Abcarian: On the fifth anniversary of the #MeToo movement, the reckoning continues as more women come forward with the stories of harassment and abuse they’ve experienced. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center, along with the National Women’s Law Center and National Action Network, held a symposium to share our voices and educate and empower the women and men who are seeking assistance.
“Not long after she left law school, she told a friend that she was looking to move into a new job as a civil servant—something she herself desired at the time—and when the friend asked her what she was considering, she answered, ‘I’m interested in being an attorney.’”
Karen Abcarian, a lawyer and partner in the firm of Arent, Fox, Kintner & Volland, has been in the trenches since college. But like most, she wasn’t always aware of her own rights.
“I think about it a lot. I think about it a lot,” she said, as we stood in the hallway outside of her firm.
“So, now the #MeToo movement is in full swing. I am proud of the fact that a woman is leading it. It is an important movement, and I think all women in law should be proud of that. The fact that we are speaking up makes me feel that I am part of the solution.”
She said she is excited about the movement and looks forward to the fight moving forward.
“We are all in a unique position as women and as women in law and as individuals in general to make a difference. In my work as a lawyer, I have seen what other women and other working women go through and what it’s like for them to be a woman in an environment full of men who expect them to perform certain things that are a little bit more than they can actually perform and a lot more than they are able to perform.”
If she had it to do over, Karen said, she would try to “be less aggressive” in her interactions.
