Cleveland Law Library Weblog

International Women's Day 2023

To celebrate International Women's Day, we released a new episode of our podcast, Law Library Insights. Episode 2 focuses on equity in the legal field and parental leave policies. Check it out!

Cleveland Law Library Welcomes New Reference Librarian

Please join us in welcoming Kayla Fertig, our newest Reference Librarian. Kayla is a graduate of Kent State University and a northeast Ohio native. She loves all things Cleveland and is excited to be a part of the Cleveland Law Library team.  Congratulations and welcome aboard!

Cleveland Law Library Celebrates International Women's Day

The theme for this year's International Women's Day is #BreaktheBias. The website for IWD lists several missions "to help forge a gender equal world."

Build workplaces where women thrive

​Elevate visibility of women creatives

Improve equality for women in tech

Forge women's empowerment worldwide

Celebrate the women forging change

Empower women's choices in health 

 

 

The Cleveland Law Library's Display Case is Celebrating Women's History Month

The Cleveland Law Library is celebrating Women's History Month this March with a display cabinet dedicated to famous women authors. Highlights include a tribute to Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind, and former First Lady Michelle Obama, the author of Becoming. Stop in to check out our display. In addition, in 2016, the Cleveland Law Library launched its series of Virtual Displays with information on Prominent Female Lawyers In Ohio And Cleveland History.

Happy International Women's Day 3-8-2021!

The Cleveland Law Library would like to recognize International Women's Day by paying tribute to all of the Law Library's female officers and directors over the years. A full list is located within the Law Library's historical book linked here, but Mabel McWherter, Esq. served as the Law Library's first Secretary of the Board from 1935-1941. She also served as Treasurer from 1935-1937 and held the brief title of Librarian during 1941. Current Board member and officer Carla Triciarchi, Esq. was the first woman Vice-President of the Board from 2002-2003. She was later elected President from 2003-2006, a role which she assumed again in 2020. In honor of the Law Library's recent 150th anniversary, Carla Tricarichi recorded a video-taped oral history of her memories of researching at the Law Library and her service on the Board. Thanks to all of our current and historical Board members!

"RBG": Documentary About U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Premier May 4th

Last year, our Law Library held a great book discussion about the book My Own Words by United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams. The 'Notorious RBG,' who abovethelaw calls a "flaming feminist litigator," will be starring in a documentary this Spring. The movie titled RBG will air at selected theaters on May 4th this year. Click here to watch the trailer.

ABA Journal Article Provides Latest Statistics on Women in the Law

A recent article in the ABA Journal cited to 2 different statistics before concluding that women are still under-represented in firms and courtrooms :

" 22 percent of partners at major law firms are women. But they aren’t well-represented in court, according to Docket Alarm. Fifty-five of the top 100 law firms had less than 10 percent of their attorney appearances made by women. Eight of the top 100 firms never had a single woman on any of their cases. In patent court, 12 percent of court appearances were made by women."

Click here for ABA statistics back to 2000.

Cleveland Law Library Hosting Book Discussion of My Own Words by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Friday, 3/31/17

Our Law Library, the Cleveland Law Library, is hosting a Book Discussion of My Own Words by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg this Friday, 3/31/17. This program is a joint collaboration with the Cleveland Public Library, and the Honorable Cassandra Collier Williams of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court will serve as the program's Special Guest.. The Book Discussion will be held in the Law Library's Conference Room from 12:30-2:00 p.m. on the 4th floor of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse, 1 West Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113. Click here for the flyer for the program with additional details. 

Cleveland Law Library Creates Virtual Display on Prominent Female Lawyers in Ohio and Cleveland History

In honor of Women's History Month in March, our Library, the Cleveland Law Library, launched its first virtual display highlighting "Prominent Female Lawyers in Ohio and Cleveland History." This display highlights many firsts for Ohio women lawyers, including these:

• Nettie Cronise Lutes, 1st female member of the Ohio Bar
• Blanche Krupansky, 1st woman to serve on the Ohio Court of Appeals
• Lillian W. Burke, 1st African American female judge appointed in Ohio
• Sara J. Harper, 1st African American woman appointed to sit on the Ohio Supreme Court
• Betty Montgomery, 1st female Ohio Attorney General and 1st female Ohio Auditor of State
• Maureen O’Connor, 1st female Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court
• Kathleen B. Burke, 1st female OSBA President

Women Now Hold 33.4% of the Legal Jobs in the Country as Lawyers, Judges, Magistrates and Other Judicial Workers, But They Are Still Paid Less, and Many Are Leaving the Profession

According to the latest 2010 census figures, women now hold 33.4% of the legal jobs in the country as lawyers, judges, magistrates and other judicial workers. These stats are encouraging compared to the 2000 and 1970 figures of 29.2% and 4.9%, respectively. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that there are still disparities between what men and women in the legal field are paid, which the article indicates may be due to individual choices, discrimination or other unknown facors. In addition, although as many women as men are graduating from law schools, many women are apparently leaving the profession for jobs that offer greater flexibility in hours and location. Another discrepancy to which the article refers occurs in law firm management:

"While women have made strides in the legal profession, at law firms few are taking management positions. Some leave for jobs as counsel to corporations, where hours can be more predictable. At large law firms, women make up just 15% of equity partners, according to a survey released in October by the National Association of Women Lawyers. Of the 200 firms surveyed, just 4% had a woman at the helm in the role of firm-wide managing partner."

Law library shares experience with legal interns

This summer the Cleveland Law Library sponsored two interns named Diamondjean Donald and Jasmine Perry. Ms.Donald came to us from The Louis Stokes Scholars Program created by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and Ms.Perry came to us from The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Summer Legal Academy. Following their visit to the Court of Appeals their
was taken at the law library with our circulation supervisor, Sharla Johnston, and our chief administrator, Kathleen Dugan. They learned practical legal research skills to support the practice of law in Cuyahoga County.