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    Achieving Long-Term Careers for Women in Law

    Discover why women practicing 20+ years are leaving the profession, why that's a problem, and what legal employers can do about it.

    In Their Own Words

    In Their Own Words looks at the factors that influence the decisions by experienced women lawyers to remain in practice, move to a different job within the law (including in-house counsel) or step out of the profession altogether after 15 or more years of practice. What do women lawyers like about the practice of law? What negative factors or experiences do women identify as forces that make them consider leaving the practice of law What changes can be made to encourage women to stay in law practice?

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    Left Out and Left Behind

    "Left Out and Left Behind" examines the experiences and challenges faced by women lawyers of color. The report, authored by social scientist Destiny Peery, past ABA president Paulette Brown and Chicago attorney Eileen Letts, shows that women lawyers of color surveyed were far more likely to want to leave the profession than their white colleagues and were more likely to be subjected to both implicit and explicit bias.

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    Walking out the Door

    Walking out the Door, the first report to be released from the Initiative on Long-Term Careers for Women is now available! Learn why experienced women lawyers leave Big Law and what legal institutions can do to keep them.

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    Groundbreaking Research

    Long-Term Careers for Women in Law

    Achieving Long-Term Careers for Women in Law initiative features innovative research on legal careers using life cycle models from the fields of sociology, social psychology, and economics. The focus is on the many benefits of remaining in the profession and highlighting the career paths of senior women lawyers who continue to practice, exercise power, and inspire future generations of women lawyers.

    Overview

    Why now?

    This research explored the unique issues and career dynamics facing women lawyers in practice for over 20 years, and the reasons for their disproportionately high rate of attrition. If steps aren't taken to change the current trend, the percentage of women equity partners will remain stuck at under 20% for decades to come. These senior women lawyers' professional development entailed substantial investments by their firms and companies over the years, and they have created strong relationships with the clients they serve.