Women in the Law

Clifford Chance Launches New Women’s Network

In the midst of calls for more diversity at major London law firms and a lawsuit by a former female attorney claiming that she was merely window-dressing, a United Kingdom-based behemoth has launched a women’s network. Headed by corporate partner Kathy Honeywood and litigation partner Elizabeth Morony, the new Clifford…

Apr 9, 2008 3:31 PM CDT

Work/Life Balance Blog ‘Ms. JD’ Spawns Nat’l Law Student Org.

Some 90 women students from an impressive 70 law schools gathered in New York over the weekend to organize and work together to improve professional prospects for women after graduation. The Leadership Summit marked the one-year anniversary of the Ms. JD blog and the launch of a new group, the…

Apr 7, 2008 6:06 PM CDT

Jenner’s New Managing Partner to Pave a Path for Other Women

Jenner & Block had 12 female partners when Susan Levy joined the Chicago law firm in 1982, a number that was considered high at the time. Now Levy will become the managing partner, one of only 8 percent of females in such posts at the nation’s top law firms. Levy…

Apr 7, 2008 1:52 PM CDT

Fishnets at the Office? U.K. Firm’s Reported Ban Sets Off Great Debate

An unidentified law firm, thought to be in London, has reportedly banned fishnet stockings. A law firm employee posted news of the ban on legal.week.com, the Daily Mail reports. The employee said the firm banned the attire because it was too much of a distraction and projected an unprofessional image.…

Apr 7, 2008 11:36 AM CDT

Women Who Take Law Practice Breaks Get More Help Getting Re-Connected

Women lawyers who take time off from their practices to raise children or take care of family have long struggled to return to their careers. They’ve reported that they don’t feel confident or need refreshers to get back into the game. It’s looking more an more like the legal industry…

Apr 3, 2008 6:05 PM CDT

A Cowgirl Rides the Circuits

Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor puts her brand on federal appellate courts

Apr 1, 2008 4:07 PM CDT

Women Lawyers Have Higher Divorce Rates, Need Loving Husbands, Researcher Says

A researcher has found that young female lawyers and other women professionals have slightly higher divorce rates than their male counterparts. Law professor Robin Fretwell Wilson of Washington & Lee University is the author of the study. She says her study indicates that “women can’t have it all because there…

Apr 1, 2008 11:17 AM CDT

Ms. JD Holds Summit to Form National Law Student Sorority

The cyberspace coalition that is “Ms. JD” is leaving the safety of its virtual world to host a real-live program in New York. Thanks to some BigLaw underwriting, Ms. JD will host a blue-ribbon lineup of judges, practitioners and a journalist at its April 4-5 “Leadership Summit.” The summit will…

Mar 28, 2008 9:29 PM CDT

Associates Get Cut of New Biz at this Flex-Schedule Friendly Firm

Chicago lawyer Deane B. Brown set her sights on looking for a new firm, with more realistic expectations, after she gave birth in 1996. Nights, weekends away from home left her feeling cheated. So in 2002, she joined a smaller shop, Beermann Swerdlove, where she told Business Week recently, “We…

Mar 28, 2008 7:42 PM CDT

First Female Judge Named in United Arab Emirates

The president of the United Arab Emirates has appointed the federation’s first female judge. Acting in his role as the ruler of Abu Dhabi, the wealthiest of the seven member-states of the UAE, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan yesterday named Kholoud Ahmad Jouan al-Dhaheri as a new member of…

Mar 26, 2008 4:50 PM CDT

Blogger Carolyn Elefant Is Solo ‘Poster Child’

Blogger Carolyn Elefant has made a name for herself and become “a poster child for solo practice,” Legal Times (sub. req.) writes in a profile. Elefant, whose solo practice focuses on energy law, advises lawyers about the benefits of solo life and helps solo lawyers network and pass along work.…

Mar 25, 2008 4:29 PM CDT

What Women Lawyers Can Learn from Hillary: The ‘B’ Word Isn’t Bad

Women lawyers fighting for recognition in a male-dominated profession can learn a few things from Hillary Clinton. One lesson: Being labeled a bitch isn’t necessarily a bad thing. That’s the conclusion of Kathleen Wu, a partner in Andrews Kurth in Dallas, who noted in a column for Texas Lawyer that…

Mar 25, 2008 11:46 AM CDT

The Baby Effect: More Billables for Men, Fewer for Women

A Canadian study suggests that having children leads to fewer billable hours for female lawyers and more for their male counterparts. The study of 670 lawyers at an Alberta law firm found that mothers with school-aged children billed fewer hours than childless women, while fathers with preschool-aged children billed more…

Mar 24, 2008 11:06 AM CDT

Female Associate Unhappy at Mintz Firm, One of the ‘Best Law Firms for Women’

A female associate has filed a state administrative law complaint against her Boston-based law firm, claiming sex discrimination and retaliation. Kamee Verdrager filed a complaint against Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, “alleging that she was demoted because of her gender and treated…

Mar 21, 2008 10:56 PM CDT

Top Lawyers to Consider Diversity Initiatives at Upcoming Summit

More than 100 general counsel and law firm managing partners plan to focus on specifics when they meet next month in Arizona on improving diversity in the profession. The conference, the Call to Action Summit, will be the second major national meeting designed to prod the profession to increase hiring…

Mar 21, 2008 5:12 PM CDT