A first-of-its-kind report from the American Bar Association and ALM Intelligence, “Walking Out the Door: The Fact, Figures, and Future of Experienced Women Lawyers in Private Practice,” addresses why senior women are far more likely than men to leave the practice of law.
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ABA report explores why experienced female lawyers leave law
Authored by Roberta D. Liebenberg and Stephanie A. Scharf, the report includes input from more than 1,200 big firm lawyers who have been in practice for at least 15 years, and shows that women surveyed were far more likely than men to report factors that blocked their “access to success,” including lacking access to business development opportunities, being perceived as less committed to career and being denied or overlooked for promotion.
“This report, anchored in research conducted in cooperation with ALM Intelligence, has the potential to serve as a basis for profound change,” said ABA President Judy Perry Martinez. “The nine recommendations serve as a roadmap to increasing a firm’s retention of experienced women lawyers. Women lawyers stay where women lawyers know that the culture, policies and practices drive success and career satisfaction.”
Male and female lawyers reported similar levels of job satisfaction regarding the intellectual challenge of their practice areas and the work they perform. But they had dissimilar levels of satisfaction regarding the recognition they receive for their work, the methods by which compensation is determined, their opportunities for advancement, the commitment to workplace gender diversity and the leadership diversity of their firm.
Among the top reasons female lawyers gave for leaving the practice of law included: caretaking commitments, the level of stress at work, the emphasis on marketing or originating business and the number of billable hours.
The research showed that although firm leaders and male partners believe their firms do well in advancing experienced women, those women disagree:
- 82% of managing partners agreed that their firms were “active advocates of gender diversity,” and 91% of experienced men agreed, compared to just 62% of women.
- 84% of managing partners agreed that their firms have succeeded in promoting women into leadership, and 75% of experienced men agreed whereas just 55% of women agreed.
- 74% of managing partners said their firms have successfully retained experienced women, and 64% of experienced men agreed, while just 47% of women agreed.
Among the concrete recommendations Walking Out the Door provides for law firms to keep senior women are:
- Develop a strategy, set targets and establish a timeline for what the firm wants to achieve
- Take a hard look at the data, including gender metrics and statistics, to measure and track the status of key factors over time
- Take steps to ensure there is a critical mass of female partners on key committees
- Assess the impact of firm policies and practices on female lawyers
- Increase lateral hiring of female partners
- Provide resources to relieve pressures from family obligations that women more often face than their male colleagues.
Related links:
- ABA Presidential Initiative on Achieving Long-Term Careers for Women in Law
- ABA Commission on Women in the Profession
- ABA Journal: Women’s experiences differ from men’s and affect their longevity in law, survey finds
- ABA Journal: More law firms join 'best for women' lists, but statistics are stalled
- ABA Journal: Race and gender bias is rampant in law, says new report that also offers tools to fight it