When California Western Professor Jacquelyn H. Slotkin wrote her first book on women in the legal profession, she discovered something unexpected. Men married to lawyers have just as hard of a time balancing work and life as the women they love.

 In her latest book, Sharing the Pants: Essays on the Work-Life Balance by Men Married to Lawyers, readers get a first-hand perspective of the unique challenges of being the man behind the woman.

 “Work-life balance is not just a woman’s issue,” writes Slotkin. “Men also seek a work-life balance. Significant numbers of Gen-X and Gen-Y male professionals are demanding balance for themselves and their families.”

 Through a collection of first-person essays by the husbands of women lawyers, Slotkin offers readers lessons and suggestions for achieving work-life balance and building lasting relationships.

 Excerpts from the Book

“I don’t want to leave the impression that Rana and I are not serious people or that I wasn’t dead serious about fixing San Diego’s problems, but everyone has to have balance, and the balancing point for us is shared laughter. No matter how hard a thing is to do, if you can keep your sense of humor with you, the heaviness of the endeavor is more manageable, and the shared laughter brings you through the marathon.” - The Honorable Gerald R. Sanders, Mayor of San Diego

“Balance? Depends on what you mean. I prefer to think of myself as a father and husband who works as a lawyer and who happens to enjoy that time. The struggle not to let the “career” define the person who I am can be a challenge. Sometimes I lose that struggle, but the fact that I know I am losing seems to be a victory. Small consolation, but it balances out and it works for now.” – Patrick L. Hosey, President of the San Diego County Bar Association

About the Book

Sharing the Pants: Essays on the Work-Life Balance by Men Married to Lawyers was published in December 2009 by Vanderplas Publishing. It is available for purchase from the publisher’s website.

The book is co-authored by Slotkin’s daughter, Samantha Slotkin Goodman, who also co-authored Slotkin’s book on women in law, It’s Harder in Heels: Essays by Women Lawyers Achieving Work-Life Balance.