What is the distribution of men and women in the law industry?

Hi Kristin,

Nine years ago, when women constituted barely 15 percent of equity partners across the country, the National Association of Women Lawyers issued a challenge to the nation's largest law firms: Double the number of female equity partners by 2015. The goal seemed within reach. After all, since at least 1991 women have made up just under half of law school graduates and new associates, and partnership promotions would be expected to occur between eight and 10 years later, driving up the numbers. Across the country, firms responded; as of 2012, according to NAWL, 97 percent had rolled out women's initiatives to better retain and train women for advancement.

According to demographic data from Am Law 200 firms, women accounted for just 16.8 percent of equity partners last year. At this rate, women equity partners will reach 30 percent—by 2081. Without extraordinary new efforts, parity remains a distant possibility, in 2181. (Facing a double bind of gender and minority status, women of color continue to occupy just 2 percent of equity partnership ranks, according to data from NAWL and The American Lawyer.)

Law firm leaders and experts attribute the stalled progress to several interconnected trends. Firms continue to see relatively more women than men leaving the firm at all rungs of the ladder. Flextime and part-time tracks generally haven't succeeded in retaining women with children. Sharper competition for business and flat profit margins have made law firms less attractive places for everyone, but seem to have led more women and minorities out the door.

Read more in: http://www.americanlawyer.com/id=1202726917646/A-Few-Good-Women?slreturn=20150916152822

Hi Kristen,

Here is a page with some statistics.

https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/market_research/lawyer-demographics-tables-2015.authcheckdam.pdf

And a report on women in law, a seven page presentation
http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/marketing/women/current_glance_statistics_january2017.authcheckdam.pdf

Good luck to you!

Kim

Hello. While generally there are more men than women in the legal profession, this does not necessarily seem to be the case in all areas of law. As an in house employment attorney in Silicon Valley, about 90% of my colleagues are women. In addition, our in house legal department here at Symantec is predominantly female. It's quite refreshing and encouraging that so many women are represented in the in house legal world.