Women in the Law

What are the business costs of ignoring racial and gender diversity?

The benefits of having a diverse workplace are well-established. In fact, a lack of diversity can even have a negative effect on the bottom line. So why haven’t law firms taken account of the business benefits of diversity? That was the question a group of minority and female attorneys and…

Aug 1, 2015 6:54 PM CDT

Why aren’t more women lead counsel? Litigators, judges explain the obstacles and offer solutions

If women want to be trial lawyers, the best place to have first-chair opportunities may be with federal prosecutors, according to a recent ABA study. But considering that many assistant U.S. attorneys eventually join big firms as partners, some wonder why there are few women at big law firms leading…

Aug 1, 2015 4:03 PM CDT

50 best law firms for women are named

Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers have named this year’s 50 best law firms for women. Law firms on the list had more female equity partners (20 percent on average) than the national average of 17 percent. Sixteen percent had at least three women among their top 10 rainmakers, up from…

Jul 28, 2015 9:11 AM CDT

Women underrepresented in lead trial lawyer positions, ABA study reports

Female federal litigators serve as first chair far less frequently than men, and implicit bias is likely a cause, according to a study recently released by the American Bar Association. The study, First Chairs at Trial: More Women Need Seats at the Table (PDF), pulled data from 2013 cases filed…

Jul 14, 2015 2:25 PM CDT

Fashion critique of female lawyers in bar newsletter brings sexism complaint

Two stylists who criticized a “style drought” among female lawyers in California’s Marin County have created a storm of controversy. In an article published in the Marin Lawyer (PDF), stylists Jill Sperber and Susana Perczek said they checked out lawyer styles after hearing “that female lawyers in Marin are not…

Jul 9, 2015 5:45 AM CDT

McElroy Deutsch settles gender bias suit alleging unequal assignments, male-only golf outings

McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter has settled a gender bias suit filed by a fired associate who claimed the male associates got better work assignments and better bonuses than females. U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield said the case had settled when she ordered its dismissal Tuesday, the New Jersey Law…

Jul 8, 2015 11:57 AM CDT

Suit by former in-house lawyer claims Broadcom executives ‘degrade and objectify women’

A laid-off in-house lawyer at Broadcom claims in a gender bias lawsuit (PDF) that Broadcom has a “pervasive male-preferential paradigm” that has led to barriers to advancement and a male-dominated workforce. The suit by Jennifer Davies, filed earlier this month in California federal court, says she was denied a promotion…

Jun 30, 2015 5:45 AM CDT

Assistant PD accuses judge of refusing her request for nursing breaks during trial

An assistant public defender is accusing a Florida judge of refusing her request for nursing breaks every three to four hours during an upcoming trial. Assistant PD Marissa Altman Glatzer tells the Daily Business Review (sub. req.) that Judge Fred Seraphin of Miami-Dade County turned down her request during a…

Jun 23, 2015 10:12 AM CDT

The Magna Carta is one of Britain’s best exports, Cherie Blair says

Cherie Blair marked the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta by proclaiming it to be one of Britain’s best exports. “The Magna Carta is one of Britain’s gifts to the world,” she said. “Although only three of its clauses remain on our statutes, it is still a…

Jun 12, 2015 12:45 PM CDT

Team approach keeps pregnancy leave from stalling careers

For many female attorneys, maternity leave can be the equivalent of a poisoned chalice—offered as a benefit, but damaging to a career. Federal law mandates that all public agencies and private companies of 50 or more employees must provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Many states have…

Jun 1, 2015 6:15 AM CDT

Think Harvard law grads are more likely to stay in law practice than others? 28% ditched legal jobs

Harvard law grads have the advantage of a JD from an elite institution, but they don’t differ from other law grads when it comes to leaving law practice. About 28 percent of Harvard law grads from four graduating classes are no longer practicing law in their current jobs, according to…

May 13, 2015 5:45 AM CDT

Exit interviews spur Orrick to adopt generous parental leave policy

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is adopting a new parental leave policy designed to retain more women lawyers. The law firm says its new parental leave policy is the most generous of any major U.S. law firm, the Am Law Daily (sub. req.) reports. Orrick will offer paid parental leave of…

May 11, 2015 7:25 AM CDT

Can workers get glowing reviews by ‘passing’ as workaholics?

Is it possible to win accolades at a firm with a focus on long hours and client commitment while finding time for family? At one global consulting firm studied by Boston University business professor Erin Reid, some workers formally asked for shorter hours or flexible schedules, and they were punished…

May 6, 2015 5:45 AM CDT

Is stay-at-home dad necessary for female lawyers with kids? Firm embraces ‘parenting while employed’

Lawyer Rebecca Geller left her BigLaw firm and struck out on her own in 2011 with the hope that she could spend part of her daytime hours with her children without harming her legal career. At her old firm, Geller tells the New York Times, “I saw no role models…

May 4, 2015 5:45 AM CDT

Cincinnati lawyer works to ensure equal rights, treatment for American Muslims

Not yet a decade out of law school and already gaining a name as a passionate lawyer, volunteer and activist, Roula Allouch has had her feet firmly planted in two different worlds her whole life. A self-described "Kentucky girl" with five siblings, Allouch graduated from the University of Kentucky and…

May 1, 2015 6:40 AM CDT