Section Newsletters

Articles on Gender and Equality

Sessions v. Morales-Santana: Gender-based classifications in the Immigration and Nationality Act struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court By Robert Heuer International and Immigration Law, November 2017 On June 12, 2017, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in furtherance of gender equality, striking down as violative of the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantee a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1401 et seq.) that treated unmarried men and women differently in their ability to transmit U.S. citizenship to their children born abroad.
Sessions v. Morales-Santana: Gender-based classifications in the Immigration and Nationality Act struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court By Robert Heuer Human and Civil Rights, September 2017 On June 12, 2017, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in furtherance of gender equality, striking down as violative of the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantee a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1401 et seq.) that treated unmarried men and women differently in their ability to transmit U.S. citizenship to their children born abroad.
The Ninth Circuit’s ruling in Rizo suggests employers can pay women less than men for the same job based on prior salary By Ava George Stewart & Kenya A. Jenkins-Wright Bench and Bar, June 2017 In April, the Ninth Circuit held in Rizo v. Yovino that prior salary could be used to justify differences in compensation as a “factor other than sex” if the use of prior salary is reasonable and supports a business policy without running afoul of the Equal Pay Act.
Final rule on health plan nondiscrimination By William H. Mayer Employee Benefits, March 2017 Gender identity discrimination in health plans may end with the implementation of final regulations under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This article discusses the federal and state regulations as well as current litigation and other considerations affecting the availability of transgender related services.
Proper use of preferred gender pronouns By Sarah D. Zigulich Women and the Law, December 2016 A breakdown of the preferred gender pronoun movement and its importance.
Enter, the long-ignored caretaker By Paula E. Pitrak Family Law, April 2016 The recent changes to the IMDMA have placed a gender-neutral importance on the caretaking functions when determining the allocation of parental responsibilities and maintenance awards.
LGBT families continue to face obstacles By Carol Jones Family Law, February 2016 Obergefell v. Hodges, the revisions to the IMDMA, and the Parentage Act of 2015 expanded rights for the LGBT community and their families. However, these families still face obstacles that maintain their unequal treatment under the law.   
Recent studies confirm much still needs to be done for women to gain parity in the profession By Michele M. Jochner Women and the Law, February 2016 Although the distribution of men and women in our profession is at roughly a 2 to 1 ratio, men are three times more likely than women to appear in lead roles in civil cases—especially in those matters which are financially lucrative and high-profile.
Defining personhood under the Illinois Gender Violence Act: A summary of the Illinois Gender Violence Act and whether its applicability extends to entities, corporations and municipalities By Catherine D. Battista & Priti Nemani Diversity Leadership Council, June 2015 To date, no Illinois court has ruled that liability under the Act is limited to natural persons. As a result, courts are tasked to consider the statutory language of the Act and whether it may be inclusive of corporate defendants.
Wanted: Male attention—A focus on gender disparity in the law By Carl Newman Young Lawyers Division, February 2015 Young lawyers especially need to be aware of gender disparities in order for the landscape to change.
Wanted: Male attention—A focus on gender disparity in the law By Carl Newman Women and the Law, February 2015 If we want the landscape to change, we all need to be aware of gender disparities.
Pay equality for women attorneys: The ABA Toolkit for Gender Equity in Partner Compensation By Julie A. Neubauer Women and the Law, August 2013 The time is now to implement policies and practices for attorney compensation that will encourage the women coming into the professions and young women lawyers working in firms today to stay the course and rise to the level of leadership alongside our male counterparts.
Your firm’s benefits plan and same-sex relationships: Best practices to make all employees feel like valued team members By Daniel Ebner Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, December 2012 Giving employees in same-sex relationships the same benefits as married employees involves a little effort but a big payoff in employee morale and loyalty.
The effect of gender in a judicial race By Angela Evans Women and the Law, June 2012 It is nice to be able to report that in some of Illinois’ more recent judicial races, gender is not a controlling factor.
Is reform a reality for women in Saudi Arabia? By Cindy G. Buys & Stephanie Macuiba Women and the Law, June 2012 This article provides some background on the Saudi Arabian political and legal systems and on the possibilities for future reforms to expand women’s rights.
Photos Women and the Law, June 2012 Photos from the Women and The Law's April 26th program.
Disparity between women and men’s compensation and leadership responsibilities still significant, NAWL survey concludes By Katherine Kelleher Women and the Law, June 2008 On Friday, March 14th, Jenner & Block LLP confirmed that trial lawyer Susan Levy has been named as the firm’s new managing partner.1
Changing the climate: Why gender equality matters By Rebecca Pearl Women and the Law, January 2008 Climate change is one of the most urgent issues of our time.
What’s next? Following up on the 1990 Illinois Task Force Report on Gender Bias in the Courts Women and the Law, June 2004 In 1990, a task force of the Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association and the Women's Bar Association of Illinois issued a report on gender bias in the Illinois courts.

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