Latest News
June 2020
Sharon has been invited to the 11th annual American Film Festival in Russia. The “Show Us” festival will be online from June 1st – to June 30th, and will feature Balancing the Scales.
An excerpt from the Show Us promotional material in Russia:
“9 documentaries from the USA and Russia are united by the theme of the human genius in all its manifestations. Should it be a talent shown from a young age, like in the case of the culinary wunderkind Chef Flynn, who opened his first restaurant at the age of 16? Or should it be the revealed potential of the world's best athletes in the film In Search of Greatness? Or the belief in justice of the heroines of the film Balancing the Scales, about women lawyers reforming the world of law in the United States.”
A screening of Balancing the Scales was shown at the U.S. Embassy in Tijuana, Mexico recently to both students and legal professionals.
Sharon led the online discussion of gender equality in the legal profession which affects women lawyers around the world.
Sharon Rowen presents her film to students at Hanoi University at an event organized by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Balancing the Scales: An Interview with Sharon Rowen By Paige Williams, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy Tokyo
Sharon has been honored by the Georgia Bar Association for her work in promoting diversity in the legal profession through her award-winning documentary Balancing the Scales.
The Commitment to Equality Award recognizes lawyers who are committed to fostering opportunities for underrepresented groups in Georgia.
The Georgia Bar Association produced this video highlighting Sharon’s commitment to equality in the law profession.
“I am honored to receive this award for my work promoting gender equality in the legal profession and for all women worldwide.”
The award will be presented in the Spring at a special ceremony.
In conjunction with American Film Showcase and the U.S. State Department, Balancing the Scales was made available for viewing and three virtual programs were held for Japanese audiences. The first, arranged by the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, was comprised of attorneys, businesspeople, and professors.
The second was a group of university students from Ritsumeikan University. The third and final program was arranged by the Consulate General’s office in Osaka for women attorneys in that area. Gender equality is a very important topic in Japanese society, and both the film and programs generated a lot of interest.
The American Film Showcase organizes screenings and workshops with American filmmakers in more than 40 countries. AFS is a partnership between the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Balancing the Scales Movie Trailer
Why Sharon Made the Film
Testimonials
“I wanted to write to you to tell you how much I enjoyed the program on women in the law that you put together about 6 weeks ago. I think it is my favorite training that I have ever taken. I really enjoyed hearing the perspectives from women practicing in different areas of the law and enjoyed watching the documentary ahead of time.
I have since ordered the audible version of the book, “Women Don’t Ask” and it is really fascinating and is helping me re-think and re-fashion my career opportunities. Anyways, if you happen to converse with the presenters, please tell them how much I enjoyed the presentation.”
“A great discussion about gender equality in the legal profession with lawyers and law students across Mexico. Thanks to American Film Showcase and @Consulado General de los Estados Unidos en Tijuana”
“Balancing the Scales” is more than a timely documentary – it’s a call to action – forcing all to look candidly into the behavioral norms that continue – 25 years and counting – to make the legal industry less hospitable to women than any of us are comfortable admitting. Sharon Rowen’s insightful interviews make it clear that now is the time to have the conversation to change the conversation – focused on the importance of inclusion. A must see.”
“On behalf of my daughters, thank you for the work you are doing to open people’s eyes and minds to a long overdue problem that we as a nation should have already fixed…with any luck maybe in the next decade before my daughters enter the workforce this will be possible.”
“Inspiring and thought-provoking.”
“Balancing the Scales is a powerful film. It is a portrait of the challenges facing women in the legal profession based on interviews Sharon Rowen conducted over the past 24 years. The work of diversity and inclusion is vitally important, it is hard, and it is exciting.”
Screening at Walmart - August 2017 (left to right) Kerry Kotouc (Senior Vice President, Walmart), Sharon Rowen, Justice Leah Ward Sears (Georgia Supreme Court Ret)
Director's Statement
Creating Balancing the Scales combined 35 years of experience as a trial lawyer and 20 years of interviewing women lawyers from all walks of life. Interviewees include a US Supreme Court justice, civil rights activists, the first women who made it to the top, and young associates who do not yet understand that making partner has odds not much better than winning the lottery. My belief in the law as a tool for social change began when I passed the bar in 1979, and my passion for gender equality started shortly thereafter when a judge ruled against me solely because he didn’t believe that women should practice law. I have committed my legal career to social justice and to the belief that we all should use our time to further human rights in whatever ways we can. I hope this film will ignite a national conversation about topics like breaking the glass ceiling, why our society does not think of women as leaders, and the impossible choices men and women are forced to make between their career and their caregiving responsibilities.
Book Sharon as a Speaker
Sharon Rowen is a nationally recognized keynote speaker who is dynamic in her approach to bringing clarity to the challenge of gender equality in the legal profession. From Harvard University to the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, Sharon has delivered the truth about the story of female lawyers in America with humor, transparency, and passion.