Huse Quoted in Law360 Regarding Gender Discrimination Claim Against a Firm

Society 54 Co-Founder Jill Huse was quoted by author Dani Meyer in Law360 article "Squire Misses Mark In Response To Reddit Gender Flap." Below are excerpts from the article. You can view the article in its entirety here.

While it may have been a typical response for Squire Patton Boggs LLP to go on the defensive after a former associate took to Reddit to say she had suffered gender discrimination, experts say there could have been a better way to handle such a situation and that the firm may have missed an opportunity to tell its side of the story.

Kristen Jarvis Johnson made headlines this week when her “Ask Me Anything” thread on social news website Reddit, in which she recounted being a victim of gender discrimination and said she felt like she was “worth less as a lawyer” after having a baby, went viral.

In challenging these types of allegations, actions speak louder than words, Jill Huse of Society 54 LLC said. An unfortunate example has been set in many firms where few women reach the partnership ranks, and this has a lot to do with biases within a male-dominated industry, according to Huse.

Huse said firms often recognize issues but have a hard time resolving them, likely because the leadership consists of men who don’t want to admit there’s an problem.

“In order to challenge these allegations, firms need to embrace an expanded shift in their culture where they are not only thinking about gender and diversity issues, but also crafting and implementing plans that create opportunities for advancement,” Huse said. “And they need to be accountable for these efforts.”