7 Questions with NWLC's Lara Kaufmann

by Jessica Lauredan, Outreach Intern
National Women’s Law Center

This post is part of a series profiling our blog authors.

Lara Kaufmann is Senior Advisor for Education and Employment at NWLC.

Q: The Senate’s recent vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was a setback in the movement to make pay equity a reality. What will happen next? And how can women join the fight for fair pay?
Lara: The fight is not over yet! We didn’t get the 60 votes necessary to move to the next big step in the Senate — scheduling a debate and a vote on the merits of the bill — but we got very close, and we are calling on the Senate leadership to continue to bring up the bill until it passes. Women (and men) who support equal pay can help by contacting their Senators and encouraging them to support (or, in some cases, to continue supporting) the bill. There are simple instructions on our website for how to do this. It only takes a minute, and it’s really worth it — Senators do pay attention to what their constituents want. Also, there are two more bills pending before Congress right now that address fair pay, one called the Paycheck Fairness Act and one called the Fair Pay Act. Our fact sheet on Pay Equity has information on both of those initiatives too.

Q: The Fair Pay Act has come before the Senate during an election year. Do you think the bill will have an impact on the campaigns, or vice versa?
Lara:  Both, actually. It is just a coincidence that this is being considered in an election year (the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was introduced following the Supreme Court’s May 2007 decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear, and the House of Representatives passed it back in July 2007). But because of the timing, it may be discussed during presidential debates, which means that more Americans will learn about it than otherwise might, and I think that's a good thing. Senators Clinton and Obama were original cosponsors of the bill and support it, while Senator McCain stated to reporters that he opposes it. We hope voters will take the opportunity to ask all three Senators about this issue and press them to support, or continue to support, the bill.

Q: How do you respond to people who claim that the wage gap is not due to discrimination, but to women choosing lower-paying jobs and prioritizing their families over work?
Lara: The wage gap cannot be dismissed as the result of “women’s choices” in career and family matters. In fact, studies show that even when all relevant career and family factors are taken into account, there is still a significant, unexplained gap between what men and women earn. And some studies show that in some professions, even when women do the same jobs as men and work the same hours, they still earn less. Also, some of the choices women make may themselves be affected by discrimination.

Q: What influenced your decision to move from government work to the non-profit arena?
Lara: I have always wanted to do public interest work with a focus on civil rights, and I went to law school with that goal in mind. I was the President of the Public Interest Law Group at my law school, took classes like “Law and Social Change,” had an internship with a non-profit legal organization the summer of my first year, and worked on wrongful conviction cases in my law school’s legal clinic. After law school, however, I got on a slightly different track. Following my clerkship with a federal judge and a stint at a law firm, I worked for the federal government for five years, first at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago and then at the Federal Trade Commission when I moved back “home” to D.C. (I am a native of the area). I enjoyed my time in public service, got great experience and learned a lot, but as soon as I saw the posting for this job, I knew I had to apply, because I feel so strongly about women’s rights and have always wanted to do this kind of work. Also, the combination of litigation, advocacy, and public education work that we do here is a great mix for me.

Q: The feminist movement has shown that “women can do what men can do.” How can we make it come full circle by continuing to show that “men can do what women can do” — such as child care and domestic work?
Lara: Raise our sons differently from the way their fathers were raised! My husband loves cooking, is great at folding laundry, and is very “hands-on” with our children — definitely way more “evolved” than men of the preceding generation. Hopefully my son, seeing the example set for him by my husband (and growing up with my rules), will be that much more helpful around the house, involved with his kids, etc. Perhaps his mindset will be different also because there are a number of men today making the choice to be stay-at-home dads, something we did not see much when I was growing up. Another key to a real cultural shift will be for employers to respect men’s (and women’s) needs for some flexibility so they can be active and equal partners in childrearing and homemaking.

Q: How do you spend your weekends?
Lara: On the weekends I primarily do my other full-time job — I’m the mommy of two small children! I have a four-year-old daughter and a four-month-old son, and they are my pride and joy. I try to hang out with them, and my husband, as much as possible. Weekends are busy, because my daughter has soccer and ballet lessons, birthday parties, etc., and we always have laundry and errands to do to get ready for the week. So it can get hectic, but we have fun, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. We try to spend a lot of time outdoors. I used to be an avid runner and am trying to get back into it now after a year-long hiatus. I love hiking, and hope to do more of that this summer.

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Lara: This is a hard question, because there are so many places I have not seen yet! Of the places I’ve been, I imagine it would be wonderful to live in the hills of Tuscany, in Italy (I love good food and wine and being outdoors).