In a recent article at Above The Law, Angela Mackie-Rutledge shared her experiences navigating the legal world as a Black law clerk. Working for senior judges, she describes how she has observed a plethora of microaggressions in the courtrooms. Despite her visible staff ID and professional attire, she’s often mistaken for anything but the law clerk. The stereotypes that have led people to consider her the court reporter, court officer, or even defendant are a stark reminder of the subtle forms of bias still present in the profession.
Mackie-Rutledge’s observation reverberates with the experiences shared by Barrister Alexandra Wilson in 2021, who tweeted about being assumed to be a defendant or a journalist, and not a barrister. She states these “mistakes” or microaggressions have a significant impact on mental health, particularly in a profession already fraught with impostor syndrome.
Another pressing issue she highlights is the bias against natural Black hair. In 2022, Mackie-Rutledge and the Black Law Students Association at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School hosted the Black Hair Big Law Symposium. During this event, she led research and quantitative analysis on attitudes towards Black hair in the legal field. This shed light on some alarming biases, not just from colleagues but also judges – who ideally should be strongholds of fairness. For example, a Caucasian judge had commented on an attorney’s hair, labelling it “wild and eccentric”.
Mackie-Rutledge endorses the importance of addressing these pervasive biases, stating candidly that “clerking while Black ain’t easy”. The insights she gained from the symposium have been tremendously enlightening and have amplified her appreciation for her natural hair – challenges notwithstanding.
In providing a platform for discussion and acknowledging the hair bias in the legal profession, Mackie-Rutledge suggests a step towards breaking down the barriers of prejudice that stand in the way of fairness and equality.