Gender issues.

I have been impressed with The Florida Bar's recent focus on addressing the gender-specific issues women face in our profession. Some of it seems short-sighted, such as published quotes from male colleagues expressing surprise at reports of bias, and a meeting title that refers to balancing in one's "heels," but I applaud the focus, nonetheless.

As journalists for the News, I encourage you to do the same. I was interested to read the article on page 15 of the July 15 edition addressing the recipients of a prestigious award for government lawyers. I was surprised that the article began by naming the recipients and then immediately identifying them as "two women lawyers," directly below their photos and before writing about their accomplishments. Labels such as "women lawyers" and "lady lawyers" serve no purpose in our profession other than to divide; in my 16-plus years of practice, I've yet to encounter a reference to a "man lawyer" or "male lawyer."

You can do better. These two lawyers deserve better, as do all the women in our profession.

Amber L. Slayton

North Port

The Bar's online gender...