Neoliberalism, the Transformation of the Practice of Law and Women Attorneys

Abstract

The transformation created by the neoliberal policies has also affected the field of law and changed the way the law profession is practiced. By implications, neoliberalism brought in a new type of attorneyship that could meet the expectations and fulfill the requirements of international companies with regard to the novel and complex legal issues. The distinguishing characteristic of these law firms which are established to meet such needs is that these firms employ well educated, multilingual young attorneys in order to address the companies’ diverse set of legal matters. Given the fact that it is tempting to work for these firms with all their career and six-figure income opportunities, it, however creates a new style of attorneyship that has weak ties with the courthouse—also based on specialized attorneys dealing only with certain instances of a given case. The focus of our article will be on the women attorneys who are working in such law firms, and having acquired the qualifications mentioned above. The reflections of the factors—competition, alienation, pecking order—on the lives of women are evaluated within the context of interviews made whether it concerns their lives in or out of the office. In this sense, a vast array of sexist applications starting from the job interview until the dismissal at these law firms are the extensions of the patriarchal structure inherent to the justice system.. Hence, the division of domestic labor and the related experiences of women attorneys with respectable salaries and careers are discussed in the scope of the interviews.