Hard-Won Wisdom

PREFACE

To build a collection of workplace stories for managers to learn from, I can’t think of a better way than a career in employment law. You get a ringside seat for just about every form of workplace behavior you could ever imagine (or would prefer not to imagine.)

My professional experience began in 1980 as a first-year law student at the University of Chicago. I got a full-time summer job working in the employment-discrimination section of a legal aid clinic. The job continued during school years on a part-time basis. My clients were women and minorities who brought harassment, discrimination, and retaliation claims against their employers.

I vividly recall my very first client. Tall, handsome, and athletically built, he showed up at the ...