Toni Rembe Remembers When…
| Jurisdiction | California,United States |
| Citation | Vol. 04 No. 2015 Pg. 01 |
| Pages | 01 |
| Publication year | 2015 |
In 1971, Toni Rembe became one of the first women to be named a partner at a major law firm in California. In recognition of Women’s History Month, Rembe talked with the Bar Journal’s Amy Yarbrough about her early days at Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro and shared some advice for women in the legal profession today .
You were one of just four women in your law school’s graduating class. What was it was like being in a class with just a few other women?
It was hard at first but by the time I graduated, after my third year of law school, I managed to feel more comfortable with the class in general. We broke into groups where we had seminar. Through that process of getting together with the guys I was cramming with, I made some friends. Even though the professors were frequently seeking out the women and making them feel rather isolated, I think we felt the support of the other students.
What did the professors do that made you and the other women feel uncomfortable?
Some would call on you to discuss cases that were slightly embarrassing. I really enjoyed the law. I enjoyed solving problems. I was fascinated with the cases and the arguments. So although I was pretty quiet and shy, I was extremely well prepared. I found later that some of the professors were very nervous to have a woman in their class. And they were reacting too, trying, as many are with a minority, to put me at ease, but afraid to call on me.
So, sort of overcompensating?
Yes. But I wasn’t aware of it. I ran into one professor later who said, “When I looked out on the class, you were the only woman. I’d never had one [in class] before.” [The professors] went out of their way to make me feel comfortable, which in a way made me feel uncomfortable.
How were things with the other students?
At the University of Washington, there were some pretty tough and very good professors that terrorized the class. I remember the torts professor was one. These old-fashioned professors knew everything, including how to put everybody down. That did, however, create bonds among the students.
An article about you in your law school alumni magazine talked about your dad, who was conservative around gender roles and thought that a woman’s place was in the home. Did he ever come around to the idea of you being a lawyer?
Oh, yes. He was very proud of me. He was proud that I had a job [at Chadbourne Parke] on Wall...
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