This is a brief article about women in the legal profession. Does having a female attorney versus a male one matter when looking for legal help? Do female lawyers generally become promoted based on their own talent? Can female lawyers wear whatever they want in court? Are women lawyers quitting the legal profession all together?
Does it make sense to choose a lawyer based on gender? “Texas family courts are forbidden to treat men and women differently” (Lowry, 1). “Many people believe that a man should hire a woman attorney because that will make him sympathetic, or conversely that a woman should hire a male attorney who will be tough” “If you believe that your story has a hole or gap in it, then the gender of your attorney might help fill it… Any lawyer you choose will present you in the best light possible and represent you zealously” (Lowry, 1).
“If we take a look at the law firms’ clients, there is a similar imbalance between the representation of men and women at board level. According to a census of the Fortune 500 companies in 2011 published by Catalyst, a not-for-profit organization focused on gender issues, women hold 16.1 percent of board seats and less than one-fifth of the companies had over a quarter of female directors. Twenty-nine of the companies did not have a woman on their board of directors. Female under-representation is an issue on both sides of the table… Some of the biggest firms are currently considering introducing targets for partnership, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer – the leading firm in our research overall – was reported by The Lawyer in May 2012 to be seriously considering targets for the number of female candidates to be put forward for partnership promotion each year. While those making partner would still be selected on merit, the initiative would increase the number of females in consideration” (whoswholegal.com, 2).
It is 2015 and women in the legal profession are judged based on the merits of their outfits. “Over the course of the past five years, women have been lectured on “what not to wear” by bar associations, big law firms, law schools, and even federal judges” (Zaretsky, 3). “Judges in Virginia do not approve of seeing women attorney’s cleavage, and further, seeing women attorney’s legs displayed in court is a grave offense to their ostensibly delicate sensitivities” (Zaretsky, 3). “Women do not need to be “lectured en masse” about what they wear, but it happens continuously, and we fear it may never stop until the members of the legal profession realize that women are no longer interlopers in what once was- and is still perceived by many to be – an old boy’s club” (Zaretsky, 3).
One thing that does not change is that female lawyers earn less than male lawyers earn. “On average, female partners bill at an average hourly rate that is ten percent lower than males. This billing disparity continues regardless of the size of the firm. The average female partner’s hourly rate at top tier law firms is ten percent less than what the male partner bills ($426 vs. $473) (Rotunda, 4).” “Top tier” means firms with over 1,000 lawyers and an extensive national and international footprint (Rotunda, 4).
The number of women reaching the top of the profession is significantly lower. “Achieving a work life balance remains a key concern for many women choosing to juggle their home life with a successful practice” (whoswholegal.com, 2). There are several reasons why female lawyers quit their profession. First, they are not aware of options available to them, they also don’t look into alternative work related arrangements available in some legal ambiances, and they face lack of marketability. Ethical constraints and the emotional nature of personalities are some more reasons why women quit legal jobs (Barnes, 5).
Finally, “women’s empowerment has been discussed on a global basis at all levels and action is starting to be taken to improve female representation among partner level and in law firm management (whoswholegal.com, 2). We can choose to live the future as if it were now and see things positively since female lawyers are well educated and can handle the job. If the talent exists why should we discourage it.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Lowry, Maria S. “Does it matter whether my lawyer is a man or a woman in a family court?” www.women-lawyers.com.
- www.whoswholegal.com. “Women in Law.”
- Zaretsky, Staci. “Judges want women lawyers to ‘Stop showing off their ‘distracting’ cleavage, legs in court.”
www.abovethelaw.com. - Rotunda, Ronald D. “Charges in the legal profession and the progress of female lawyers.” www.verdict.justia.com.
- Barnes, Harrison. “Women quitting the legal profession.” www.lawcrossing.com