#MeToo Movement Spurs National Legal Response

• Author: Darlene Ricker
• Pages: 10-11

AP IMAGES

#M eTo o

Movement

Spurs National

Legal Response

Lawyers create defense networks

to assist victims

Along with the president of the National Women’s

Law Center, Hill met with 150 top-level Holly wood

professionals to explore strat egies to stop sexual

harassment and promote gender equalit y.

The movement has expanded beyond Hollywood,

as activ ists find ways to support victims ac ross

the work spectrum. High-profile at torney Tina

Tchen, longtime chief of sta to Michelle Obama ,

is spearheading the Ti me’s Up Legal Defense

Fund, which had raise d more than $19.5 million

by early February to help v ictims of sexual assault.

Tchen and 300 prominent performers—including

Meryl Streep, Shonda Rhime s and Selena Gomez—

launched the fund Jan. 1. Their eort s helped turn

the 2018 Golden Globes into a spotlight on sexual

harassment, wit h attendees agreeing to wear

“Time’s Up” pins and dress in black.

The celebrities “provide major leadership,”

Tchen says. “They want to make a sustai nable

dierence. They have led the charge i n donating

to the fund, but these women know it’s not just

WHEN WIDESPREAD ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL

HARASSMENT IN THE ENTERTAINMENT industr y

broke late last year, lawyers were qu ick to align

with celebrities and women’s rights organi zations

to demand change.

Law professor and attorney A nita Hill, who

accused then-U.S. Supreme Court nom inee Clarence

Thomas of sexual har assment during his 1991 con-

firmation hearings , is chairing a commission tasked

with eliminat ing sexual harassment in Hollywood. “There is not a lawyer who practices in

this area who has not been deluged with

calls. Women are coming forward in

record numbers with very strong claims.

We all need to work together to harness

our collective experience and talents.

It’s important that lawyers understand

that we have a great responsibility at

this time in history.” —Debra Katz

Opening Statements

10 || ABA JOURNAL MARCH 2018