Academic

?Firm?s ?Ever Argue With a Woman?? Ad Provokes Debate on Stereotypes?

By Ann Bartow

From the ABA Journal:

Do men and women argue differently? And does that make a difference in the way they work as lawyers?

That?s the suggestion of an ad by a women-owned Buffalo, N.Y., law firm that is attracting notice. Its headline: ?Ever Argue With a Woman??

The ad touts the strengths of the lawyers at Schroder Joseph Associates. Across the bottom of the ad are photos of the eight women, both lawyers and paralegals, who work at the firm. It is one of several in a campaign focusing on Schroder Joseph’s representation of employers on matters of employee benefits, labor and employment.

?Five of the top 10 Fortune 500 companies cannot be wrong,? the ad says. ?When they need to win their cases they rely on Schroder Joseph & Associates.?

Name partner Ginger Schroder tells ABAJournal.com that the firm hopes to generate attention with its humorous ads. “They’re meant to create buzz about our practice,” she says.

The AdRants blog asserts that the “argue” ad highlights differences in the way men and women fight. ?Ever notice how women, when in conflict with another, or with a man for that matter, discuss the issue at great length until every last feeling is expressed?? the blog says. ?Ever notice how men, when in conflict with another (but not a woman), just punch each other, offer up a fist bump or brush it off with a ‘no worries, dude?’ ”

The blog goes on to say that men are always out to win, while women are more predisposed to discussion and compromise, an important quality when it comes to setting legal cases.

Legal Blog Watch, on the other hand, wonders if the ad is really that effective, since it reinforces gender stereotypes for some readers. The blog says the ad apparently had that effect on AdRants, which relied on the ad to ?jump to the conclusion that female lawyers are more likely to settle a case.?

Read the entire article here.

Full post as published by Feminist Law Professors on June 03, 2008 (boomark / email).