The signs are everywhere — from the Biglaw lawsuits, the law school lawsuits, to the horror stories too many women are able to tell and every woman who has ever practiced law knows it is true — the legal profession still suffers from gender discrimination.
While the solutions to the issues plaguing women in the profession are very much a work in progress, there is a new documentary from lawyer and filmmaker Sharon Rowen which delves into the issues facing women lawyers. Rowen’s film, Balancing the Scales, has recently been picked up by American Public Media and over 260 public television stations will be broadcasting the movie beginning next month. As Law.com reports, the interviews conducted by Rowen are a who’s who of prominent female attorneys and provide an opportunity to tell the story of women lawyers in America:
“This is like the only thing out there where they get a firsthand experience from all these women speaking honestly about what their problems are,” she said. “It kind of lets the men in on the problem.”
She said she hopes that winning such a large public television audience will enable her to make a statement about a wider societal problem. Discrimination against women applies to woman in every profession and field, she said.
“Women are going to feel some common bond with it,” Rowen said. “The idea women lawyers have the same problems as everyone else in terms of gender equality is enlightening to people.”
You can watch the trailer here, and be sure to look for the full movie on your local public television station.