I think people should have options when it comes to the professionals they choose to work with, and I know a lot of people prefer to work with a woman. However almost, if not all, PI law firms in the Vancouver, WA area are owned and run by a man or group of men.
I think women bring a unique set of skills and perspectives to the field that I’ll talk about in this article. I also think women have generally had to work harder than men to get to where they are in their careers – which demonstrates hard work, ambition, consistency and often creativity – all great traits to seek out in a personal injury lawyer!
Reasons why it’s important you have female PI lawyers to choose from:
1. Many women (and some men as well) can create a better bond with a female lawyer.
Women tend to listen better and view clients more as people rather than just another case. We have empathy when clients are seeking out help to navigate a very stressful time. I hear over and over from clients that they want someone to HEAR them, not just talk AT them. Women are usually better at listening without interrupting, as clients share their stories. Women typically have wider and more emotionally supportive social networks[1][2] and tend to be more collaborative than men in the workforce[3][4], and I feel that it follows that clients can feel more like a team with their female lawyer.
2. Most of my cases involve sensitive medical records, often of a very personal nature
For many women, it can be uncomfortable having men take a deep dive into their medical records. I have a lot of clients who have endured a fair amount of abuse at the hands of men throughout their lives, and they don’t want a man in their records and asking prodding and personal questions, even if he is “on her side.”
3. A female personal injury lawyer has probably had to overcome more obstacles to get to where she is in her career than her male counterparts
…Especially if she also owns the firm and has children. The vast majority of equity partners in law firms are men, and the #1 reason women give for leaving those firms is family commitments. [5]
Women in our society are still largely tasked with the bulk of the domestic labor, and career is still treated as more of a supplement than as a necessity. So many female lawyers I know took time off to have babies, start families and are trying to balance work and career. The men I know who started families generally had a wife at home to shuttle children to sports and other activities, as well as do the bulk of the housework – all while they were able to put in consistent and predictable hours at the office. They are good dads by most accounts, but they still defer most of the work at home to a female counterpart even when she also works.[6]
In my own life, I pulled back from the work force for several years when I got married and subsequently had 3 kids. I had been an equal earner to my then-partner before we were married and decided to start a family. When we did that, like so many women, I pulled back from my career while his soared ahead unbothered and unhindered by the demands of a family. My career took a hit. When we divorced several years later, I had no partner and no family nearby, so I was on my own to figure something out. The only thing that seemed to make sense to balance both work and kids was to start my own firm.
So, I did. I rebuilt a career in my 40s with the ongoing commitments of a mother and the determination I could do it; both to be a role model for and to support my 3 kids.
4. A female attorney understands the unique struggles that women face in our society because she has most likely had the same struggles
We have all had to navigate sexual harassment at some point. We have often had to navigate abusive relationships and being a single parent. We have had to balance career and family. We have had to coordinate carpools for years. We have had to be available at the drop of a hat to our kids and all the what ifs that parenting throws our way. We have been seen as nothing more than a skirt no matter how smart or funny we are. We understand how grueling the average day can be and how unfair the glass ceiling can feel. We understand having to take a sudden day off to tend to a sick kid.
And specific to personal injury: I understand the heartbreak when an injury prevents you from picking up your toddler. I understand how worthless you can feel when you are unable to drive your kids around to sports or do projects or homework with them after school. I understand the frustration of navigating the school’s 504/IEP process if you have a child that now needs it. I can understand how difficult it is to carry around an injured child after an accident and how that impacts your quality of life. Women tend to be everything to everyone in their sphere, and an injury can be particularly devastating to women in unique ways that most men will never understand. There is a certain camaraderie between women and hiring a female lawyer can be more reassuring while navigating a personal injury case.
I do think the world around us is changing. I think women have made great strides toward equality, but there is still a ways to go. Supporting women in the work force, especially those in male dominated careers, is important to keep our gender moving forward. It’s important to show our children that women can do anything in business that men can do; that they can aspire to and accomplish great things.
We work hard. We multi-task. We care. We fight. We persevere. Doesn’t that sound like someone you want on your side?
[1] “How women in leadership can drive business performance.” Alliance Manchester Business School.
[2] Cudmore, R. et al. “Gender differences in social networks and physical and mental health: are social relationships more health protective in women than in men?” Frontiers in Psychology, 2023.
[3] “Social Networks — Gender Differences in Social Networks.” Marriage and Family Encyclopedia (JRank).
[4] American Psychological Association. “The rise of female leaders.”
[5] Women in the Legal Profession
[6] Why Do Women Still Do More Housework Than Men? | Psychology Today