Class Action Accuses Steptoe & Johnson of Gender Bias
A former associate filed a national class action against Steptoe & Johnson, claiming the giant law firm pays only lip service to gender equality, but has a male-dominated leadership that discriminates against women in pay and promotions, according to a Courthouse News Service report.
Ji-In Houck, of Los Angeles, says her starting pay at the firm as a contract attorney was barely half the $165,000 that inexperienced male lawyers made — though she had come to Steptoe with two years of experience in civil litigation.
“During her three years in Steptoe’s Century City office, her salary typically was 30 percent to 40 percent less than male lawyers with comparable experience, she says in her June 22 complaint,” writes Don Debenedictis. “When she left in March 2016, she was earning $200,000 a year, compared to the $230,000 paid to men at her level.”
Read the Courthouse News article.
