Billy Graham, the “Pastor to the Presidents,” had a rule: avoid being alone with any woman other than his wife. His maxim became so well known that writers named it the “Billy Graham Rule.” Notably, Billy Graham was not the only proponent of the Billy Graham Rule. In an effort to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, some business leaders across the country adopted the rule as their own standard for interacting with members of the opposite sex in the workplace.
With the diversification of law firms, some attorneys decided that following the Billy Graham Rule was the safest strategy for handling interactions between men and women in the workplace. Some male attorneys would refuse to travel with female attorneys and would insist on keeping the office door open when meeting with a female colleague. Likewise, many female attorneys avoided drinks or dinners with male attorneys for fear that the invitation might be misconstrued or might send an unintentional message.
This content has been archived.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
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
