Utah Supreme Court Justice Jill Pohlman spoke at a Brigham Young University Women in Politics event about her experience as a woman in law and politics.
She faced many challenges throughout her career, ranging from something as simple as choosing what to wear each day to people assuming she was not a lawyer.
“It feels a little bit disconcerting to have people not take you seriously,” Pohlman said. “Early on, I had lawyers that would treat me, I think, differently than they would have treated a man.”
She remembers being in court one day, and after she made objections, a lawyer would laugh and even wink at her. Despite treatment like this, Pohlman still chose to walk into the courtrooms with confidence, even if she wasn't feeling as confident inside.
“I would leave and say, ‘Yeah, I did the job. I did what my client needed to do today, and I did it well,'” Pohlman said. “That would just build (my) confidence for the next time.”
Pohlman said as more women have entered the legal profession over the years, similar situations likely do not happen as often, but still can.
One issue she brought up during the event is how difficult it is for women to become mothers while also continuing to practice law.
When Pohlman became a mother, she was working at a more accommodating law firm and was able to work from home most of the time, sometimes working through the night after she put her kids to bed.
“When I tell people it worked, it worked, but it came at a cost,” Pohlman said. “My life is big, crazy, chaotic, but I loved it, and I was able to do real work, love my profession, love my job, but still be with my kids.”
Pohlman said it all comes down to what one wants for themselves and their family. Working while being a mother is possible, but can be difficult in a culture where women are usually the stay-at-home parent.
Pohlman’s role as a mother is part of the reason she eventually decided to apply for the Utah Court of Appeals and later the Utah Supreme Court, where she said the schedule allows more flexibility. She believes women play an important role in practicing law, and said if the main thing deterring women from continuing to practice is becoming a mother, then law firms should work towards reasonable solutions to keeping working mothers in the field.
Many of the Women in Politics club members are planning on going to law school in the coming years and connected with Pohlman’s words.
Club president Victoria Wood had been feeling uncertain about her future and how successful she could be in law school.
“The biggest thing I took away from her today was that you can enjoy the uncertainty of life by moving forward,” Wood said. “That's just a part of how you progress, and you should expect that, but also have fun doing it.”
Pohlman spoke of multiple instances throughout her career when she also felt uncertain. The first few times she acted as judge on the Utah Court of Appeals, she was worried her questions weren't good enough. When she applied to be on the Utah Supreme Court, she worried about how qualified she was. But she never let her worries stop her from having big goals and moving forward anyway.
This same sentiment also stuck out to Kelsey Warner, the Women in Politics events coordinator.
“I really liked what she said at the end about not being worried about making the wrong decision,” Warner said.
Ella Paligo is the club’s outreach coordinator and said it was inspiring to hear from one of the women who helped pave the way for her to have a career in law.
“It is going to be difficult, but just because it's difficult doesn't mean I can't do it,” Paligo said. “We were made to do really hard things.”
To stay updated on future events, follow the club's Instagram @byuwip.