  It’s always inspires me to read about these courageous women who went to law school at a time when it just wasn’t a popular option for women at all.

W.I.L.D. Women: the ever aggressive Ann Oldfather

I’m sure most lawyers practicing in the US have heard of Ann Oldfather.  If you haven’t, you may want to read this profile.  She just won a $6.1 million verdict for Louise Ogborn in the highly publicized McDonald’s strip-search trial.  She’s aggressive –to use one of the nicer words to describe her. 

Her defenders say she came by her bruising style in the 1970s, when many male lawyers didn’t take her seriously.

“She had to make them understand she was not one to be messed around with,” said Bob Ewald, who was her partner when she practiced at Wyatt Tarrant & Combs.

Others say that the pejoratives thrown at her show she is still the target of prejudice today.

“They call her a bitch,” said her friend Franklin, “but if she were a man, they’d call her ‘hard charging.’ “

Sadly, it’s 2007 and some of my female friends who are lawyers tell me that some older male lawyers still have trouble taking them seriously and are quite condescending.  And the natural reflex is to be harsher and more abrasive. 

W.I.L.D. Women: Sayeeda Warsi, the first woman Muslim in House of Lords

As we are still living in the age of “firsts,” I present my readers with this Daily Times article about Sayeeda Warsi joining the House of Lords:

Human rights lawyer Sayeeda Warsi has become the first Muslim woman to take a front-bench post at cabinet level in the British parliament.

The 36-year old mother of one took her seat in the House of Lords as Baroness Warsi. She is also the youngest member of Britain’s upper parliamentary chamber and the first female Muslim for the opposition Conservative Party.

I did a little more digging and found this older BBC article describing how she and her husband had an arranged marriage.  Also, she stepped away from a £130,000/yr salary to go into policits. She sounds really interesting!

W.I.L.D. Woman: Cupcake Brown

The American Bar Association website has a tidbit about attorney Cupcake Brown. She’s had an interesting life to say the least. I strongly believe that the legal profession should be made up of people from all walks of life and her life story certainly seems to have take a different path than mine did. From drug addict and prostitute to lawyer to screenwriter… how inspiring!

W.I.L.D. Woman inspires scholarship: Dame Rose Heilbron

I love the inspirational stories behind scholarships, education trusts, and the “gift” of education in general.  Here is a news article about a new scholarship in the name and memory of Dame Rose Heilbron.  Dame Heilbron was, among other “firsts”, the first women to lead an English murder trial.  Read more about her distinguished career in this Telegraph obituary.  Cherie Booth QC, wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, was also on hand to give a speech aimed at inspiring young women to go into the legal profession (she has an impressive legal career herself).

The next time you revise your will, think about setting up an education trust for your kids or grandkids or even complete strangers with potential.  It’s a shame to think that so many potential legal minds out there aren’t being developed because people can’t afford education.