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''Coming Out'' Before the Courtroom

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published February 19, 2007

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( 23 votes, average: 4.8 out of 5)
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<<So how does this affect gay law students and gay attorneys in firms? How many are actually out in the open in the "old boys' club" world of law?

Coming out of the closet in law school is a decision that every gay attorney faces—and it can be especially difficult when you are just coming to terms with your orientation yourself. Just ask Greg Nevins, a senior staff attorney for LAMBDA in Atlanta, a nonprofit, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender agency that is dedicated to reducing homophobia, inequality, hate crimes, and discrimination.


Nevins, who attended Harvard Law School, did not fully come out of the closet until he had graduated from law school. Although he did well in his studies, Nevins' period of self-discovery in law school was an emotional challenge. After all was said and done, the fact that he was still figuring out his sexuality during school created more inner turmoil for him on top of the pressures of attending a demanding and prestigious law school. This challenge, encompassed with the "inhospitable" environment at Harvard that Nevins described, made law school a time of "invisibility" for him.

Despite his personal struggles, Nevins managed to break down the door of law when he landed stellar positions in San Francisco at Morrison & Foerster and the District Attorney's Office. Nevins' life after law school as a gay attorney has been a very positive experience for him. Becoming an openly gay attorney resulted in not only personal but also professional success for Nevins. His endeavors and experiences seemed to always improve when those around him found out that he was gay. "Word would get around, and I found that it was very good," said Nevins.

<<Kathy Davis, a Minneapolis-based lesbian attorney at Henson & Efron, PA , was "pleasantly surprised" when she made the move from the liberal locale of New York City to finish law school at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, MN. While working for the president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) during the day and attending New York Law School at night, Davis eventually decided that she wanted a slower change of pace. When she arrived in St. Paul, she was shocked at how many active gay and lesbian groups there were. "I was really impressed with how active their student groups were," she said. Today, she could not be happier about her decision to move to Minnesota.

Davis is also tremendously happy at Henson & Efron, the firm she has been with since graduating from law school. "I had reservations about working at a mid-size or larger firm because I was worried about being able to be out, wondering if I was going to be taking steps back into the closet. But this firm is pretty amazing. It's just an incredibly progressive, really open environment," said Davis. Over the years, she has even gotten her firm involved with the National Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Chamber of Commerce, something that would not have happened had she stayed in the closet.

Joblin Younger, an openly gay trust and estate paralegal at Cushing & Dolan, PC, and 1L at Suffolk University Law School in Boston, has "had nothing but positive experiences in the legal community, so far." Having worked on many law- and government-related projects, Younger is glad that he entered into his law career out of the closet.

"The gay community here is really, really supportive of aspiring lawyers and legal professionals. I've connected with a number of senior partners at some very large Boston-based law firms and some international law firms—a lot of them I met through my nonprofit work in the youth GLBT nonprofit world here. I was also a commissioner for the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth," said Younger.

Matt Titone, a gay Staten Island, NY, solo practitioner and pro bono-work junkie, recently made a landmark move for his district when he ran for the New York State Senate in the 24th District.

<<Making the jump from film and television production during the 1989 writers' strike, Titone decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, Staten Island, NY, Court of Appeals Judge Vito J. Titone, and pursue a career in law.

Last year, Titone was urged by the Democratic Party to run for state senator against 52-year-old Republican state senator John Marki so that there would at least be another name on the ballot. Ironically enough, Marki announced his retirement soon after the race began.

Because he is gay, Titone raised a lot of eyebrows when he decided to pursue the campaign, especially since he is, as far as he knows, one of very few gay attorneys in Staten Island. He said, "Though he and I are very friendly, looking at my opposition's television ads, there were underlying aspects that talked about him being a family man and having the 'right' perspective. There was also the impression that I was running on the gay agenda to push marriage equality issues. I had to point out, 'Look at my record; if I were running exclusively for gay rights, don't you think that there would be more of that in my history?'"

Although Titone came in second on Election Day, he made some amazing strides in his predominantly conservative voting district. "I did come out of the election with 41% of the vote. The most any other Democrat has gotten in this district was 36%. And as a 'gay guy,' I was only expected to get, like, 28% of the vote," he said.

With all the breakthroughs in terms of equality and acceptance in the past decade or so, today is probably the best time yet for gay attorneys to be out in their profession. The process is still taking place, though. As the "old boys' club" dies out, women are really breaking down the barriers, but the gay community has not completely gotten there yet, according to Titone.

It seems that it has been a touchy subject in the professional world for years, but many gay law students and professionals agree that it is a huge benefit to be honest about your sexuality in your career. "It's never a good idea to withhold it. I think it's so much more beneficial to be able to be yourself—it makes you a better attorney, it makes you more integrated into your firm, and it often opens doors. I've seen a lot of work come in because folks know that I'm a lesbian," said Davis.
  1. Legal Jobs
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  6. ''Coming Out'' Before the Courtroom

published February 19, 2007

( 23 votes, average: 4.8 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.

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