The following is an excerpt from Gene Commander’s recent article in Attorney at Work, which celebrates how far women have come in the legal profession while highlighting how far law firms have to go in closing the gender gap and offering women, especially mothers, with rewarding, long-term careers in the business of law. The full article can be read here.
Women’s representation in the business of law recently reached a milestone: Female lawyers now make up a majority of law firm associates nationwide. This historic marker comes after a half-century in which the share of women in the legal profession has skyrocketed. Consider that women made up just 9% of U.S. law students in 1970. Now, 55% of law school graduates are women, while 41% of lawyers are women.
This article explores some innovative strategies to help firms advance the careers of female lawyers — particularly those with dependent children — with a focus on creative career options and nontraditional law firm staffing opportunities. These commonsense initiatives will serve the needs not only of women but of all caregivers, helping to abate the alarming rate of attrition in firms across talent levels.