Bird Said to Be Considering Job With Allred Firm

Outgoing Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird and Gloria Allred, two of California’s better known lawyers and two of the state’s most outspoken feminists, could end up working together, according to sources close to Bird, who say that she is considering a job in Allred’s Los Angeles law firm.

Such a job, which might simply mean a part-time, low-profile affiliation with Allred’s firm, would unite Bird with a lawyer whose liberal, anti-Establishment image is in keeping with the kind of reputation Bird gained during her nine years on the state Supreme Court.

Bird, whose term on the court expires Jan. 5, has disclosed little about her plans since November, when she was voted out of office. She has said that she intends to write a book focusing on her career as California’s first woman chief justice. In addition, aides have said that Bird is considering a number of employment possibilities, including teaching.

One of those possibilities, sources said, is with Allred’s firm, where Bird’s campaign headquarters was located. Bird is a close family friend of Michael Maroko, one of Allred’s law partners. Besides being a strong advocate of women’s rights, Bird has shown a keen interest during her years on the court in sex discrimination cases and in family law, areas in which Allred’s firm specializes.

Steven M. Glazer, Bird’s principal spokesman during the campaign, said Monday that the chief justice is considering going to work for a Los Angeles law firm. But he emphasized that Bird’s plans are not final.

Allred Won’t Confirm It

Asked about the possibility of Bird coming to work in her firm, Allred, who is rarely reticent with reporters, would say little.

“I’m not able to confirm that at this time. I’ve heard something to that effect, but I can’t confirm or deny it,” Allred said.

Allred is well known for her flamboyant style--red dresses, scarlet lipstick and florid rhetoric--and for her penchant for taking bizarre cases, such as the child support suit she filed last year on behalf of a teen-age woman who named a Catholic priest as the recalcitrant father of her baby.

Earlier this year, Allred was awarded the President’s 1986 Volunteer Action Award for her pursuit of child support payments from estranged fathers.

The Bird Court

During Bird’s tenure as chief justice, the state Supreme Court has been known for its vigorous application of sex discrimination laws, such as prohibiting ladies’ day discounts at car washes and requiring boys clubs to open their doors to girls, and for its broad-mindedness in family law disputes. For example, the court struck a blow for the rights of handicapped parents when it resolved a custody dispute by ruling that a quadriplegic father was qualified to raise his children.

At public appearances over the years, Bird has spoken often about the difficulties faced by women who try to make their way in public life, and she has blamed much of the controversy that surrounded her tenure on the court on the fact that she was the first woman crashing the gates of a jealously guarded male preserve.