The Judge's List

In his two books featuring Lacy, Grisham said that he is making an intentional effort to create a character through which he can discuss women’s attachments to other women and their\ relationship to the intersection of sex and power.

The author makes the point in reference to Lacy’s boss Cleo that most government hiring is done by men; men dominate the higher echelons of government agencies, especially law enforcement. Women, therefore, have reasons to think that being female might be a career disadvantage.

The author implies that qualities such as charm and sex appeal are effective tools for women. Both Jeri and Lacy observe that a short skirt and charming smile tend to make men more cooperative. Many women confess that they dress and wear their hair differently in order to be regarded positively by a male superior. They may claim to feel some guilt or shame about it, but some women feel they have no choice if they want to be successful.

There is debate concerning whether men are genuinely biased in their hiring of women. Men tend to strongly believe that they evaluate female job applicants fairly, whereas studies still indicate that when employers are presented with identical resumes, they are more likely to hire an applicant with a male-sounding name than one with a female-sounding name. When they do offer the job to a female applicant, they also tend to offer a salary in the lower range for the position. In the US, women earn only 83 percent for every dollar earned by a man, according to the US Census Bureau. (Shrider, Emily A. et al. “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2020.” U.S. Census Bureau. September 2021.)

Lacy and her boss Cleo illustrate different approaches that women might use to navigate the power disparity. Cleo achieves career advancement by trading on the illusion of youth and attractiveness—which is becoming less effective as she ages. She has reason to advance up the ladder as quickly as she can before she loses the capital on which she trades.

Lacy, on the other hand, has stayed in one place. The offer of the interim director’s position is probably overdue based on her competence and seniority. The question is whether she might have been offered the interim director’s position much sooner if she had been male. One might also ask whether a man might have been more aggressive about seeking advancement rather than waiting for an offer. All of Lacy’s (mostly male) colleagues have moved on to more prestigious and better paying jobs, and her brother Gunther certainly would not have hung around the same job for 12 years.

Lacy's story illustrates the intersection of sex and power. It is especially tricky for women to navigate patriarchal norms that often view them as less competent than men and sometimes reward sex appeal over competence.

Meanwhile, Lacy’s working relationship with Jeri resembles the character’s relationships with the women in the previous book, The Whistler. Lacy is motivated by a sense of concern and obligation toward other women that she does not express toward men. When Jeri calls Lacy on weekends and early in the mornings, Lacy firmly demands that Jeri respect her boundaries. Yet when Lacy hangs up the phone, she feels guilty for not being more caring toward a woman who she knows is hungry for contact. As Jeri says, “There’s no one else, Lacy. I need a friend. Please don’t abandon me.” (52)

Lacy and Jeri gradually work their way toward a healthier friendship, but first Jeri must get a sense of closure about the Bannick case.