Women in the Workplace and Sex Discrimination Law:

Abstract

This article entails a critical analysis of federal sex discrimination law. A feminist perspective is employed to interpret the legal policies enacted by two federal courts (the U.S. Supreme Court and the District of Columbia's Court of Appeals) in the 1980s in regard to the workplace issues of sexual harassment and sex discrimination in promotion decisions. Specifically, the evaluative criteria of an ethic of care and victim empathy is used to guage the criteria of an ethic of care and victim empathy is used to gauge the value of federal sex discrimination jurisdication for advancing the interests of women who participate in the American workforce. Analysis also reveals the value of legal briefs for those who wish to engage in a reconstructive jurisprudence of sex discrimination that is more responsive to the needs of women on the job.