Recently my wife, Jana, and I attended the end-of-the-summer party of a friend who is the Midwest bureau chief for PEOPLE magazine. She and her husband live about 40 minutes from us. That evening Jana and I met several interesting people, including writers for PEOPLE magazine and a young lawyer who works for one of the most prestigious law firms in Chicago. A Northwestern University Law School grad, she defends large companies that are being sued by former employees.

"What's the most interesting thing you're working on?" I asked.

"A sexual harassment suit," Julie replied. "But it's not your typical lawsuit. The plaintiff is a man who alleges a woman coworker sexually harassed him."

"What do like most about your work?" I asked, thinking she would mention something about the thrill of courtroom drama. (I may be watching too much TV these days.)

"I enjoy the counseling I do the most," she said. "I like going into companies and ...