Gender equality is an urgent issue within the legal system. Women face widespread gender bias in the law which may cause trauma for some women, especially women of color, who are more likely to be interrupted in court, penalized for assertive behavior, and face unequal pay compared to their colleagues with similar qualifications and experience. These conditions, as well as the need to juggle professional commitments and professional responsibilities, can lead to career dissatisfaction and higher attrition rates among female lawyers, post-graduation.
This practical CLE will provide research-based strategies for empowering women as leaders to overcome diversity and healthily navigate the changing landscape of the legal profession. The presenter, Dr. Pearlette J. Ramos, will use the power of personal narrative and filmmaking to advance the professional and personal challenges women face in the practice of law.
Pearlette J. Ramos, Ph.D., J.D. is a lawyer, transformational leader, social justice advocate, and entrepreneur with more than 25 years’ experience in activism, change and strategic management, and DEI consultation.
Born in Youngstown, Ohio and raised in the housing projects, Pearlette’s childhood home was poverty- stricken and riddled with substance abuse, domestic abuse and untreated mental illness. Due to the trauma, she fled her parents’ home when she was 15 years old. Within twelve months she was pregnant, married and a high school dropout. During her 20s, she struggled as a single mom who worked three jobs at a time just to make ends meet. These challenges prompted her to attend college-then law school school—where she dreamt of changing the laws and systems that disproportionately impacted women and children.
She leads Pearlette Ramos LLC as well as Sisters Talk About Race, an Arizona nonprofit she co-founded, which is committed to connecting, educating, and activating women to end systemic racism and ensure justice. Dr. Ramos is producing her first social impact film, Three (Extra)Ordinary Women, which explores the life stories of three women of color who collectively overcame poverty, abuse, systemic racism, and political occupation as they brave their biggest physical obstacle yet—climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. The documentary uses the imposing Mt. Kilimanjaro as both a physical structure and metaphor for conquering battles that seem insurmountable --like overcoming trauma, ending violence, and ensuring justice.
See https://threeextraordinarywomen.com/
Dr. Ramos graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Law (1995) and practiced law as a civil litigator prior to attending Saybrook University where she earned a doctorate degree in psychology. Her dissertation, Well-Being: A Study of Attorney Believes, Attitudes, and Perceptions (2012), takes a critical look at the factors that influence well-being among Arizona lawyers. When she isn’t cherishing time spent with her two adult daughters, Dr. Ramos contributes her talents to various community organizations including serving as the president of the Arizona Black Bar, vice chairperson of OneAZ Credit Union, and member of the Avondale Neighborhood and Family Services Commission, Arizona Lawyers for Equal Justice, State Bar of Arizona’s Council on Minorities and Women in the Law, Phoenix Rotary 100, and the Arizona Center for Civil Leadership (Flinn Brown).