The Life an Career of Professor Page Keeton and the legacy of discrimination by Law Firms
Most law firms avoid posting jobs on Indeed or LinkedIn due to high costs. Instead, they publish them on their own websites, bar association pages, and niche legal boards. LawCrossing finds these hidden jobs, giving you access to exclusive opportunities. Sign up now!
published May 11, 2011
Donna McGill
<<Imagine being the best of the best; a top notch lawyer with impeccable educational qualifications and a determined focus on making the world a better place. Now imagine being told, ''We're just not ready to hire a Jewish person''. That's exactly what one lawyer, Howard Wolf, was told in the late 1950s when he applied to one of Houston's highest ranked law firms. Feeling frustrated and even angry, Wolf went to one of his UT law professors and college dean, who became offended as well. That professor was Page Keeton. A few days after speaking of his frustration, Wolf was called back to Professor Keeton's office. He was told to go speak with Leon Jaworski, who was both a partner in another of Houston's big law firms and who had served as a colonel in the U.S. Army in World War II. He was well aware of the persecution felt by the Jewish people. After speaking with Wolf, Jaworski offered him a position with the International Law Firm of Fulbright & Jaworski.
Years later, Wolf learned of just how angry his former professor was in those days following their meeting. Keeton had rounded up the other professors in the law school and demanded they get on the phone and contact Houston's five biggest law firms. And better yet, Keeton decided, ''I want you men to get on the phone with the top partners at each of these firms. Tell them the following: A firm came to our campus and interviewed one of our highly qualified students and told him that he would not be accepted for employment because he was a Jew.'' What would happen to them if they did the same? Wolf warned them that he would bar any of those law firms from ever coming onto the University of Texas campus to interview graduating law students.
It's important to remember that Wolf graduated in the top ten percent of his class; that fact alone speaks clearly of just how discriminatory law firms could be. These events, however, forever changed the way Houston law firms reacted to applicants who appeared before them.
Once the dust settled, Wolf found himself spending many years with Fulbright & Jaworski and Professor Keeton hit legendary status on the college campus where he spent 58 years. Twenty five of those years were spent as dean of the law school. The street the law school is on is now named after the professor who had no patience for anyone who discriminated against his law students.
Dean Page Keeton died in 1999.
Gain an advantage in your legal job search. LawCrossing uncovers hidden positions that firms post on their own websites and industry-specific job boards—jobs that never appear on Indeed or LinkedIn. Don't miss out. Sign up now!
( 8 votes, average: 4.1 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.
Upload Your Resume
Upload your resume now to receive jobs targeted to your background and future career goals. 90% of members who found a job through LawCrossing posted their resume.