Yolanda Young has launched a blog. http://www.onbeingablacklawyer.com You might remember her as the former Covington & Burling staff attorney who chronicled her experience as a minority attorney there in the Huffington Post piece, “Law Firm Segregation Reminiscent of Jim Crow.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yolanda-young/law-firm-segregation-remi_b_91881.html
Young recalls, “I was surprised and disheartened by the intensely negative comments that followed on blogs like Above The Law. Even after Covington issued a statement that was basically conciliatory and in no way a denial of my accusations, those commenting refused to focus on some of the easily verifiable facts in the piece. They chose instead to make personal attacks on me and reduce the discussion to one that centered on anti-affirmative action rhetoric.”
There was, however, a silver lining. Young discovered a large number of attorneys who were sympathetic to her position but didn’t want to post their comments on websites that were generally hostile to minorities. This group instead sent Young personal emails.
Says Young, “I realized there was a real need for a place where African American attorneys and law students could gather to network, disseminate information and poke fun."
30 comments:
Wow, pretty racist stuff. If the equivalent was written by a white student, they would accuse them of being part of the KKK.
This is trash. Shame on you Tom for posting this racist bullshit.
Firms treat all staff attorneys the way you would treat a war criminal so race sure as fuck has nothing to do with it. I'm white and these same fucktards piss on me just the same. Plus, in the age of Obama all these race arguments no longer have any weight at all. Half the whites in this country voted for a black man so by any measure racism is all but dead.
I dont know what she is complaining about, most white lawyers would kill to be a staff attorney at a big firm like that. 80-100k a year to code documents all day + job security and benefits. How can you beat that? To hell with "advancement." You have like a 5% chance of making partner even if you are an associate.
She's just a spoiled brat and a prima donna. From her article,
"After graduating from law school, I sold my first book to Random House for a six-figure advance, lectured at Vassar and did commentary for NPR. "
What wimpy, whiny loser, she's really beenm mistreated.
You guys are so harsh. I am ashamed I might be working with some of you people. Ms. Young was merely making an observation about the disproportionate number of minority staff attorneys and the 2nd class treatment that many of them are receiving.
It's the cold hard truth that a disproportionate percentage of contractors and staff attorneys are minorities and women.
You can attack Yolanda Young all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that law firms have generally failed to eliminate Jim Crow from their cultures.
They treat everyone poorly, white, black, hispanic. To compare it to Jim Crow laws, which prevented blacks from getting jobs and created segregation is downright ignorant.
She's awfully lucky to be black, otherwise she would be just another, whiny, talentless hack.
But because she is black gets a book deal, speaking engagements and other perks. It must been a rude awakening to actually have to work hard everyday after being pampered like a celebrity. she didn't even have the credentials to gain an associate position.
Just a whiner.
From her article,
"Covington began stockpiling its staff attorney ghetto with blacks and other minorities in 2005, shortly after the General Council of some of the country's largest companies joined Roderick A. Palmore, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary of Sara Lee in taking a tougher stance on law firm diversity. Signed by hundreds of General Counsel, this new "Call to Action" states they will retain firms that demonstrate a level of diversity reflective of their employees and customers and end their relationship with firms "whose performance consistently evidences a lack of meaningful interest in being diverse."
In other words, affirmative action.
More...
"Recently, I contacted the black graduates from my law school class to find out how others were fairing in the legal profession. Many are working in government, a few have been very successful at careers outside the law and some are in-house attorneys. Nearly all who'd had experience in a large firm environment expressed chagrin, sighting instance after instance of suspect treatment. Of the few still at firms, I could only find one out of a class of more than 50 blacks who had made partner at a large law firm. How'd he accomplish this? "Sure I worked hard, made myself indispensable, but I'm not going to say I'm the only person who's ever done that. You have to have a Partner willing to be an advocate for you. I had several actually. There was a black partner who was helpful, but my most vocal advocate was a Jewish guy who made sure I stayed on track."
Absent a mentor, it's easy to be derailed. On August 14th, at 10am, I was told that I was being laid off. I received no severance and my computer was switched off at noon. Since then I have been resisting the impulse to question whether Covington's staff attorney policy is unfair to blacks and other minorities. It's a question no black professional wants to confront. We know the eye-rolling and impatient sighs the issue provokes. To protest, one faces reproach and career suicide. Firms know this and bank on everyone's silence."
This has nothing to do with race. These problems face all people in all careers, especially the law.
