Celebrating Women’s History Month, 0317 COBJ, Vol. 46 No. 3 Pg. 5
| Author | Patricia Jarzobski, J. |
CBA President’s Message
Patricia Jarzobski, J.
Doubt k ills more dreams than failure ever will.
Suzy Kassem 1
Women’s History Month celebrates the struggles and achievements of American women who have fought throughout our history to gain rights for themselves, and more important, for many other underrepresented and disenfranchised groups in America.2
In 1981, Sen Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution proclaiming a Women’s History Week.3 In response to Congress’ Resolution, President Reagan issued a Presidential Proclamation making the week beginning March 7, 1982 Women’s History Week:
American women of every race, creed, and ethnic background helped found and build our Nation in countless recorded and unrecorded ways. As pioneers, teachers, mothers, homemakers, soldiers, nurses and laborers, women played and continue to play a vital role in American economic, cultural and social life. In science, business, medicine, law, the arts and the home, women have made significant contributions to the growth and development of our land. Their diverse service is among America’s most precious gifts.
As leaders in public affairs, American women not only worked to secure their own rights of suffrage and equal opportunity but also were principal advocates in the abolitionist, temperance, mental health reform, industrial labor and social reform movements, as well as the modern civil rights movement. Their dedication and commitment heightened awareness of our society’s needs and accelerated our common efforts to meet those needs.4
For the next five years, Congress passed joint resolutions designating one week in March as Women’s History Week. In 1987, Women’s History Week became Women’s History Month, and since 1995, every U.S. President has proclaimed March Women’s History Month.[5]
In 2014, President Barack Obama described Women’s History Month as a time to “recognize the victories, struggles, and stories of the women who have made our country what it is today.”6 As lawyers, we know how powerful stories can be in persuading juries, judges, and our clients.
Women’s stories “encourage girls and young women to think larger and bolder, and give boys and men a fuller understanding of the female experience. Knowing women’s achievements challenges stereotypes and upends social assumptions about who women are and what women can accomplish today.”7
Stories of Grit and Growth
This month, I share snippets from the lives of four contemporary women. Rather than focusing on their successes, which is easy, I’ve highlighted the moment of self-doubt, insecurity, and hesitance each confronted when faced with a pivotal decision in their careers.
Why highlight this moment? Because the American Bar Association (ABA) Grit Project8 teaches us that having a “grit and growth mindset,” and learning from challenges rather than getting stuck in failures, lead to success.9 Grittiness and growth are important traits lawyers can develop over time:
Most successful people have failed repeatedly. Just ask . . . any number of wildly successful athletes, business leaders, actors or women lawyers and they will all tell you about times when they struggled and weren’t sure they had what it takes to be successful. We need to teach lawyers how to deal with the negative emotions that go hand-in-hand with the inevitable setbacks, losses, and failures that are a part of...
To continue reading
Request your trial