User:Izzmidge/Feminist Legal Studies

Feminist Legal Studies
Feminist legal studies is the study of women in legal studies like, law, legal theory, and legal practice. Critical legal studies come from women, and there are only few and far between in this field. It is well known that most women get the short end of the stick when it comes to trials against them in terms of trafficking and rape. Victim shaming in the court room and in society is common against women, so feminist legal studies is crucial. Yet, we find women very rare in court rooms defending other women and their safety. This topic is very much important to bring awareness to, as we need women in the court room to help other women.

The very first wave of feminist legal studies started in the United States during the mid nineteenth century, as feminism was just making its first appearance (https://books.google.com/books?). Yet, as feminism became more prominent in the 60’s, we see a second wave of feminism and more women become involved with the legal studies to help more women out, and fight for their rights.(https://books.google.com/books?)  There was a need to expand from males in this field, so by women coming in this made all the difference for history, (ttps://journals.sagepub.com) as women are now able to fight for women. “Fem-crits”, were what the women were called who who studying new law (ttps://www.jstor.org/) and critiquing how court rooms should be run, especially with women present. Many women began fighting for the reform of justice systems, (ttps://www.jstor.org/) so women were not viewed as the weaker sex and to be treated as equals. During the 80’s we begin to see a lot of women going to law school, making it well known they were tired of the male dominated world.

There is a need for feminist figures in the court room for more than the reason of diversity. The female presence has been lacking since the start of legal practices, simply due to the times in which legal study and practice became a job. This is a male dominated field, since at the time of the birth of legal studies, women were usually stay at home moms, cooking and cleaning. (https://heinonline.org) The times have changed, as now we see and uprise of women going into legal practices. 1 in 3 lawyers are woman, making 33% of all layers women. Sadly this number is still low, as we strive to be a 50/50 in this field, giving women an equal opportunity to help change the lives of many. (https://www.census.gov) In 2018, there was a major increase of women being enrolled in law school, making it practically 50/50 men and women being enrolled in law school. This is a great move in the right direction for women being in the court room.

What is the biggest reasons we need to demolish toxic masculinity in legal studies you might ask, and to answer simply empathy and support. Women are genetically more empathetic, in comparison to males, and we strive to want people like this is legal practices. With the empathetic ways of women, there can be a change for other women who need the help in court rooms. Many men do no know the fear of being raped or taken, simply because they are males, but this does not ignore the fact it does happen. Most women fear their life, simply due to the fact they are vulnerable to men in certain situations. If metaphorically a rape case came across the table off a women lawyer, she is more likely to be empathetic towards them and want to fight for them harder, than perhaps a man would. With this, someone who was put in a vulnerable position and was raped or hurt, could find men intimidating and find it hard to work with them or want them to fight their case. 71% of people in a conducted survey said they would be more comfortable with a woman lawyer. Although these numbers do not disregard the stereotypes around legal studies and feminism. Many women are looked down upon, simply because of their sex. Due to women being deemed the lower sex, many people do not take them as serious as they would men or even create false ideas around women in legal studies.

Although, let us not twist the fact that all women are feminists and all men are against women. These numbers going up are incredible, and making a move in the right direction, but feminism starts with the individual in legal studies. Feminist ideals are not exclusive to just women, and many women are even against feminism. Feminism in legal studies is the fight for the equality of women and the belief men and women are equal. This is not just wanting more women in positions of legal studies, but fighting for women who are putt into the hands of these who practice legal studies. As we all know, women get the short end of the stick when it comes to trials, as they are more than likely victim blamed or deemed as if it were their fault. Yet, if a man were to say he was not guilty of doing such acts, we are more likely to believe him over the victim. This is just factual evidence based on cases we see, as most famously the Brock Turner case. A women was raped, there was witness to it, but he got off very easily. We tend to victimise women as a way to make the actions of men justified. This is why we need more women, simply because they can empathetically feel for these victims and not take it anymore. This goes for women judges as well, only four of the 112 Supreme Court judges we have had were women, and 60 of 137 federal judges are women. (https://www.representwomen.org). Women need to represent women and help them get the justice many lack to receive.

Bibliography:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/42893008?casa_token=pYHQsMe3lz0AAAAA:Onmb8zyaYRdzNDhAewkgywOm_hVADClgptsoMeiBFotUBFP2c3Zkv3_OMpfZNXEhNMV3mD_gXY0jHZ7Rn-ghzCMkLkdJ_BYaC0_8ARQTG6N25X8gj4z_

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0308518X19856527

https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/wiswo23&section=14

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=55TYVDVVBiIC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=feminist+legal+studies&ots=RtEKEAd50Y&sig=ojUu8W07b4_isfjoKG6n5MCWpTc

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/05/women-lawyers.html

https://www.representwomen.org/women_s_underrepresentation_in_the_judiciary