Women in the Law

How lawyers can negotiate for better salaries and positions (podcast with transcript)

While negotiating for one’s client is second nature to most attorneys, many find it a lot harder to negotiate for themselves. How can you advocate for a better position without being seen as too aggressive or off-putting? In this month’s Asked and Answered podcast, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward talks to Kathleen Kelley Reardon about how attorneys can ask for what they want without jeopardizing good work relationships.

Nov 28, 2016 8:45 AM CST

Janet Reno dies at 78; she was the first female US attorney general

Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno died on Monday at the age of 78. Reno, the first woman to serve as attorney general, died of complications from Parkinson’s disease, report the New York Times, the Washington Post and the National Law Journal (sub. req.). in a statement expressing condolences, ABA…

Nov 7, 2016 8:32 AM CST

Percentage of women attaining partnership is steadily increasing, report finds

The percentage of women promoted to partnership in U.S. offices at many of the nation’s top law firms reached a five-year high of 37.3 percent this year, according to an analysis of law firm announcements and self-reported data. The share of women promoted to partner was only 33 percent in…

Nov 3, 2016 12:21 PM CDT

Fired general counsel sues for alleged gender and age bias, claims pay talk was banned

A 61-year-old lawyer who was fired from her position as general counsel has sued her onetime employer for alleged age and gender bias. Roxanne Khazarian claims in the Oct. 25 suit (PDF) that there is a “good ol’ boy” network at her onetime employer, Gerald Metals, a commodities trading company…

Oct 26, 2016 12:08 PM CDT

Like polo and sailing? Listing it on a law firm resume helped men but not women, study finds

Resumés signaling wealth and privilege help men but not women get interviews for summer associate positions in BigLaw, a new study has found. Resumés indicating a privileged background resulted in a 16 percent callback rate for men, the Atlantic reports. That was more than four times the callback rate for…

Oct 24, 2016 7:00 AM CDT

How can law firms remove barriers to women in the profession?

Partners, law firm associates and in-house counsel gathered at Mayer Brown’s New York office Thursday to confront issues of gender inequity in BigLaw and brainstorm ways to move the needle. The discussion comes at a time when the state of diversity in the profession is sobering at best and dismal…

Oct 21, 2016 6:00 PM CDT

Decline in first-year female associates at large NY law firms raises pipeline concerns, survey says

Women made up 45 percent of first-year associates in large New York City law firms last year, a drop of five percentage points since 2004, a survey has found. The finding “raises concerns about the erosion of the associate pipeline,” according to the survey report (PDF) by the New York…

Oct 17, 2016 11:01 AM CDT

Judge reluctantly agrees partner’s equal-pay suit against Sedgwick is likely subject to arbitration

U.S. District Judge William Alsup of San Francisco indicated on Thursday that a partner’s pay bias suit against Sedgwick will likely be subject to arbitration, though he’s not happy about it. Alsup said he’s inclined to agree with Sedgwick’s assertion that partnership agreements signed by plaintiff Traci Ribeiro require arbitration,…

Oct 14, 2016 7:00 AM CDT

Male partners make 44% more on average than female partners, survey finds

A new survey confirms the gender pay gap among law firm partners. Male partners make 44 percent more on average than female partners, according to the survey by Major, Lindsey & Africa. Law.com, Bloomberg Big Law Business and the Wall Street Journal Law Blog covered the results. Average compensation is…

Oct 13, 2016 8:24 AM CDT

Marriage advice from Justice Ginsburg’s mother-in-law has helped her in the workplace

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she has many people to thank for her success. Her mother encouraged independence. Professors honed her writing skills, and one helped get her a federal clerkship. Her late husband, Martin, handled cooking at home; reviewed her written work; and helped garner support for her U.S.…

Oct 4, 2016 7:50 AM CDT

EEOC sues University of Denver law school for alleged pay discrimination

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Friday filed a lawsuit for alleged pay discrimination against the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. The suit says the average salary of full-time female professors at the law school is about $20,000 less than that of full-time male professors, the Denver Post…

Oct 3, 2016 9:55 AM CDT

New documentary ‘Balancing the Scales’ sheds light on the challenges female lawyers have faced

The opening scene of the new documentary Balancing the Scales shows Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg talking about bathrooms.

Oct 1, 2016 4:20 AM CDT

Women in Law Hackathon address compensation, advancement and business development

Women in Law Hackathon participants devised new ways to disrupt the diversity dialogue at elite law firms and close the gender gap.

Oct 1, 2016 4:00 AM CDT

Proskauer aims to help lawyers returning from caregiver leave with this benefit

Proskauer Rose is helping lawyers returning from primary-caregiver leave by paying them full salary but requiring them to work a 75 percent schedule. The program is called “CaRe,” which stands for Caregiver Return, according to a press release and the Am Law Daily (sub. req.). The firm gives primary caregivers…

Sep 26, 2016 10:10 AM CDT

BigLaw could retain more women by hiring from lower-ranked schools, research suggests

Female graduates of law schools ranked in the top 10 are more likely to make an early exit from BigLaw than female grads of lower-tier schools. After their first three to five years in BigLaw, women from top 10 law schools leave their firms at a much higher rate than…

Sep 21, 2016 9:47 AM CDT