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July 10, 2013

Comission on Women News

 

American Bar Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco August 8–13, 2013

Check the Commission’s website at www.americanbar.org/women for information on all Annual Meeting events.

Day of the Woman—Friday, August 9

Join the Commission on Women in the Profession as it celebrates its 25th anniversary, the accomplishments of the ABA Presidential Task Force on Gender Equity, and the ABA entities that made possible this special day of programming (including a noon rally) devoted to issues of interest to women lawyers.

The annual Women’s Caucus Meeting will take place on Sunday, August 11, 2:15pm–4:30pm, at the Marriott Marquis San Francisco (Golden Gate Hall B, B2 Level). The caucus provides a perfect opportunity for ABA members to meet, network with colleagues, discuss issues of concern to women lawyers, announce ABA candidacies, learn about Commission activities and programs, and increase involvement in the Commission.

Books

Learning to Lead: What Really Works for Women in Law

By Gindi Eckel Vincent; Mary B. Cranston, Advisor

One of the Commission on Women’s highest priorities throughout the years has been to provide women lawyers with information and tools for advancing into leadership positions in all areas of the law. Learning to Lead: What Really Works for Women in Law provides a concise road map of the latest collective wisdom on leadership and applies these principles to women lawyers. The book also features interviews with 11 women legal leaders who share their lessons learned and tips for success.

Summary of Contents

Chapter 1: Understanding the Lay of the Land—The Statistics on Working and Leading Women

Chapter 2: The Men, The Myths, The Legends—Understanding Myths and Stereotypes

Chapter 3: What We Know—What the Experts Tell Us About Women Leaders

Chapter 4: How Does It All Work—Applying What We Know to Women in Law

Chapter 5: Insight from the Top—Interviews with Legal Leaders

Chapter 6: View from the Bench—Interviews with the Judiciary

Chapter 7: Total Leadership Makeover—Transforming Real-Life Lawyers

Order at www.ShopABA.org or 800-285-2221. Product code: 4920048. Paperbound 6x9; 140 pp. Price: $19.95 ABA members; $24.95 nonmembers.

ABA Presidential Task Force on Gender Equity Publications

For decades, studies have demonstrated that women lawyers are not paid at the same level as their male counterparts. In August 2012, ABA President Laurel G. Bellows appointed a blue-ribbon Gender Equity Task Force to recommend solutions for eliminating gender bias in the legal profession, primarily focusing on the disparity in compensation between male and female partners in law firms. To this end, the task force implemented the following projects to promote gender equity. All publications and materials listed below are available for downloading without charge at  the Gender Equity page.

What You Need to Know About Negotiating Compensation (2013)

This guide provides information for women lawyers to use in negotiating their compensation. It presents strategies and techniques for understanding a firm’s compensation system, how it works, and how best to navigate the system for enhanced compensation. Also available on the task force website are three videos of negotiation tips by ABA President Bellows.

Closing the Gap: A Road Map for Achieving Gender Pay Equity in Law Firm Partner Compensation (2013)

This publication discusses ways in which compensation policies can enhance the goals that firms have for growth, developing talent, rewarding lawyers playing various roles, eliminating gender bias, and other strategic objectives. In addition, specific recommended practices for law firm compensation systems are outlined and explained for a win-win approach that eliminates gender bias—and enhances the functioning of firms as a whole.

Power of the Purse: How General Counsel Can Impact Pay Equity for Women Lawyers (2013)

This manual offers best practices for general counsel to encourage diversity and ensure that outside counsel are fairly compensated through origination credits and succession planning.

Toolkit for Gender Equity in Partner Compensation (2013)

This toolkit is a “program in a box” containing everything needed to present a thoughtful and informative program on pay-gap issues in law firms. The program is geared primarily toward bar associations and is designed to foster conversation for change to achieve gender pay equity.