We are pleased to announce that founding attorney Steve Velkei has been featured in
Her Story: The Resilient Woman Lawyer's Guide to Conquering Obstacles, a book published by the American Bar Association (ABA) Litigation Section's Woman Advocate Committee earlier this year. The book is a sequel to
Her Story: Lessons in Success from Lawyers Who Live It, which the ABA published in 2017.
Her Story: The Resilient Woman Lawyer's Guide to Conquering Obstacles features a collection of essays written by lawyers from diverse backgrounds and various practice areas. Mr. Velkei’s contribution, an essay titled, How We as Men Can Make a Meaningful Difference in the Fight for Gender Parity, closes out Chapter 2. Mr. Velkei was one of only a handful of men asked to contribute to the book, an honor he attributes to his efforts to champion gender parity in the law over the past 30-plus years.
Acknowledging the Implicit Bias We Have as Men
All men, regardless of whether they are allies for gender parity and women’s rights, have implicit bias. Men experience the world differently from women, and this necessarily impacts how men view the world—whether they realize it or not. Coming to this realization is essential not only for championing equality and equity but also for our own personal growth.
Given this, Mr. Velkei firmly believes that all men should do their part to help advance gender parity. He also believes that nowhere is this more true than within the legal profession. Lawyers and law firms have the opportunity to lead by example. They are in a unique position to shape law, policy, and societal norms by doing more than just recognizing the fact that female lawyers face challenges that men do not—for no reason other than the fact that they are women—men can make the legal profession, and the world at large, a better place. But recognition is the first step.
Highlighting the Unique Challenges Women Lawyers Face in 2024
By contributing to Her Story: The Resilient Woman Lawyer's Guide to Conquering Obstacles, Mr. Velkei hopes to help highlight the unique challenges women lawyers continue to face in 2024. His contribution builds upon his prior efforts, including being the first man to serve on the Steering Committee of GOOD Guys, an advocacy group for greater equality for women in the workplace sponsored by the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations. By laying bare his own implicit bias—and the steps he takes as he works to overcome it—Mr. Velkei hopes to encourage humility in other men’s journeys as well.
Buy Her Story: The Resilient Woman Lawyer's Guide to Conquering Obstacles
Her Story: The Resilient Woman Lawyer's Guide to Conquering Obstacles is available from the
ABA in both hardcopy and ebook format and hardcopy from
Amazon. The ABA offers a discount for all members and an additional discount for members of the Litigation Section. Regardless of your identity, we encourage you to pick up a copy to learn what you can do differently for yourself and others.
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