Judith Vladeck
Encyclopedia
Judith Pomarlen Vladeck (August 1, 1923 - January 8, 2007) was a prominent labor lawyer and civil rights
advocate, particularly on behalf of women. She helped set new legal precedents against sex discrimination and age discrimination.
Born in Norfolk, Virginia
, the daughter of a newspaper distributor and a business manager for a labor union, Vladeck graduated from Hunter College
in 1945 and received a law degree from Columbia University
in 1947. After having three children, in 1957 she joined the New York City law firm of Vladeck, Waldman, Elias & Engelhard, which her husband Stephen (the son of politician Baruch Charney Vladeck
) had helped found in 1948. She described the firm as "the last socialist law firm in America."
As a trial lawyer, Vladeck had a reputation for combining courtroom flair and detailed analysis of salary histories and job performance to her cases. She took on powerful entities such as major Wall Street
investment firms, Union Carbide
, and large universities, and usually won or achieved a favorable settlement.
Vladeck turned her attention to workplace discrimination with the advent of new civil rights laws and rise of the women's movement. In a suit against the City University of New York
filed in 1973, Ms. Vladeck traced salary histories for more than 5,000 female faculty members. The judge ruled the university had been discriminating against them for 15 years. In 1975, she represented a professor at Pace University
who had been denied tenure. When the university’s lawyers tried to paint the plaintiff as a troublemaker who devoted too much time to challenging the system, Vladeck responded, “The only way women are tolerated is if they are supine, silent and submissive.” The New York State Court of Appeals decision reflected Vladeck's words when it wrote, “Those who fight for rights are often perceived as troublesome, but the law does not require people to be supine.”
As a legal scholar, she served as director of the American Arbitration Association
and the AFL-CIO
Lawyers Coordinating Committee. She also taught employment and labor law at Fordham Law School and Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations
. In later life, she was the recipient of various awards from the American Bar Association
, the New York County Lawyers Association, Columbia Law School
, and Hunter College
. Vladeck had two sons, one of whom, Bruce C. Vladeck is a health administrator, and one daughter, Anne, who is currently a partner in the Vladeck law firm.
In 2007 her daughter Anne C. Vladeck, won the landmark sexual harassment lawsuit against the New York Knicks (Madison Square Garden) on behalf of Anucha Browne Sanders, for a record $11.6 million in punitive damages against Madison Square Garden.
She died on January 8, 2007 of an infection
in New York City
. http://www.nysun.com/article/46495
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
advocate, particularly on behalf of women. She helped set new legal precedents against sex discrimination and age discrimination.
Born in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, the daughter of a newspaper distributor and a business manager for a labor union, Vladeck graduated from Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
in 1945 and received a law degree from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1947. After having three children, in 1957 she joined the New York City law firm of Vladeck, Waldman, Elias & Engelhard, which her husband Stephen (the son of politician Baruch Charney Vladeck
Baruch Charney Vladeck
Baruch Charney Vladeck was an American Jewish labor leader, manager of the Jewish Daily Forward for twenty years, and a member of the New York City Council.-Early years:...
) had helped found in 1948. She described the firm as "the last socialist law firm in America."
As a trial lawyer, Vladeck had a reputation for combining courtroom flair and detailed analysis of salary histories and job performance to her cases. She took on powerful entities such as major Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
investment firms, Union Carbide
Union Carbide
Union Carbide Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. It currently employs more than 2,400 people. Union Carbide primarily produces chemicals and polymers that undergo one or more further conversions by customers before reaching consumers. Some are high-volume...
, and large universities, and usually won or achieved a favorable settlement.
Vladeck turned her attention to workplace discrimination with the advent of new civil rights laws and rise of the women's movement. In a suit against the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
filed in 1973, Ms. Vladeck traced salary histories for more than 5,000 female faculty members. The judge ruled the university had been discriminating against them for 15 years. In 1975, she represented a professor at Pace University
Pace University
Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:...
who had been denied tenure. When the university’s lawyers tried to paint the plaintiff as a troublemaker who devoted too much time to challenging the system, Vladeck responded, “The only way women are tolerated is if they are supine, silent and submissive.” The New York State Court of Appeals decision reflected Vladeck's words when it wrote, “Those who fight for rights are often perceived as troublesome, but the law does not require people to be supine.”
As a legal scholar, she served as director of the American Arbitration Association
American Arbitration Association
The American Arbitration Association is a private enterprise in the business of arbitration, and one of several arbitration organizations that administers arbitration proceedings. The AAA also administers mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. It is headquartered in New York...
and the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
Lawyers Coordinating Committee. She also taught employment and labor law at Fordham Law School and Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations
Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations
The New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations is an industrial relations school at Cornell University, an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, USA...
. In later life, she was the recipient of various awards from the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
, the New York County Lawyers Association, Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
, and Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
. Vladeck had two sons, one of whom, Bruce C. Vladeck is a health administrator, and one daughter, Anne, who is currently a partner in the Vladeck law firm.
In 2007 her daughter Anne C. Vladeck, won the landmark sexual harassment lawsuit against the New York Knicks (Madison Square Garden) on behalf of Anucha Browne Sanders, for a record $11.6 million in punitive damages against Madison Square Garden.
She died on January 8, 2007 of an infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. http://www.nysun.com/article/46495