To illustrate the challenges facing women of her generation, author Judith Richards Hope describes the lives and careers of a handful of barrier-breaking women, including herself, from Harvard Law School's class of 1964, who fought and overcame preconceptions and prejudices against their entering what, at the time, was a male vocation. Despite their struggles in law school and in the workplace, they maintained their ambition and ultimately achieved remarkable success. They look back on law school as a time of enormous personal and intellectual growth. Pinstripes & Pearls illuminates the extraordinary trajectories of these women - among them Pat Schroeder, Judith W. Rogers, and Hope herself - who forged an old-girl network and became lifelong friends. Through compelling and often witty anecdotes, unprecedented archival research of Harvard records, and revealing testaments to the difficulties faced by women harboring serious career goals, Pinstripes & Pearls personifies in these women the emergence of a new type of American female, one whose "goal is to reach the destination, not just to avoid humiliation on the way." In 1961 one would have been hard-pressed to find many women pursuing careers, let alone legal careers, and let alone at Harvard. Hope, who's had an impressive career in both the legal and political arenas, gives readers a glimpse at the women in her law class. Of the 510 graduates from Harvard Law '64, 15 were women who made their marks on the world. This is their story. Some notable classmates include Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder and D.C. Circuit Court Judge Judith W. Rogers. These women's achievements are presented in a refreshing way. First, Hope summarizes how the women came to attend Harvard, including what their families' reactions were, where they did their undergraduate work, and how their boyfriends felt about their choice. Then she delves into life as a woman at Harvard, from the higher expectations to the lack of ladies' facilities. Finally, Hope outlines the women's lives after graduation, most of which consist of legal, political, or business careers that would impress the most misogynistic classmate. A tale of true accomplishment. Mary Frances Wilkens Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Pinstripes & Pearls" is an unexpected gem. . . . it's worth reading for all of us. -- The Boston Globe, March 9, 2003 Charles Fried Beneficial Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, and author of Right and Wrong and Contract as Promise A tough and tender look at how we were, how we are, and how we got from one to the other. Fascinating for those who have made the journey, this book has lessons for those who haven't had to. -- Review These women's achievements are presented in a refreshing way...A tale of true accomplishment. -- Booklist, December 15, 2002 [A] testament to female progress . . . exhilerating and at times shocking. -- New York Law Journal, January 23, 2003 Judith Richards Hope became the first female associate director of the White House Domestic Council in 1975. In 1981, she cofounded the Washington office of the Paul, Hastings law firm, where she still practices. She was the firm's first female partner and the first female executive committee member. In 1988, she was the first woman elected to the Union Pacific board. In 1989, she became the first woman named to the Harvard Corporation, the university's senior governing board. Currently, she is on the board of the Thyssen-Krupp Budd Company, General Mills, Inc., Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc., and Union Pacific Corporation. Ms. Hope has taught law at Pepperdine, Georgetown, the University of Richmond, and Harvard. She lives in Washington, D.C., and Rappahannock County, Virginia.