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F E A T U R E
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D I V E R S I T Y
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Judge Claudia Rickert Isom and Dean Laura Rosenbury
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has done; rather, this is a long-standing systemic problem
that requires sustained attention.
Finally, I have urged all students to report any
instances of harassment or discrimination to our Center
for Career Development or to a trusted professor or staff
member, so that we may alert the employer or externship
supervisor (or his or her supervisor). No student should
feel pressured to engage in sexual conduct during a
summer job or externship, and no student should be
subject to discrimination.
Isom: What advice would you give to the law firms
and courts who benefit from having law clerks or
participation in an externship program?
Rosenbury: I know the vast majority of law firms,
courts, and other externship and employment sites are
committed to equal opportunity and to providing students
with experiences free of sexual harassment and
discrimination. I ask all of them to make that commitment
explicit to their student employees and externs and to
remind students of that commitment on a regular basis.
I also ask that employers think about that commitment
when structuring mentoring programs and monitoring
mentoring and other supervisory relationships. I am
happy to talk with employers who would like to strengthen
their anti-discrimination policies and practices.
Isom: What did you learn from serving on the The
Florida Bar Special Committee on Gender Bias?
Rosenbury: Serving on the committee highlighted
the many ways that sexual harassment and gender
discrimination are the product of implicit bias rather
than explicit bias or animus. The problem goes way
beyond sexual advances to encompass a wide range of
differential treatment of male and female lawyers,
calling for a range of solutions and strategies. Because
this differential treatment is often not intentional, we
need to move beyond a focus on diversity training or
better mentoring in order to focus on structural
changes that might check implicit bias in hiring,
promotion, and compensation decisions and in
mentoring and sponsorship relationships. These
structural changes are crucial because gender bias is
often unconscious and automatic. Even if we are aware
of gender bias and want to fix it,
unless we consciously put in place
structures to stop it, gender bias
may still infect the workplace.
1
See also In re Sexual Harassment
Policy and Procedures for Complaint
Against Justices and Judges, Fla.
Admin. Order. No. AOSC18-6
(February 16, 2018).
Authors: Judge Claudia Rickert Isom
– Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court
& Laura Rosenbury – Dean and
Levin, Mabie & Levin Professor of
Law at University of Florida Levin
College of Law
Professionalism
and Ethics
Committee Luncheon
the Hillsborough County Bar professionalism
and ethics Committee hosted a seminar on april 9
entitled “Communicating you, influencing others:
an introduction to impression management for
Lawyers” with guest speaker kirsten k. davis, a
professor of law from Stetson university College
of Law. thank to the members that attended and
learned about this important topic.
16
SUMMER 2018
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HCBA LAWYER