woman in the law: are law firms engaging or ignoring the conversation?
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a roundup of sources addressing the legal profession’s gender gap. This post made for an interesting companion piece to my prior commentary on the feasibility of flex-time work in the law.
The more I speak with women lawyers participating in my Legal Sanity Learning Programs, the more convinced I am that firms are missing out on opportunities to listen to, engage and empower this vital population.
The cyber space is home to a vibrant and very candid conversation about the struggles and triumphs of women in the law and the larger workforce. What follows is just a sampling of the online dialogue that’s been generated in the short time since my last post on the subject.
Over at Amazing Firms Amazing Practices, Gerry Riskin points to a recent survey (pdf) confirming that women are under-represented in the top tiers of our profession and play a less extensive role in law firm governance. The survey also found evidence of a compensation gap between female equity partners and their male counterparts. An article featured at law.com augments this discussion by sharing what several women lawyers had to say about the survey and its implications.
Lending a slightly different perspective to the topic is another law.com piece asserting that Women Hold the Keys to Their Success. It opens with this very upbeat assertion: “The keys to success are to create a supportive environment that allows time to focus on what has to be done and how it can be done best: to nurture relationships, build a team to support the endeavor and enjoy.” As the above survey connotes, however, the task of creating a truly “supportive environment” for women within a law firm culture may be a much more formidable challenge than this well-meaning article lets on.
Lawjobs.com also weighs in on the conversation with a very interesting article on law firm efforts to rehire alumni. A “dearth of minority and women attorneys in the upper echelon of big firms” is among the reasons cited for the rise in alumni programs aimed at “bringing back attorneys who leave for perceived greener pastures.”
Placing the subject in broader context is a csmonitor.com piece offering The truth behind women ‘opting out.' The coverage concerns two reports citing “a weak labor market and inflexible work policies as the main reasons women are staying home.” Some additional insight is provided by a CareerJournal.com article in which executive coaches offer tips on Grooming Women for the Top.
