Carol L. Schlitt, a noted New York personal injury attorney, celebrates her 21st year as a leader in the male dominated legal profession. A past winner of the New York Municipal Attorney of the Year, Ms. Schlitt discusses her career as a lawyer and the challenges that she and all women face in the field.
Huntington, NY (PRWEB) September 13, 2007 -- Carol L. Schlitt has just celebrated her twenty-first year as an attorney and she remains a leader among female attorneys in New York. When Ms. Schlitt graduated from St. John's Law School in 1986, women attorneys had to swim against the tide of male dominance. The American Bar Association (ABA) reports that women comprised only 13 percent of all attorneys in 1985. Today, the ABA finds that women account for 29 percent of all attorneys and that number continues to climb.
"I can remember when I first ventured into a Bronx court room how it felt like the very definition of "an old boy's club," Ms. Schlitt recalled in a recent interview. "Most of the men were nice, though women had to work twice as hard and be twice as good to earn their respect." Ms. Schlitt smiles at the memory. "It helped that I knew sports; to this day, I remain a die-hard Mets and football Giants fan."
According to the ABA report, the legal profession remains a male-dominated world, even though women account for an increasingly large number of students in law school. "It is good to see more women entering the field, but we need to continue to push our way to the top of the profession," says Ms. Schlitt. "Too often, women are viewed as not aggressive enough, not serious or too emotional. It is wrong and it drives me crazy." Ms. Schlitt cites her own cases where she bested some of the City's best male attorneys. "I beat them not because I was a woman and they were men, I beat them because I did the better job on those cases."
After graduating from law school, Ms. Schlitt worked for the New York City Law Department (a.k.a. the Corporation Counsel). "We were the lawyers for the City of New York. I love New York and loved defending the City." She handled many of the City's largest and most famous cases and became an expert on motor vehicle cases. "They gave me responsibility for the Jackie Robinson Parkway because it was such a treacherous road and had so many accidents." While the City hired many female attorneys, all the senior positions went to men. "As a woman, you had to prove yourself over and over." Ms. Schlitt did well for her client and was named the New York Municipal Attorney of the Year by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
Ms. Schlitt remains a leader in the field and a role model for female attorneys. She is well known in the courts and her verdicts have been cited in the press and earned as among the highest awards in New York City. "I started my own firm in 1998," she said, seeking a way to make more of a connection with her clients and to serve them better. "Maybe it's because I am a woman, but winning a big verdict is only part of the job. I enjoy the connections I make with my clients. I think the personal services, the relationships, matter just as much as the large awards."
Asked about the challenges of running her solo practice law firm (The Law Office of Carol L Schlitt), Ms. Schlitt said, "Like all businesswomen, I have to keep learning to keep up with changes in the law and the business world. And the technology keeps changing too, creating both challenges and opportunities." Her firm has a web site that both attracts and serves clients.
Like many women, Ms. Schlitt wears many hats. She is a noted trial attorney who specializes in personal injury law; she is a business woman, a mother of three boys and a wife. "All women struggle to find the balance between our careers, our families and our personal lives. It is never easy, but it is rewarding." Ms. Schlitt serves as a mentor to young female attorneys, offering advice and lending a helping hand such as well as volunteering her time as a moot court judge. "People gave me advice when I was young and starting out; I want to return the favor."
Asked if she thinks she can relax after all her years of success, Ms. Schlitt shakes her head. "I fight harder now than ever, not just for myself, not just to advance the cause of women attorneys, but because that's what I owe my clients." Given her success as a personal injury attorney, Carol Schlitt's fight seems to be paying off nicely.
About the Law Office of Carol L. Schlitt
The Law Office of Carol L. Schlitt specializes in personal injury law and accepts cases throughout New York City (Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens) and Long Island. She handles cases involving car accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice, wrongful death, construction and design flaws and other personal injury matters. Recognized as one of the premier personal injury attorneys in the New York metropolitan area, Ms. Schlitt has achieved one of the top ten verdicts in New York City and is a past winner of the Municipal Attorney of the Year award. For more information, please visit www.schlittlaw.com, call 1-800-660-1466 or e-mail carol(at)schlittlaw.com.
For more information on this release, contact Ms. Schlitt at 1-800-660-1466 or carol(at)schlittlaw.com.
Press Contact: CAROL SCHLITT
Company Name: Law Office of Carol L. Schlitt
Phone: 1-800-660-1466
Website: www.schlittlaw.com
