Jamie Laskis is a young Mergers & Acquisitions lawyer in New York City at the centre of a sex discrimination lawsuit against Toronto legal juggernaut Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP. While the allegations are disturbing, for seasoned observers of legal culture they aren't unexpected given the rampant sexism that exists in the legal profession in Toronto (take a look here and here). Ms. Laskis makes an excellent point in the Toronto Star article that broke the story open, observing that "I was certainly not alone in this kind of scenario. But I was in a position (that) a lot of other women, who have kids, may not be." What she is referring is the fact that she had the monetary resources and time available to launch a legal action.
As I've previously discussed women who are pregnant or who have young children aren't in the best positions to sue former employers. Beyond the sex discrimination angle, young people as a group in society generally face systemic and structural barriers in attempting to access recourse through the legal system for breaches of contemporary workplace law. When thinking about human rights issues it's important to consider both the social location of the affected individual or group and the intersectionality of the discrimination they are facing, this is especially crucial when considering issues related to the labour market.
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