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Women of Hollywood
Women may be hitting glass ceilings at large law firms, but they're gaining equality in the Hollywood arena. This story, Celebs in a mess call on these female power lawyers, features a trio of high-powered, female lawyers who top celebrity lists when it comes to representation for DUIs, hit-and-run and divorce and custody battles. Predictably, the article leads off with the ubiquitous Gloria Allred, but it also covers DUI specialist, Blair Berk, a Harvard Law grad and divorce attorney Laura Wasser, who recently dropped Britney Spears as a client. Wasser's background is interesting; prior to her celebrity divorce work, she worked at the Western Law Center for Disability rights. Perhaps the biggest problem for at least two of the lawyers (Berk and Wasser) is staying out of the spotlight and the scope of the paparazzi and maintaining some privacy for both themselves, and their clients.
What struck me about this article were the differences between a celebrity-based Hollywood practice on one level and a biglaw practice - which recently, sites like Above the Law have celebrated...and even "celebretized". In biglaw, prestige means a huge, "name brand" law firm and a large PPP (profits per partner) or a $160,000 starting salary. The Hollywood lawyers practice in small firms, many of which they've started themselves. And the Hollywood lawyers also practice in areas like DUI, divorce or plaintiff-side discrimination, traditionally regarded as "pedestrian" by the biglaw crowd.
What are your thoughts? Obviously, the skill set for success as a Hollywood lawyer differs from the skill set for success at biglaw. But which type of "celebrity" lawyer is more attainable - for women, and for lawyers generally?
Posted by Carolyn Elefant on October 29, 2007 at 05:44 PM | Permalink
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