Author: Keegan

Female Lawyers Face Widespread Gender Bias, According To New Study

This article covers even more on the wide-spread gender inequality between male and female lawyers. The survey cited in the article states that 2,827 female lawyers reported to be interrupted more often than their male co-workers, mistaken as being a non-lawyer, to more office housework, and have less access to top job assignments . The article also describes the aspects that female lawyers get penalized for, such as being “over-confident” for the same behaviors exhibited as men and how motherhood diminished females opportunities to promotions and good cases versus men get a “fatherhood boost”.

Should I Have Learned to Cook? Interviews with Women Lawyers Juggling Multiple Roles

Jackie Slotkin records the troubles that female lawyers face being mothers, wives and attorneys. She describes the headway that has been made for female lawyers and the success that females are having in college earning their law degree and some that have very rewarding careers. She also describes that aspects of being a female lawyer and how that is different from men.

‘Great Expectations for Female Lawyers’

This is an opinion article but it provides first-hand accounts on the troubles, success and hopefulness for female lawyers form 5 women who were recent law school graduates back in 2001. This article and video is their opinions of their jobs 12 years later and how they were not prepared for the law industry.

Strategies for Success: Tips for Women Lawyers from Two Trailblazing Women Who Found Their Own Paths

The following is an interview with two trail-blazing female attorneys, Eboni K. Williams and Jade Brown Russell. Both have published books on how to work through and navigate the male dominate field of law.

Jade Brown Russell focuses on diversity and inclusion with the executives roles in law a that are severally lacking female counterparts. Similarly, Eboni K. Williams focuses the differences in “individual satisfaction and personal happiness” that is specific towards female lawyers.

What It Takes to Be a Trial Lawyer If You’re Not a Man

Lara Bazelon describes her experience, and the experience of other female attorneys, for the past decade and the different aspects of law that she had to overcome to be seen as an equal. She also brings in an analysis of Deborah Rhode’s landmark 2001 report on sexism in law. She describes aspects that future female lawyers should take into account when it comes to competing with their male counterparts, such as clothing to not apologizing too much.

“The mission of the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession is to secure full and equal participation of women in the ABA, the profession and the justice system.”   

The American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession main website has multiple articles for women in or interested in the law profession. The topics covered in their initiatives are:

Zero Tolerance: Explains the aspect of sex-based discrimination in the field

The Grit Project: Explains how Grit and Growth mindset make successful lawyers

Women of Color Research initiative: Explains how we can better understand the retention and advancement rate of women attorneys of color through research

Achieving Long-Term Careers for Women in Law: Explains through life-cycles models from sociology, social psychology, and economics the trend of few female partners and how to change that.

Bias Interrupters: Explains the different gender biases between women attorneys of color and white women attorneys.