A federal judge has dismissed a sex discrimination suit a female attorney filed against a Pittsburgh law firm saying because she is a shareholder the attorney is, essentially, her own employer.

The lawyer for 46-year-old Alyson Kirleis, of Upper St. Clair, says he'll appeal Tuesday's ruling by U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab.

Kirleis sued Dickie McCamey & Chilcote in 2006 claiming she got less pay than male colleagues and was excluded from office parties because they often include sexually explicit entertainment.

But Schwab says because Kirleis is a member of her firm's board, she is an employer, not an employee.

Kirleis has claimed the board she serves on merely "rubber stamps" decisions made by the firm's executive board, which she claims controls the firm's policies.

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Information from: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, pghtrib.com