We’ve come a long way, baby. While I do not endorse or condone smoking, Virginia Slims cigarettes created a slogan in 1968 that resonated with smoking and non-smoking women: We’ve come a long way, baby.
I’m a marketer at heart, so when I strip away the problematic fact that they were selling fancy ciggies targeting “proper and fancy ladies,” I can appreciate the value of a solid campaign. And, like it or lump it, the sentiment the manufacturers set forth rings true today.
Only a few short decades ago, only a handful of women entered law school each year. According to a November 2023 American Bar Association (ABA) report, women comprised less than 5% of American attorneys from 1950 to 1970. However, in 2022, 38% of attorneys in the United States were women.
We still have a long way to go, baby. While women have made significant progress in the legal landscape, so much work remains. Among other areas in the legal industry, the ABA study looked at women in law firms. They report that 22% of equity partners were women in 2020, representing only a slight increase from 2006, when that number was 16%. Further, we should keep an eye on women in law firm leadership roles. In 2020, only 12% of law firm managing partners were women, while 28% of governance committee members and 27% of practice group leaders were women.
There isn’t a great story to tell on the law firm compensation front, either. Data shared in the 2020 ABA study reports that, on average, women equity partners were paid 78% of their male counterparts’ compensation. Women associates and non-equity partners did better, receiving 95% of their male counterparts’ compensation.
So, what can we do? Oh, how I wish there were a magic bullet solution to inclusivity and equity for women and other underrepresented individuals in our industry. If your firm doesn’t have active programs or committees in place that actively work on leveling the playing field, that’s a great place to start. And be thoughtful and deliberate about the inclusivity part of this equation. Think about how to engage differently-abled individuals as well as including people of different genders, ethnicities, religious groups, etc. The more diverse the folks sitting around the table the better the outcome will be for both the law firm and their clients.
Meaningful mentoring and allyship can make a big difference, too. If your firm doesn’t consider what its firm roster looks like, I promise you that new hires – both attorneys and professional staff – do. Further, clients make buying decisions based on who represents them. They want to ensure the people doing their work understand and identify with who they are and align with their values and objectives. A crucial part of that is not just talking a good game about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Clients want law firms to operationalize and track their efforts.
Keep improving. So here I sit at the end of this post, still reflecting on Women’s History Month and all that it means for the legal industry and beyond. When thinking of improving inclusiveness and equity I immediately channel the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg saying, “I am a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.”
