Publications from the ABA Presidential Task Force on Gender Equity
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 Task Force on Gender Equity to recommend solutions for eliminating gender bias in the legal profession, with a principal focus on the disparity in compensation between male and female partners. Toward this end, the Task Force implemented the following series of projects to promote gender equity.
All of these publications and materials are available for download below at no cost.
- Closing the Gap: A Road Map for Achieving Gender Pay Equity in Law Firm Partner Compensation
- Power of the Purse: How General Counsel Can Impact Pay Equity for Women Lawyers
- Toolkit for Gender Equity in Partner Compensation
- What You Need to Know about Negotiating Compensation
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 a firm's strategic goals for growth, developing talent, rewarding lawyers playing various roles, eliminating gender bias, etc. Also, specific recommended practices for firm compensation systems to eliminate gender bias are outlined and explained for a win-win approach that eliminates gender bias and enhances the functioning of firms as a whole. Download PDF
Power of the Purse: How General Counsel Can Impact Pay Equity for Women Lawyers (2013)
This manual provides best practices about how general counsel can encourage diversity and ensure that their outside counsel are fairly compensated through origination credits and succession planning. Download PDF
Toolkit for Gender Equity in Partner Compensation (2013)
The Toolkit for Gender Equity in Partner Compensation is a “program in a box” containing everything needed to present a thoughtful and informative program on pay gap issues in law firms. The Toolkit is geared primarily toward bar associations and is designed to foster conversation for change to achieve gender pay equity. Visit toolkit homepage
What You Need to Know About Negotiating Compensation (2013)
This guide provides information for women lawyers to use to negotiate their own 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. Download PDF
