Balancing The Scales
Balancing the Scales, a film about women lawyers and gender equality in the legal profession in the U.S., was broadcast nationwide on public television in 2017. It will be screened internationally during the 2018-2019 season of the prestigious American Film Showcase, sponsored by the US State Department. The film features interviews with 5 generations of American women lawyers, including Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and famed activist lawyer Gloria Allred.
In addition to its nationwide broadcast on PBS, the film has been screened for employees and guests of many of the country's largest law firms, corporations and non-profit organizations, including WalMart, Verizon, Prudential Insurance and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Sharon RowenDirector
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Sharon RowenWriter
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Sharon RowenProducer
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Zac AdamsProducerIRON WILL: Veterans Battle with PTSD, Autism in America, Hunger in America
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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgKey Cast
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Gloria AllredKey Cast
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Project Type:Documentary
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Runtime:56 minutes 40 seconds
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Completion Date:September 1, 2016
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Production Budget:100,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16.9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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American Film ShowcaseWorldwide
December 13, 2018
Not yet known
Official Selection -
Diversity Law InstitutePhiladelphia
United States
August 13, 2018
Award from the Diversity Law Institute
Distribution Information
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American Public MediaCountry: United StatesRights: Free TV, Paid TV
Attorney/filmmaker Sharon Rowen has been a practicing attorney for 37 years, and has interviewed American Women lawyers for over 20 years, in her quest for answers as to why gender equality for women in the law and in all professions has been elusive in our society.
Why aren't women equally represented at the top of the legal profession, or at the top of any profession? Having practiced law for 37 years and having seen firsthand the hurdles I and other women have had to overcome, this question has personal meaning. Everyone knows of the struggles women had in the past with overt discrimination, but what are the more subtle societal beliefs that make it almost impossible for even the current generation of young women? Is work life balance possible when the partnership track requires an 80 to 100 hour workweek, and when our society, both men and women, continue to view childcare as primarily a woman's role? These are the questions that inspired me to define the problem and propose potential solutions.