Women in the Law

Plaintiff in ‘Roe v. Wade’ dies at 69; she later switched sides and opposed abortion rights

Norma McCorvey, who was the plaintiff in Roe v. Wade, has died at age 69. McCorvey died from a heart ailment on Feb. 18 at an assisted living facility in Texas, report the Washington Post and the New York Times. The source for the information was Joshua Prager, a journalist…

Feb 21, 2017 10:00 AM CST

Mayer Brown partner who dealt with personal tragedies backs a flexible path to partnership

A Mayer Brown equity partner who advocates for a flexible path to partnership cites her own experience as the reason why it is needed. Joanna Horsnail has dealt with her mother’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, her father’s terminal cancer, her son’s rare genetic disease and a divorce, Law.com (sub. req.) reports. Horsnail…

Feb 21, 2017 8:00 AM CST

Having grit and a growth mindset goes a long way for women lawyers, according to ABA study

Having grit influences lawyers’ overall quality of work; the point at which in-house counsel are brought into the decision-making process; and seniority and tenure within an organization, according to a recent study by the ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession. The Grit Project’s study findings are expected to be…

Feb 3, 2017 3:35 PM CST

Activists team up with ABA to provide law school scholarships for women in Congo

Amanda Jones is a well-traveled writer and photographer who doesn’t shock easily. But a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2013 left a deep impression on her when she witnessed firsthand the horrific effects of sexual violence against women that have plagued the conflict-ridden country for about two…

Feb 1, 2017 1:10 AM CST

Morgan Lewis tax lawyer is in spotlight for helping Trump with asset trust

A tax partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius took center stage on Wednesday when she appeared at a press conference to explain the steps the president elect is taking to deal with conflicts issues related to his business. The lawyer, Sheri Dillon, is tax counsel for Donald Trump and the…

Jan 13, 2017 9:15 AM CST

These BigLaw firms had the best record for promoting women to partner

Three large law firms promoted only women to partnership in 2016. Five law firms promoted only men. Overall, 36.7 percent of the lawyers promoted to partner last year were women, according to partnership announcements at America’s top 100 law firms. Bloomberg Big Law Business did the analysis. The three firms…

Jan 12, 2017 9:11 AM CST

NALP report on law firm diversity highlights ‘incredibly slow pace of change’

The percentage of female and black associates increased slightly in law firms in 2016, though the representation is still below 2009 levels, according to a new report by the National Association for Law Placement. The report (PDF) also found increases in the percentage of female and black partners, as well…

Jan 4, 2017 10:05 AM CST

Law firms provide innovative family benefits that cater to moms

In an effort to retain and attract female lawyers, some law firms have begun rolling out programs to help working mothers. An increasing number of firms are providing targeted counseling for women to help them manage the stress of being working mothers.

Jan 1, 2017 3:20 AM CST

How can barriers to advancement be removed for women at large law firms?

“How can we mentor women better? How can we sponsor women better?” Arin Reeves said her recent research demonstrates that “we don’t need to do anything ‘more’ for women. We need to get out of their way” by removing barriers and challenges.

Jan 1, 2017 1:00 AM CST

Working Mother is surveying law firms to find the best ones for family flexibility

Think your law firm offers the best environment for women with children? Now is the time to enter it in an annual competition sponsored by Working Mother magazine. The publication surveys law firms with 50 or more lawyers, with a goal of publicizing information about family-friendly workplaces. Survey questions address…

Dec 19, 2016 3:15 PM CST

Women outnumber men in law schools for first time, newly updated data show

Although 80 percent of ABA-accredited law schools had double-digit percentage decreases for students admitted, bloggers observed following Thursday’s annual release of Standard 509 Information Reports data, this year marked the first time that women outnumber men as JD students. The reports, required for accredited law schools, include tuition costs, students’…

Dec 19, 2016 9:03 AM CST

Legal groups urge Trump to consider diversity in appointments, support inclusion

The leaders of five legal groups have written an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump that urges his administration and Congress to “lead the nation towards unity and inclusion.” The letter was sent by the leaders of the National Association of Women Lawyers, Ms. JD, the LGBT Bar, the National…

Dec 9, 2016 1:37 PM CST

36 law firms join ‘hackathon alliance’ to test gender parity programs

Thirty-six law firms have agreed to test one or more pilot programs developed as a result of a Women in Law Hackathon last summer in which teams competed to develop solutions to the gender gap in law firms. The law firms will be participating in six pilot programs, including an…

Dec 9, 2016 7:00 AM CST

More women are attending law school, but at lower-ranked schools, study finds

More women are attending law school, but their numbers at top-ranked institutions aren’t keeping up the pace, a recent study found. While women make up roughly half of all law students at ABA-accredited schools, they are overrepresented at lower-ranked schools. The study was conducted by Deborah Jones Merritt, a Ohio…

Nov 30, 2016 4:30 PM CST

Two federal defenders in Omaha discover they are half sisters

Julie Hansen and Kelly Mahoney Steenbock both excelled in academics and were determined to attend college and law school, despite growing up poor in households that could not pay for their higher education. Both got jobs after law school in county public defender offices, and both eventually became public defenders…

Nov 28, 2016 2:23 PM CST