Former African-American staff attorney Kisshia Simmons-Grant at Quinn Emanuel has filed a lawsuit against the law firm for alleged racial discrimination and retaliation when she did share her beef with the employer. On Abovethelaw.com, Elie Mystal, himself an African-American, opines that this might be more a case of discrimination against the low-level slot of staff attorney than based on race per se. Mystal cites coverage on this lawsuit from Reuters.
Simmons-Grant is no fool, at least not legally. She is not going pro se but has a law firm representing her. However, given that she earned her law degree at the brandname Georgetown she might be blind to the realities of hierarchy. The reality might be, as Mystal points out, that all staff attorneys are perceived as less-than. They might all be treated as less-than. Given that it is not a bad-paying job and jobs are not plentiful in the legal sector, most will suck up the discrimination based on totem pole rank. That's exactly what most white-collar and blue-collar workers do every day.
On "The Good Wife," partner David, a rainmaker in family law, yells at Alicia for being so naive to assume that a responsibility was assigned to her because of her competence. He notes: you are a third-year associate, not important, that's why we gave you the assignment. Alicia is a slot above staff lawyer. She is well-connected through her estranged husband Peter who is state attorney. And still she's treated as less-than.
If the Simmons-Grant complaint isn't tossed, this will be enlightening to follow. Workers of the world might get the message that they are simply interchangeable cogs in a system which handsomely rewards those in the top tiers.
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