Meet Teresa Beck and Claire Gibson, two successful and experienced litigators who are deeply involved in the ABA Litigation Section’s Woman Advocate Committee and its two books featuring essays from women in the legal profession: “Her Story: Lessons in Success from Lawyers Who Live It” (2017) and the recent follow-up “Her Story: The Resilient Woman Lawyer’s Guide to Conquering Obstacles” (2024).

The new book addresses the challenges women face in the legal profession and the things organizations and firms do, often unintentionally, that make it harder for women in law, all told through personal stories of struggles and successes.

Beck and Gibson, both committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, discuss these collections of stories that tap into the experiences of litigators in a range of practice groups, from corporate to government positions. These are situations that arise everywhere, from the courtroom to the boardroom to the lunchroom.

Why do women in law still face so many challenges and obstacles? It’s nice to imagine gender disparity is a relic of the past, but the statistics tell a different story. There is work for all of us to do, not only toward gender equality but also in racial and ethnic disparities in the legal profession. The stories in these books examine situations that exist, even in organizations that believe they have erased barriers. Fixing the problems starts with acknowledging that they persist. Everyone can learn from this discussion.

Resources:

Women Advocate Committee American Bar Association

“Her Story: Lessons In Success For Lawyers Who Live It” 

“Her Story: The Resilient Woman Lawyer's Guide To Conquering Obstacles, Book 2” 

K. Brooke Welch

Jessica Blaemire

Michal Rogson

Steven Velkei

Dunlap, Bennett & Ludwig

Klinedinst Attorneys

American Bar Association

American Bar Association Litigation Section