Anyone moved from Texas to DC or Chicago? I’m wondering if I’ll hear less sexist comments in those areas. I’m in Dallas and the amount of inappropriate comments I hear from both men and women (including my own secretary who is a woman) is shocking. Or is this just how the profession is everywhere? Please only respond if you have experience working in these markets.

It’s better outside of Texas

Have worked in both Tx and DC. 1000% better in DC, especially if you’re not at the outpost of a Texas firm.

Hey it can be better elsewhere. I started out in California and moved to Texas. Significantly worse here in my experience.

Lived and worked in TX (also grew up there), NYC, and DC, and it is 1000% worse in Texas. Not that I haven’t experienced sexism or inappropriate behavior here (and it’s been a bit worse in DC though that may just be a fluke) but it’s like a different world on the east coast.

Definitely better outside of Texas. DC is changing a bit under the new admin but still more opportunities for women to advance and succeed. I feel generally respected and recognized here. Though obviously still not perfect / law is a semi antiquated profession overall, so there are still the old white men who treat you like a secretary (just less of them)

I worked in Houston and have spent many years in Chicago. The culture is completely different. You will definitely hear less casual sexism, if any! I don't know about DC but I'm in New York now and there are some jaded men out here but they're not the norm. I usually encounter them on dating apps circling the drain, bitter because no women in NYC wants a misogynist for a partner.

Based in Chicago - largely depends on the individual and practice group. Also helps if there are women in your group or office or leadership but it depends more on the people than the region. I regularly work with people in other offices so interview who you expect to work with and ask them if they will be giving you work and assess the vibe. There was one female interviewer with good vibes on my roster but she has never given me work

Sorry you've had to deal with this. Unfortunately, this happens everywhere but as others have said, it depends on the individual with whom you're interviewing.

I’m in Dallas & can confirm I deal with sexist shit daily

Have not worked in Texas but I’m in Chicago and have never had any directly sexist things said to me at work. There will always be boys’ clubs that are harder to break into and implicit sexism, but not remarks like others have described here. I’m in biglaw though and so I think there’s probably a bit more consciousness of things like that whereas I imagine people may feel freer to speak their mind at small firms that don’t have HR people. I have lived and worked (not in law) on the west coast before and Illinois does feel more conservative than the west coast. But Chicago is definitely still overall a blue city, for whatever that’s worth.

I haven’t worked in Texas, so I’m just responding to what my experience was like in DC. I think it is somewhat firm and office/practice group specific. I was at a national firm that touted diversity (mostly women, not POC or LGBTQ) and my experience based on who managed our office/region was pretty boys club. Not necessarily sexist. But in hindsight since moving on, I did not get opportunities that men did and I think it would have been different in a different office that had strong female leadership.

DC is generally good for the most part but I agree with the comment above that it seems the comments are getting more pervasive every where.

I have lived and worked in both Chicago and DC. Absolutely love DC but I am a Black woman so duh. Chicago is cool but there’s a weird cult mentality there and it’s very insular. Most people are either from the city or the fly-over surrounding states and think Chicago is God’s gift. Midwest culture is very different from the East coast but cost of living is food and there’s a lot of opportunity but I wouldn’t move without a parter or friend.