Unit D - Blog #25

Using sexualized behavior as a lawyer may have pros and cons to it. On one hand, it may allow a person to get his or her way around the office. Being a woman, if you want certain cases, you may make claims that a woman can better handle the situation. Males can use their dominance in an office to take cases away because they are seen as being "in charge." In court, a woman lawyer may better appeal to a jury of women depending on the circumstance. Male juries may feel more comfortable being told the evidence by male lawyers. The cons, in my opinion, far outweigh the pros though. Using your gender as a weapon only perpetuates the cycle of gender biases. Around the office, men will lose respect for women who use their "female-ness" to get their way and women will be annoyed by men who think they are the "masters." In the court of law, if the everyday American witnesses the use of women and men as a tool, even if it is only subconsciously that they make this connection, they are going to associate this with the rest of the world. This strategy is presented by the media as being negative especially for women. Media will blast women for using this tool even though in many cases lawyers are told by their firms to behave in this manner. Liberal media will also point out how it is a step backwards for women. Feminists will argue that the only way women can break free from gender roles is by eliminating acts such as these.