Man Makes Case for Gender Equality Among Lawyers

Attorney Ryan Hirota is used to the strange looks he gets when he tells people that, yes, he is the president of the Women Lawyers of Long Beach Assn.

“The usual reaction is, ‘You’re what?’ ” Hirota said.

“Most people stand back and try to figure out if there’s something strange about me.”

But Hirota, 49, who was installed as the 20-year-old group’s leader in April, said he is just a regular guy who has found a cause he believes in: equality of all attorneys.

Hirota, a native of East Los Angeles and a graduate of Western State University School of Law in Fullerton, actually started out with his heart set on being a doctor. But after failing to get into medical school, he settled on the law.

Hirota is a partner in a three-attorney practice in Long Beach--Weiss, Hirota & Associates--where he specializes in real estate law.

Six years ago, when he was trying to build up his clientele, he was recruited by a female friend to join the women lawyers association, a networking, social and educational group that supports female attorneys.

Hirota said he was surprised to find out that 25% of its members are men. He also strongly agreed with the group’s mission--to ensure that male and female lawyers are treated equally.

He believes there is an unfair glass ceiling for female lawyers--that they have a tougher time getting law firm partnerships and judgeships.

His concerns were backed up by a recent American Bar Assn. study, which found that female attorneys still have more difficulty succeeding in the legal world than their male counterparts.

The national report, issued in April, said that although women are entering law schools in larger numbers than men, female lawyers still earn less than men and make up only a tiny percentage of law firm partners, law school deans and judges. The report blamed unconscious stereotyping, inadequate access to support networks, inflexible work structures, sexual harassment and bias in the court system.

“The primary mission statement is the advancement of women in the legal profession,” Hirota said of the Long Beach group. “We try to provide members with some sort of legal informational program.”

After he joined the organization, which has about 400 people on its mailing list, Hirota began to head various committees and serve on the board. About a year ago, he was approached to run for president, a part-time, voluntary position. He hesitated at first.

For one thing, he worried that he would be contributing to the very problem that he would like to end by taking a leadership role that otherwise might have gone to a woman. He was also concerned that some might take his ascension as a sign that women couldn’t lead their own group.

“I didn’t want the job if I was going to be sending the wrong message,” said Hirota, who sought several members’ input before running.

“Everybody seemed to be favorable to it. They thought it was a wonderful idea,” he said.

On a recent Monday night, about 25 members met at Madame Jo Jo’s, a small, funky restaurant in Long Beach. The purpose of the meeting was to teach the group’s members about resources available to help clients who may be victims of domestic violence.

“It’s a great group that’s very eclectic. We have judges and all types of attorneys,” said Reba Birmingham, who is next in line to be president. “Everybody just kind of lets their hair down. And I’ve gotten some of my best referrals from here.”

Becky Gomez, a longtime member who helped recruit Hirota into the group, said she hasn’t heard any complaints about his election. She said people are just happy to have a willing leader, noting that it is not easy to fill the leadership roles because they can be time-consuming.

“Honestly, it is difficult to get people into the positions,” she said. “Ryan is always there, whatever you need. That level of dedication is what we were looking for, not gender.”

Lorna Greenhill started the group in 1981. Back then there were about 20 members, who often met at a Mexican restaurant.

Greenhill has no problem with the association being led by Hirota.

“We’ve always invited men,” she said. “We were never an exclusionary group.”

Stephanie Lofton, a past president, said it seemed natural for Hirota to be in charge. She said he had become such a close friend to members in the group that several tried to find him a wife. But Hirota, she said, managed to fall in love and get married without their help.

To stop him from becoming president because of his gender would be hypocritical, she said.

“How can we discriminate [against him]?” she said. “That means we would be condoning the behavior in ourselves that we condemn in others.”