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Women in the Profession

The mission of the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession is to secure full and equal participation of women in the ABA, the profession and the justice system.

"Excluded & Alone: Examining the Experiences of Native American Women in the Law and a Path Towards Equity"

The ABA Commission on Women in the Profession collaborated with the National Native American Bar Association on this new report.

Programs and Resources for Native American Women Attorneys

Read - The Report

2024 Nominations Are Now Open

The ABA Commission on Women in the Profession nominations for the 34th Annual Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Awards are now open. Deadline: January 11, 2024, 5:00 pm CT.

Nomination Criteria

Nominate - Now

Margaret Brent Award Nomination Information

Margaret Brent was the first woman lawyer in America, arriving in the colonies in 1638. The Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, established by the Commission in 1991, recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of women lawyers who have excelled in their field and have paved the way to success for other women lawyers.

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Legal Careers of Parents and Child Caregivers: Results and Best Practices from a National Study of the Legal Profession.

The Commission on Women in the Profession is excited to share this important and timely report on the prevalence and impact of parenting and child caregiving on legal professionals:

Read - The Report

Gritty Teams Webinar: Leveraging Grit and Growth Mindset to Drive Team Success

This webinar will present the new Commission on Women in the Profession Grit research, Leveraging Grit and Growth Mindset to Drive Team Success, which focuses on understanding the impact of a grit and growth mindset on overall team performance, engagement, morale, and firm/organizational culture and identify how best to build, nurture, and sustain gritty, growth mindset-oriented teams.

Watch the video recording - on Youtube

The Gritty Teams Report

Leveraging Grit and Growth Mindset to Drive Team Success - This new Commission on Women report builds upon the original Grit research and focuses on steps that team leaders and team members can take to increase a gritty, growth mindset. Research has shown that team experiences greatly influence job satisfaction and, adopting gritty and growth mindset-oriented behaviors on teams can reduce the number of negative experiences and increase team experiences. Given the challenges posed by the Great Resignation, where women lawyers left jobs in droves, we are confident that this report will prove to be quite educational and valuable.

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Celebrating Women's Leadership Webinar

We invite you to join ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross and Commission on Women in the Profession Chair Hon. Maureen Mulligan as they lead a robust roundtable discussion about the history of the advancement of women in the legal profession as well as the lessons learned by this esteemed group as they carved their paths to the top of the profession.

Watch the Livestream - on Youtube

This Talk Isn't Cheap - A Guided Conversation

Learn how to improve conversations about gender, race, and ethnicity, so that all women can work together in combating the barriers to advancement in the legal profession. Through this type of dialogue, we take critical steps to creating a more inclusive, just, and equitable profession.

Learn More - Download the Toolkit

Statement on reproductive choice and the Dobbs decision

Read the statement of ABA President Reginald Turner about reproductive choice and the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

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Perspectives

Read about Issues Important to Women Lawyers

Get a fresh, innovative angle on the issues that are important and relevant to women in the legal profession by subscribing to Perspectives, the magazine for and about women lawyers. ABA women members can receive Perspectives in an electronic format at no additional cost.

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About Us

The Commission on Women in the Profession comprises of twelve members appointed by the ABA President. Its mission is to secure the full and equal participation of women in the ABA, the legal profession, and the justice system.

RESOLUTIONS

The Commission on Women in the Profession introduces Resolutions to the ABA House of Delegates that promote the rights of women in the legal profession.

Resolution 501

The Commission is proud to have co-sponsored Resolution 501, adopted by the ABA House of Delegates at its Midyear Meeting, which urges bar admissions authorities, law schools, bar associations, and legal employers to adopt clear and uniform policies allowing for accommodations for lactating individuals.

New Research on the Gender Gap among Appellate Attorneys

"How Unappealing: An Empirical Analysis of the Gender Gap among Appellate Attorneys" looks at the kinds of cases female lawyers work on, who they represent, and where they work. This report also makes recommendations for closing the gender gap among appellate attorneys.

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The Financial Future is Female: Women Lawyers & Wealth Creation

This four-webinar series is intended to educate women lawyers on wealth creation and management and empower them with their money. Recordings of the webinars, PowerPoint slides, and additional resources will be available on this page.

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Giving to the Commission

The Commission on Women in the Profession appreciates your donations to continue our valuable work. When you give to the Fund for Justice and Education, you can designate the Commission as your preferred recipient group. We thank you in advance!

Join the ABA

As the voice of the legal community, the ABA offers career-building opportunities, advocates for the profession and promotes the rule of law world wide.

Contact Us

The Commission welcomes your feedback. Please get in touch to learn more about our programs.