"I was often the first and often the only," writes Stroock Of Counsel and former Federal District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin in a new reflection on her distinguished legal career for the American Bar Association's Litigation journal.
As one of two Jewish children at her school in Detroit, Michigan (the one other being her sister), Judge Scheindlin learned early in life how it feel to be different, and how important it is to take pride in the things that make us unique. Her experience as a woman and mother in the legal field the mettle of those childhood lessons.
Even as a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York from 1994 to 2016, Judge Scheindlin "was often the only woman in the room as [she] looked out at the lawyers appearing before [her]."
"This did not improve over the next 22 years," Judge Scheindlin writes. "The higher the stakes, the fewer women who appeared as counsel. This troubled me greatly and continues to trouble me to this day."
Still, Judge Scheindlin sees change and opportunity on the horizon.
"My advice to all is to keep fighting — for yourself, your people and others who have not enjoyed all the privileges you enjoy. If we all stay committed to these goals, the legal profession will lead the way to a better society and a better world."
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Originally published by The American Bar Association's Litigation Journal.
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