Opting Back In: How to Plan and Execute a Smooth Return to Practice

A 2005 study—The Hidden Brain Drain: Off-Ramps and On-Ramps in Women’s Careers—conducted by the Center for Work-Life Policy (now the Center for Talent Innovation, based in New York) showed that 42 percent of women lawyers are likely to leave their careers at some point. A follow-up study in 2010 found that 73 percent of women trying to return to the workforce after a voluntary timeout have difficulty finding a job.