Sept. 19, 2018 – When Rebecca Markert stumbled across the trailer for a film on Facebook, she was immediately determined to bring it to Madison.

One year later, her vision is a reality, and she hopes you will attend a screening and panel discussion involving the film Balancing the Scales: A Film by Sharon Rowen.

“The film explores issues common to any woman who is a working professional,” said Rebecca Markert, president of the Legal Association of Women (LAW), which organized the event.

The film has an important message. “Despite all the strides we’ve made – with women making up more than half the population of law students, with more than half of women in private practice – there are still obstacles and challenges,” Markert said. “Women leave the profession in higher numbers than men. And the rates of women as partners and general counsel at larger corporations are still very low.”

“We’re still not breaking that glass ceiling,” she said. “The legal profession can still very much be a boy’s club.”

Two Decades in the Making

The film, produced by Georgia lawyer Sharon Rowen, is based on two decades of interviews with women lawyers. Interviewees include state supreme court and appellate court justices, women equity partners, minority women, associates, and students. It also includes U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, civil rights attorney Gloria Allred, and Roe v. Wade attorney Margie Pitts Hames.

In this time of #metoo and the Women’s March, “this is the perfect time to look at the obstacles and challenges that women face in the workplace,” Markert said. “LAW members want to continue this conversation in our state.”

Panel Discussion: Unconscious Bias

A panel discussion follows the film’s screening, moderated by Rowen, with judges JoAnne Kloppenburg, Kristy Yang, and Susan Steingass; and attorney Tamara Packard.

“We will talk about how unconscious bias surfaces in legal workplaces and how to take steps to eradicate it,” Markert said. “You’re going to walk away with steps to promote equality in workplace hiring and promotion practices.”

Panelists will also discuss their experiences as women attorneys in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Law Foundation and State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE® are two of the sponsors of the event, which takes place on Thursday, Sept. 27 in Madison.