Lawyers for four women seeking to keep their identities hidden in a gender bias suit against Jones Day argued Thursday that it should be an easy decision for the federal judge handling the matter.

The Sanford Heisler Sharp attorneys representing former California Jones Day associates Nilab Rahyar Tolton and Andrea Mazingo and four unnamed women said that the firm’s lawyers fell short of a crucial requirement that they confer with the plaintiffs about anonymity before seeking judicial intervention.