Knowledge Center

Education

• In the 2009-2010 class, women made up 47.2% of J.D. students.1

• 1993 was the year of the highest percent of women as J.D. students—50.4%.2

• In the 2009-2010 class, people of color made up 22.4% of J.D. students.3

The Gender Gap in Law

• In 2012, women made up 31.1% of all lawyers. 4
• Women were 45.4% of associates in 2011.5
• Women were 47.7% of summer associates in 2011. 6
• Given the same rate of change, Catalyst estimates that it will take more than a woman lawyer’s lifetime to achieve equality.7

• There is a drastic difference between women and men at the highest levels in law firms. According to a recent survey of law firms,

  • 11% of the largest law firms in the U.S. have no women on their governing committees, ₈

  • Women partners constituted only 16% of those partners receiving credit for having $500,000 worth of business or more. ₉

• A recent study revealed that no state has ever achieved equality of women and the men in federal or state judgeships.10

• Only 23% of all federal judgeships were held by women, and only 27% of state judgeships were held by women. 11

• In one study of law school faculty, only 20.6% of law school deans were women.12

• In a survey of the 50 best law firms for women,

  • 10% of firm chairpersons were women, 13

  • 12% of the firms had women managing partners, 14

  • 19% of the equity partners were women, 15

  • 28% of the nonequity partners were women, 16 and
  • 41% of the of-counsels were women. 17

• Women appear to be most successful in single-tier firms. ¹⁸ Promotion rates of women equity partners is strongest in single-tier firms, in one survey of the top 50 best law firms for women: _¹⁹
  • 21% of all equity partners were women at single-tier firms vs. 17% of equity partners at two-tier firms._²⁰
  • Of newly appointed equity partners, 36% were women at single-tier firms vs. 23% at firms with two-tiers. _²¹

• Women were 101 of general counsels at Fortune 500 companies in 2010. 22

• Women Presidents of the American Bar Association:23

  • Roberta Cooper Ramo (1995-1996)

  • Martha W. Barnett (2000-2001)

  • Karen J. Mathis (2006-2007)

  • Carolyn B. Lamm (2009-2010)

• Women lawyers made 79.6% of men lawyers’ salaries in 2012.24

Work-Life in Law

• One study found that nearly half as many men lawyers as women lawyers (44% vs. 84%) have a spouse that is employed full-time.₂₅

• At the top 50 best law firms for women, on average, women receive 14 paid weeks of maternity leave, but on average, only take 12. ₂₆

  • Men received just six weeks paternity leave, but on average, only took two weeks. 27

  • For paid adoption leave (for the primary caregiver), on average, individuals received 11 weeks, but on average, only took three weeks of leave. 28

• The best law firms for women have made great strides in work-life policies:

  • 100% have reduced hour policies; 29

  • 44% of have written full-time flex policies; 30

  • 78% offer full-time telecommuting; 31

  • 94% of firms allow their reduced-hour lawyers to be eligible for equity partnership; 32

  • 78% provide backup childcare at a facility. 33

Women of Color in Law

• One Catalyst study examined the experiences of women of color at law firms, comparing their experiences to people of color’s experiences and white women’s experiences. The findings included:

  • Women of color were more likely than any other group to experience exclusion from other employees, racial and gender stereotyping.34

  • Women of color were most likely to consider leaving the firm. 35

  • Women of color were most likely to feel it necessary to make adjustments to fit in. 36

  • Women of color cited dissatisfaction with current level of work relative to work experience, and with access to high-profile client assignments. 37

  • Women of color experienced lack of constructive feedback as a barrier to advancement. 38

  • Women of color perceived a lack of commitment from senior leadership towards promotion of diverse candidates. 39

  • Women of color were less likely to aspire to partnership. 40

• Another recent study found 11.0% of associates are women of color. 41

• Only 2.0% of partners were women of color. 42

• In 2010, there were only 15 women of color general counsels in the Fortune 500. 43

How to cite this product: Catalyst. Catalyst Quick Take: Women in Law in the U.S.. New York: Catalyst, 2013.

• 1. American Bar Association, "Enrollment and Degrees Awarded 1963-2010."
• 2. American Bar Association, "First Year and Total J.D. Enrollment by Gender 1947 – 2010."
• 3. American Bar Association, "First Year J.D. and Total J.D. Minority Enrollment for 1971 – 2011".
• 4. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, "Table 11: Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity," Annual Averages 2012 (2013).
• 5. The National Association for Law Placement, "Law Firm Diversity Wobbles: Minority Numbers Bounce Back While Women Associates Extend Two-Year Decline" (November 3, 2011).
• 6. The National Association for Law Placement, "Law Firm Diversity Wobbles: Minority Numbers Bounce Back While Women Associates Extend Two-Year Decline" (November 3, 2011).
• 7. Catalyst, Unpublished Calculation (2011).
• 8. National Association of Women Lawyers and The NAWL Foundation, Report of the Sixth Annual National Survey on Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms (October 2011).
• 9. National Association of Women Lawyers and The NAWL Foundation, Report of the Sixth Annual National Survey on Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms (October 2011).
• 10. The Center for Women in Government and Civil Society (Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at University of Albany), Women in Federal and State-level Judgeships (2011).
• 11. The Center for Women in Government and Civil Society (Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at University of Albany), Women in Federal and State-level Judgeships (2011).
• 12. American Association of Law Schools, 2008-2009 AALS Statistical Report on Law Faculty.
• 13. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 14. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 15. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 16. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 17. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers," Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 18. National Association of Women Lawyers and The NAWL Foundation, Report of the Sixth Annual National Survey on Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms (October 2011).
• 19. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers," Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 20. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers,"Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 21. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers,"Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 22. Minority Corporate Counsel Association, "MCCA 2010 Fortune 1000 Minority General Counsel Survey (2011).
• 23. Commission on Women in the Profession, "A Current Glance at Women in the Law 2011," American Bar Association (January 2011).
• 24. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, "Table 39: Median Weekly Earnings of Full-time Wage and Salary Workers by Detailed Occupation and Sex," Annual Averages 2012 (2013).
• 25. Catalyst, Women in Law: Making the Case (2001).
• 26. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 27. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary,"Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 28. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary,"Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 29. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary,"Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 30. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 31. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 32. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 33. NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers, "Executive Summary," Best Law Firms for Women 2011 (2011).
• 34. Deepali Bagati, Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms (Catalyst, 2008).
• 35. Deepali Bagati, Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms (Catalyst, 2008).
• 36. Deepali Bagati, Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms (Catalyst, 2008).
• 37. Deepali Bagati, Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms (Catalyst, 2008).
• 38. Deepali Bagati, Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms (Catalyst, 2008).
• 39. Deepali Bagati, Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms (Catalyst, 2008).
• 40. Deepali Bagati, Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms (Catalyst, 2008).
• 41. The National Association for Law Placement, "Law Firm Diversity Wobbles: Minority Numbers Bounce Back While Women Associates Extend Two-Year Decline" (November 3, 2011).
• 42. The National Association for Law Placement, "Law Firm Diversity Wobbles: Minority Numbers Bounce Back While Women Associates Extend Two-Year Decline" (November 3, 2011).
• 43. Minority Corporate Counsel Association, "MCCA 2010 Fortune 1000 Minority General Counsel Survey" (2011).