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.

    Day of Conversation

    We are excited to announce a national Day of Conversation on race, ethnicity, and gender in the legal profession on April 27th. The Commission’s toolkit, This Talk Isn’t Cheap, contains all the resources you need to structure your sixty- to ninety-minute dialogue. The intention of the Day of Conversation is to build allyship and ultimately help to reduce bias in the legal profession. We hope you’ll join us virtually!

    Start Your - conversation

    New Toolkit: Men in the Mix

    Our new report, “Men in the Mix: How to Engage Men on Issues Related to Gender in the Legal Profession,” looks at how male colleagues can become allies in the ongoing journey to reach gender equity. The report is based on research gathered from focus groups held in New York, Dallas, and San Francisco that revealed useful insights about why some men are more actively engaged in issues facing women lawyers than others. The accompanying toolkit includes dialogue scripts and a sample PowerPoint deck to assist organizers when hosting a Men in the Mix event.

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    Women Lawyers of Color and White Women Lawyers

    This Talk Isn't Cheap

    Guided Conversations addresses the specific intersectional challenges faced by women lawyers of color and provides recommendations for structured dialogue so women lawyers of color and white women lawyers can find common ground. The toolkit includes a new research report and tools for starting a conversation on gender, race, and ethnicity at your legal organization.

    Practice Forward amid COVID-19

    Move your practice and the legal profession forward during the pandemic and beyond with continually updated tools and resources.

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    Research from the Initiative on Achieving Long-Term Careers for Women in Law

    Woman Lawyer of Color

    Left Out and Left Behind

    The newest report from the Long-Term Careers for Women in Law initiative, Left Out and Left Behind examines the unique experiences and challenges faced by women lawyers of color and offers concrete recommendations to address intersectionality and make the legal profession more hospitable to women of color.

    Our Initiatives

    The Grit Project

    The Grit Project will educate women lawyers about the science behind grit and growth mindset - two important traits that many successful women lawyers have in common.

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    Women of Color Research Initiative

    To fully examine advancement and retention issues among women attorneys of color, the Commission has engaged in this groundbreaking research initiative on diversity dynamics in the legal profession.

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    Bias Interrupters

    The groundbreaking report "You Can't Change What You Can't See" was published in collaboration with the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. The report reveals the various biases that women lawyers of color and white women lawyers experience in the profession, providing recommendations to legal employers for removing institutionalized and systemic barriers to women lawyers' success.

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    Zero Tolerance

    "Zero Tolerance: Best Practices for Combating Sex-Based Harassment in the Legal Profession" is a comprehensive update to the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession's previous sexual harassment material. Its accompanying Toolkit provides further resources.

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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 is comprised 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.

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    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.

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    ABA Connect

    The ABA Connect platform gives women lawyers a space to discuss topics that are important to them and their practice. Perspectives Community continues the conversation started by articles in Perspectives magazine. Women's Caucus Community is a forum for more general topics affecting women lawyers.

    Women's Caucus

    Connect

    Perspectives - Connect

    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.

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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!

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    Online Toolkits

    Contact Us

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

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