Can We Bring Back the Hotties of Law?
We're entering a puritanical era. Mention someone's looks, attractiveness or sex appeal, and people accuse you of sexism, lookism or some other "ism."
March 02, 2018 at 02:13 PM
3 minute read
The esteemed firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom probably wishes this never popped up on my radar: Did you know it's the 10th-year anniversary of Skadden's “hottie” associate contest? I would have totally missed that milestone had my colleague Brian Baxter not brought it to my attention, wryly asking, “How are we all going to celebrate this?”
Well, I'm here for the commemoration!
First, a refresher. In 2008, two enterprising (or bored) Skadden employees rolled out the contest on the firm's in-house blog Skadden Insider. About 400 Skadden employees voted, anointing a blonde associate the official hottie. Being an equal opportunity firm, a contest for the hottest male associate was also in the works. But before the male contest got started, the powers-that-be at Skadden shut down the contests and eventually scrubbed the site of any trace of that history.
In the post #MeToo era, all this looks like a textbook cringe-worthy moment. How could a serious law firm have allowed the contest to go as far as it did?
But I'm not here to jump on the condemnation bandwagon and vent outrage at what happened in those “dark” ages. Nor am I here to congratulate ourselves on how much more enlightened we've become.
Au contraire. Truth is, there's a part of me that's a bit nostalgic for those randy days of innocence when we could joke about things like “hotties” or the sexiest lawyer in the land (which, of course, is a joke within itself).
I know, I know: We shouldn't objectify people, especially women who are often not taken seriously enough. And, yeah, that sort of cheeky contest is best left off a firm's internal website.
I get all that, but, hey, do we have to be so damn earnest and serious all the time?
It seems we're getting awfully squeamish about the whole subject of sex appeal. Not that long ago, Above the Law used to name hotties all the time (law school dean hotties, law librarian hotties, and, of course, countless lawyer hotties). At one point, ATL even designated ERISA hotties, which, I assume, is no easy feat. Alas, ATL seems to have scrapped its entire hottie franchise.
To me, it's all a harbinger that we're entering a puritanical era. Mention someone's looks, attractiveness or sex appeal, and people accuse you of sexism, lookism or some other “ism.”
Why do we have to pretend that sex appeal doesn't exist or matter in this profession, like any other field? (I think we can all admit that being attractive is always a useful arsenal in the career game, for men and women.) And why do we have to pretend that lawyers are asexual?
Maybe I'm an outlier, but I don't think getting a shout-out for being “hot” is a career-killer. Look at Amal Clooney or the hunks at Paul Weiss, who've been celebrated for their good looks.
So here's my proposition: Let's bring back the hottie lawyer lists. So long as both men and women are included, why not have a little fun? Besides, wouldn't most people simply regard the idea of a hottie-lawyer as an exercise in irony?
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllTrending Stories
- 1Infant Formula Judge Sanctions Kirkland's Jim Hurst: 'Overtly Crossed the Lines'
- 2Abbott, Mead Johnson Win Defense Verdict Over Preemie Infant Formula
- 3Trump Files $10B Suit Against CBS in Amarillo Federal Court
- 4Preparing Your Law Firm for 2025: Smart Ways to Embrace AI & Other Technologies
- 5Guarantees Are Back, Whether Law Firms Want to Talk About Them or Not
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250