The Huffington Post recently ran an opinion piece entitled "The Illusory Quest for Balance". The author, the managing partner of a large law firm, appears to shame the sizable percentage of women who "interrupt" their career for family. For example, she flippantly remarks, "My own experience as a trial lawyer, wife and mother, has led me to believe balance doesn't exist except on Olympic beams, kitchen scales, and in certain yoga poses." While validly arguing that being a great mom and a great attorney are not mutually exclusive, she also seems to belittle women who don't find it easy to be both. She snarks, "Women who leave the workforce to have families may achieve a rewarding family life, but the one thing they certainly will not achieve is balance. Those who define work-life balance as 50/50 on a daily basis are setting themselves up for disappointment." The only sage, non-defensive advice she offers is to "pursue meaningful work and "surround yourself with people who share your values."
"The Illusory Quest for Balance" would not have disturbed me so much if were an anomaly. Unfortunately, it is not. Over the past 18 months or so, I've read a number of similarly-themed articles. Each seems to be a backlash at how vocal women are becoming about having their needs met in the workplace. I see this vocality as a good thing (when it is reasonable). After all, it is one of the hoped-for results of the women's movement. Such strength should be encouraged, not disparaged.
How one chooses to spend one's career is a personal choice. Not everyone elects to go for broke to make partner or get the corner office, at what he or she believes to be the cost of his or her family. Law practice is an extremely demanding profession, regardless of how much support one gets from loved ones and hired help. Female lawyers should be supporting each other no matter what their work situation, not making each other feel inferior or "unbalanced" for taking a different career path.
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