Where are the ladies in Law?

It’s safe to say that we all realize that is a huge problem in most industries and workplaces. One of the professions seeing a huge lack of gender diversity is in the law sector.

If you weren’t aware of the problems facing women in law, here are some highlights:

Women Aren’t Being Promoted to Partner

When looking at the top 20 UK headquartered firms, women only account for 28.5% of partner promotions from 2008 to 2014. While that sounds terrible (and it is), it’s an improvement from the 22% over previous years.

Women Are Represented Well in Entry Level Law

60% of women making up admission and entry-level positions, it’s easy to see why their numbers are so low in partner positions. This is a clear eye-opener and also hints at some males not receiving entry-level positions as well.

There are a Greater Number of Women Than Men Entering Law

When you look at the numbers above, this starts to make a little sense. In 2013, 60.9% of new admissions in Law were women.

How Are Law Firms Resolving Gender Discrimination

Most law firms have set gender diversity targets to improve the problem and overcome diversity. Some of the targets reach as high as a 30% female membership goal. Other firms are providing career-coaching programs for talented junior female associates to help them reach the senior level roles they deserve.

Another technique being used is the directive for headhunters to only source women at certain law firms. While a sound idea, this could also raise concerns down the line.

What about Pay?

Along with fewer senior positions for women, the pay gap between men and women is an average of 30% for private practice and 27.8% for in-house practice. The subjectivity that employers have when paying employees could be the culprit here, or there could be other factors not accounted for.

Where Does The Law Sector Go From Here?

Saying you’re going to do something is one thing, but doing it is another. The Law Sector needs to continue to adopt gender diversity programs and build a culture of complete acceptance and program adoption. The sooner all levels of the organization are on board, the sooner women will be accepted into senior level roles.

As far as the pay gap, companies need to practice transparency in pay to keep everyone honest.

Disclosure: The above post was sponsored by Tranter Cleere solicitors, but all opinions are my own.”