All laywers find biglaw work stressful and man leave after 2-3 years, some sooner. Partnership is virutally unattainable for all but the very select chosen few. It has almost nothing to do with race. Get over it!
Race has nothing to do with it all....the fact is there are too many attorneys, many states (such as NYS) have lowered standards to allow anyone with J.D. student loan debt to pass - there are no standards anymore, no wonder there is a new attorney role "temp attorney"......the "profession" is a joke. Client are running away....
It isn't race. It is the volume of lawyers. The president is now black and he was elected by white people. I'm tired of hearing about race. No one in this profession is doing well, regardless of race or ethnic background. I'm glad Obama was elected for this reason.
Of course there are prejudiced people out there. There always will be, it is human nature. If any argument can be made, the white male in this profession has the least amount of opportunities.
Of course they're purposefully putting blacks in staff attorney positions. But somehow this idiot has failed to understand that they're not denying blacks associate positions to make them staff attorneys. They're hiring blacks that would never have made into the firm at all.
As far as her comparison of the schools various attorneys went to...how could she forget the concept of class rank in that discussion? But then, of course she couldn't forget it, but it was an inconvenient concept, so lets add blatant dishonesty to being an idiot.
Also her new blog is awful. What a stupid and hate filled person. First post I see on it is a paranoid post about the Federalist society where she celebrates Mukasey's collapse and calls black conservatives uncle toms. Great stuff. Why wouldn't you want to make her a partner?
How are the following two statements are contradictory?
a) Lawyers treat everyone like crap.
b) Race adds an extra layer of crappy
It does not take away from your suffering to admit that others may be suffering in ways you do not.
Do you think that's what this means? That her suffering over race means that you did not suffer over the class issue in the practice of law? Law firms screw people in different ways. I do not see a problem with discussing those different ways. Why should you?
Call me curious. I await the vitriol.
It is I, The John Bungsolphagus.
First off, this all goes to further prove what I have always known and stated: The law is not for black folk. The snakes that run law do not like them or desire to have them around.
They only tolerate their presence when they are forced to by fraudulent "affirmative action" programs sometimes forced upon them by corporate clients to purvey a fraudulent "inclusive" image. And even then, they only tolerate mostly on the lower rungs of the biglaw world. Beneath biglaw, aka shitlaw, it is rare to see any non-solo black attorneys.
Having said that, I must say, that many black attorneys, especially the women, drank the legal koolaid, lock stock and barrel. Especially those who were fortunate enough to believe in the Man's fraudulent protestations in being interested in "diversity". Those, who through hook or by crook, or some of that fraudulent affirmative action, were fortunate enough to land in top schools or, in many cases, ANY lawschool, often feel that, they, like many such delusional white students, shall be given the keys to the magic legal kingdom of untold wealth and prestige.
Such folk are often devastated (even more so than their lower to middle class white counterparts) when they find that they are consigned to the dungeons of staff attorney or temp attorney doc review projects.
The law has a way of turning many unfortunate souls, many white and black or other, into N-Words.
There are way too many attorneys, many with no prestige or pedigree, with delusions of legal grandeur, and way too few legal jobs. In most instances, the black attorneys in lawland are only tokens there to help the Man save face and appear to be inclusive. I suspect that many of the black attorneys are just as underqualified as many of their lower caliber white counterparts.
Regardless of race, the law is for the elite. And the elite status is still mostly reserved for wealthy, connected WASPs and Jews. Not blacks, lower or middle class whites or many others. Get over it and get away from the devilish "profession" of the law.
Follow up:
Most humans when then stick their hand in a fire, quickly take their hand out.
So, I am interested in another reoccuring type of post.
Those people- I am guessing mostly white- who are conservatives and yet temp attorneys. I mean -- let's face it- the Federalist Society is as a far right as you can go before you reach the "Constitution in Exile" types.
So- here's my question:
How much does someone in this society need to kick you in the nuts before you realize you are not one fo them? That in fact, the values you have been taught since you were little children were just lies like the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus? How do you link your idealogical perspective with what you do for a living, which is mostly bottom feeder work designed to exploit a mistake you made in your 20s?
Again, just curious. Not that this is a place fo introspection. I know I know- click. "Keep your head down." Click.
The JB man back again. Now that I have seen her blog I must say that it is not all that. BUT, the video of her commentary called the "Spade"...damn that's a funny name for her to call it....Bitch got jokes I guess.... is rather humorous. But more importantly, the video shows Yolanda to be fairly attractive and bangable with her mild southern sexy drawl. She definately looks better in video than on the still photo Tom posted of her. Maybe its the brestisis. Either way, she can get this anytime.
