The
first
rule
of
being
a
lawyer
is
to
do
right
by
your
clients.
The
second
rule
is
to
not
do
wrong
by
them.
Seems
simple
enough,
but
the
lawsuit
accusing
Brown
Rudnick
of
mocking
and
discriminating
against
one
of
their
former
clients
suggests
that
partners
and
associates
could
use
a
quick
reminder.
Law.com
has
coverage:
A
former
client
of
Brown
Rudnick
has
brought
a
bias
suit
against
the
firm,
one
of
its
current
partners
and
two
of
its
former
attorneys,
alleging
they
discriminated
against
her
based
on
her
sexuality
and
gender
expression.
The
suit
claims
the
firm’s
discrimination
culminated
when
Brown
Rudnick
attorneys
resigned
from
representing
her
in
a
litigation
matter.Esme
Jourdain
said
in
her
Tuesday
complaint
in
Manhattan
Supreme
Court
that
Brown
Rudnick
partner
Cameron
Moxley,
former
partner
Kyle
Johnson
and
former
counsel
Anthony
Boccamazzo
repeatedly
discriminated
against
her
based
yon
[sic]
her
sexuality,
while
they
were
representing
her
in
a
Connecticut
property
dispute.
The
suit
says
the
attorneys
referred
to
Jourdain
pejoratively
as
“the
queen,”
“queen
Esme”
or
“QE”
because
she
is
a
homosexual,
gender-nonconforming
woman,
while
referring
to
other
clients
of
the
firm
and
the
other
parties
in
her
case
by
their
proper
names.
Though
I’d
wager
that
the
average
property
dispute
is
nowhere
near
as
attention-grabbing
as
Slay
the
Spire
2’s
early
access,
making
fun
of
your
client
with
pet
names
isn’t
the
way
to
spice
things
up.
And
while
it
is
important
to
keep
your
client
abreast
of
the
work
you’re
doing
on
their
behalf,
looping
them
in
to
being
mocked
is
just
stupid
—
Jourdain
alleges
that
the
attorneys
made
a
sex-
and
gender-based
joke
while
she
was
on
a
phone
call.
The
firm
explained
away
dropping
her
case
because
of
a
“communication
breakdown”
between
Jourdain
and
the
firm
rather
than
discrimination.
As
the
details
get
worked
out
in
court,
here’s
a
suggestion:
don’t
get
creative
when
referring
to
the
people
you
work
with.
Don’t
call
judges
“Honey”
and
don’t
grant
your
clients
unearned
titles
of
nobility.
Staying
true
to
rule
#2
will
save
you
and
your
firm
a
lot
of
trouble.
Ex-Client
Hits
Brown
Rudnick
With
Discrimination
Suit
[Law.com]
Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s
.
He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boat
builder
who
is
learning
to
swim
and
is
interested
in
rhetoric,
Spinozists
and
humor.
Getting
back
in
to
cycling
wouldn’t
hurt
either.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected]
and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.