"writing as if she’s raising an army of warriors"

July 18, 2019 10:59 AM

ELLE magazine profiles "revenge porn lawyer" Carrie Goldberg ahead of her new book, Nobody’s Victim, in which she expands on the story of how she became the kind of attorney she had needed when she was younger, reveals some of the darker moments of her life, and weaves together stories of her major cases — like suing the dating app Grindr, and representing accusers of Harvey Weinstein — with her analysis of how the law interacts with harassment, porn, power, and privacy.

The book’s tone is straightforward and compellingly combative. On page one, Goldberg describes herself as a “ruthless motherfucker,” writing as if she’s raising an “army of warriors.” Feminists who grew up alongside the internet—who don’t see a distinction between real life and what happens online—will find Nobody’s Victim instructive; those who identify as survivors will find it essential.

Previously on Metafilter: She started her own firm. "That way, I could be the lawyer I'd needed."

See also:

The Attorney Fighting Revenge Porn | The New Yorker

Meet the revenge porn lawyer working to put herself out of a job | Wired

The Lawyer Taking on ‘Pervs, Psychos, and Trolls’ — Carrie Goldberg sees her 6-inch stilettos as armor. | The Cut

posted by bitteschoen (6 comments total)

So, um, I'm in a bit of a unique and unenviable position here; her firm is representing myself and two other cartoonists (down from 11!). I can't say much more obviously, so I'll just leave our GoFundMe link (if that's alright with the mods) that details our case.
posted by UltraMorgnus at 12:03 PM on July 18, 2019 [10 favorites]

Thanks, I'm looking forward to reading the book.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:04 PM on July 18, 2019

I first heard of Carrie Goldberg on the podcast Inflection Point. Find her two-part series here:
Part 1
Part 2

Highly recommend! She's also on Twitter @cagoldberglaw .
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:44 PM on July 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

She would be a truly formidable enemy in any aspect of life!

As well as a great friend:

On the importance of her best friend: I have a best friend, Susan Crumiller. Our law firms are also sisters. She’s a really big part of my day-to-day life; we are constantly on Signal, talking to each other. We were baby lawyers together, and then she started her law firm two years after mine. She does pregnancy discrimination. Our experiences are really the same: We started law firms that are growing rapidly in cutting-edge areas where we don’t have a lot of peers who are doing this kind of law. The amount of risk that we have to tolerate — not just with the cases, but also with being small-business owners with businesses that are rapidly growing — she and I can understand each other, and have a language that I don’t have with very many other people. We have codes: Code Yellow means “I’ve got to talk to you, but it can wait a few minutes.” Code Red is like, “Now, now, now! Stop what you’re doing, be available."

With a third attorney to address the disproportionate age discrimination women face, the three of them could attain mythic status.
posted by jamjam at 1:03 PM on July 18, 2019 [8 favorites]

Related: As I was listening to the Inflection Point interview with Carrie Goldberg, I noticed the following "spotlight" Atlantic story on the google news landing page:

An Epidemic of Disbelief: What new research reveals about sexual predators, and why police fail to catch them

"Eventually 11,341 untested rape kits were found, some dating back more than 30 years—each one a hermetically sealed testament to the most terrifying minutes of a woman’s life, each one holding evidence that had been swabbed or plucked from the most private parts of her body. And in all likelihood, some microscopic part of her assailant—his DNA, his identity—sat in that kit as well."
posted by bz at 2:32 PM on July 18, 2019 [6 favorites]

This (also from the Atlantic) is also related: How Domestic Abusers Weaponize the Courts — After a breakup, litigation is often a way for harassers to force their victims to keep seeing them.

Many abusers misuse the court system to maintain power and control over their former or current partners, a method sometimes called “vexatious” or “abusive” litigation, also known as “paper” or “separation” abuse, or “stalking by way of the courts.” Perpetrators file frivolous lawsuits—sometimes even from prison—to keep their victims coming back to court to face them. After a breakup, the courts are often the only tool left for abusers seeking to maintain a hold over their victims’ lives. The process costs money and time, and can further traumatize victims of intimate-partner violence, even after they have managed to leave the relationship. Only one U.S. state, Tennessee, has a law specifically aimed at stopping a former romantic partner from filing vexatious litigation against an ex.

posted by bitteschoen at 11:03 AM on July 19, 2019 [5 favorites]