Yeah, she wants some fat slob rutting on her who has not seen a breast since his mama feed him.
I have little pity for the black female lawyers I have encountered, although one particular solo stands out in my mind as a good, smart, personable attorney. The majority seem to have a huge chip on their shoulder and resent having to put in effort of any kind. I feel more sorry for the black men I've encountered in law school or in the practice of law. Seems like a lot of them were in over their heads and trying to make the best of it, to make something of themselves. Apart from a couple rare sharp tools, I think most people just thought they were a joke.
Affirmative action strikes again.
Think of all the white lawyers denied jobs at firms while people like Yolanda waltz in and take over.
A perfect example of black skin privilege.
Your lives are the way they are because of affirmative action. Those crappy grades, poor judgment and lack of personality had nothing to do with it.
White guys are brilliant. I've never met a stupid one yet. Each one of them is going to go on to become the next Bill Gates once they beat out the rest of the 90 percent of the population that is above them in achievement and ability.
let's face it. most minorities and some women are in the legal profession because of skin pigmentation (and genitalia) not because they are intellectually qualified. just talk to one and that couldn't be more readily discernible. It is the price America must face for dragging/allowing them all to come to this country and treating them so poorly for so many years. Now we all get to go to Hell in a hand basket together.
The only thing we need to face is there are a lot of white guys playing out fantasies in their head in which they are somehow better than everyone else. It was white guys who ran this country into the ground in the last 8 years. Luckily, demographically you are becoming about as important as the do the sabretooth tiger. You guys couldn't manage a lemonade stand without us black folks and women making sure things actually work.
You seem to have confused "black" with "Mexican."
When does affirmative action end?
Getting into college-favor blacks
Getting into law school - favor blacks, otherwise your accreditation is in jeopardy
Be hired by law firms - so they can advertise that they are "diverse" (now there's a 1984 term if I ever heard one- discriminate against nonminorities promotes equality)
Be promoted by law firms--or yuor firms are accused of being biased against blacks.
What next? Affirmative action in graveyards? Cushions all the way down.
"It's the cold hard truth that a disproportionate percentage of contractors and staff attorneys are minorities and women.
You can attack Yolanda Young all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that law firms have generally failed to eliminate Jim Crow from their cultures."
But what we don't know is whether a disproportionate # of those with low grades are minorities and women.
"Follow up:
Most humans when then stick their hand in a fire, quickly take their hand out.
So, I am interested in another reoccuring type of post.
Those people- I am guessing mostly white- who are conservatives and yet temp attorneys. I mean -- let's face it- the Federalist Society is as a far right as you can go before you reach the "Constitution in Exile" types.
So- here's my question:
How much does someone in this society need to kick you in the nuts before you realize you are not one fo them? That in fact, the values you have been taught since you were little children were just lies like the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus? How do you link your idealogical perspective with what you do for a living, which is mostly bottom feeder work designed to exploit a mistake you made in your 20s?
Again, just curious. Not that this is a place fo introspection. I know I know- click. "Keep your head down." Click."
You give a horrible name to all Temps. This is why you're a temp--your thought processes are immature and you still can't convey your thoughts in writing. You're a lawyer. Words are the only tool of your trade. You should be able to express yourself better than you've demonstrated.
And just for shits and giggles, what has the Federalist Society done to convey the message that blacks aren't "one of them?" Conservatives?
What exactly has been done by the Federalist Society to demonstrate to you that they're just slightly to the left of the "constitution in exile" folks? Do you realize that the term "constitution in exile" has no real meaning--it's just something toobin and others are trying to use to label a movement?
You're sad and stupid and that's why you'll never make it out of the basement.
Exactly. It's not as if liberal lawyers are any less condescending and elitist of peers that don't match their pedigree.
This person never followed a big law firm track--she never worked as a lawyer before, she was a "writer," (where's the book she said she wrote?), and in financial straits decided to take a job (that's a JOB, not a profession) as a staff attorney, a position whose limitations no doubt were made clear to her at the outset: routine work, overtime pay, no prestige, no partner track. These positions are created for people whose interests in life are outside the "Succeed in BigLaw" track, much as in-house positions are. Whining about the consequences of your own choices is bad form, but apparently it will get you a lot of publicity.
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