RBG’s collar collection – When Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away in September, she had become a “fashion pioneer” in the world of jurists. The standard judge’s robe was made for men, with a place for a shirt and tie to show at the top. RBG told the Washington Post in 2009 that she did not know anyone who made robes for women justices. She and Sandra Day O’Connor “thought it would be appropriate if we included as part of our robe something typical of a woman.” She and O’Connor began wearing lace jabots. RBG then branched out from lace to collars in a variety of materials, styles and colors, including beads, shells, and rainbow hues. Perhaps most importantly, the collars held significance.
RBG’s “dissent” collar is probably her most famous – a bejeweled collar made by Banana Republic that looks a bit like armor. She also had a “majority collar,” a yellow-beaded collar she often wore when announcing a majority opinion. Her white beaded collar from South Africa was her favorite – she wore it often and it’s the one she is wearing in her official portrait hanging at the Supreme Court.
To see photos and stories of some of her collars, check out this story from TIME.
Speaking of female attorneys…
Gender bias in Utah’s Legal Profession – A recent report from Utah State University researchers shows that fewer than 1 in 4 attorneys in Utah are women and just 12% are partners in Utah law firms, half the national rate. Women of color comprise only 1% of law partners statewide.
The recently-released report found a significant increase in bad behavior towards female attorneys, with 62% saying that co-workers’ behavior created a “hostile work environment”. It was 37% in 2010. Forty-four percent say that they experienced sexual harassment, up from 27% in 2010.
Ashley Peck, a past president of Women Lawyers of Utah, told Annie Knox: “it’s not the obvious harassment and discrimination, but it’s the implicit or insidious experiences that really build up over time and cause women to leave law firms. It’s not getting the best assignments and opportunities, not getting invited to networking lunches and client meetings, being talked down to in some way during meetings.”
It’s worth reading the full report.
COVID-19 vaccine available at no cost – As the vaccines continue to roll out, Governor Gary Herbert says he expects that by April, everyone who wants the vaccine will have gotten it. The Utah legislature doesn’t want financial concerns to be a reason not to get it, so they set aside $60 million to fill in any gaps not covered by the federal government, including potential out-of-pocket copays. (Fox13)
Highest travel day since March – TSA screened 1,284,599 airline passengers on Sunday, Dec. 27, the highest number since the pandemic began. Yesterday also marked the sixth day out of the last ten that more than a million passengers a day have been screened.
BREAKING: @TSA screened 1,284,599 people at airport checkpoints nationwide yesterday, Sunday, Dec. 27. It is the highest checkpoint throughput since the pandemic hit. It is also the 6th day in the last 10 that volume has surpassed 1M. If you choose to travel, please wear a mask.
— Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@TSA_Northeast) December 28, 2020
