Yesterday, Tulane Law School students heard
Ms. Lilly Ledbetter speak about issues related to equal pay for women in the US. Ms. Ledbetter was the plaintiff in the employment discrimination case Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. that ultimately reached the US Supreme Court. Congress subsequently passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, reversing the Court’s holding. Students listened intently to Ms. Ledbetter’s remarks as she shared her personal litigation journey, as well as the current landscape that led to the passage of the Fair Pay Act. A gifted storyteller and passionate equal pay activist, Ms. Ledbetter enthralled the students during her 50 minute presentation. Her conclusion that women still do not receive equal pay for equal work reminded the students about the importance of lawyers in our society and the continued struggles to end discrimination in the workplace. I suspect she inspired more than one future lawyer in the audience.