Essay: Professionalism, Gender and the Public Interest: The Advocacy of Protection

Authors

Minna J. Kotkin, Brooklyn Law School

First Page

157

Document Type

Article

Abstract

In this Essay, I consider the interaction between relational feminist theory and women lawyers' concepts of professionalism, and I attempt to explore how relational values can be used in a legal world that still defines professionalism in an adversarial, rights-based context. Part II examines some of the empirical work on women in the profession that documents problems of role conflict. Part III looks at the theoretical foundation of that conflict. Part IV offers some personal observations on generational differences in women lawyers' experiences with role conflict that have led me to consider the impact of feminist theory on women's self-perception. Part V considers some views of professionalism that attempt to integrate an ethic of care. Finally, Part VI poses an alternative formulation of relational feminist theory that may help to address issues of role conflict. I suggest that an ethic of care does not require women to reject powerful and forceful advocacy. Rather, it can be seen as providing a different motivational source for that advocacy. Feminist theory can offer the foundation for an "advocacy of protection" that integrates care-based concerns with established professional norms. By exploring this alternate motivational source, I propose that we can find a professional role that feels like a true fit and alleviates the sense of role conflict that characterizes the lives of many women lawyers.

Recommended Citation

Minna J. Kotkin, Essay: Professionalism, Gender and the Public Interest: The Advocacy of Protection, 8 St. Thomas L. Rev. 157 (1995).
Available at: https://scholarship.stu.edu/stlr/vol8/iss1/8