Women in Law in Canada
Population
- Lawyers wishing to practice law in Canada must be a member of one of the 14 law societies governed by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.1*†
- In 2006, there were 19,508 practicing women lawyers and 37,787 practicing men lawyers.1* †
- Based on data collected from the top 10 law schools according to Canadian Lawyer, women in 2006 represented 52% of graduates.2
- For new lawyers practicing 0-5 years, in many areas, women are the majority, or close to the majority, and their numbers and percentages increased from 1995 to 2006:
- Manitoba: 57.4% of the newest lawyers are women, up from 41.4% in 19951
- Saskatchewan: 49.9%, up from 46.6%1
- Ontario: 53.2%, up from 42.5%1
- Chambre des Notaires du Quebec: 75.1%1 †
- In 2006, women made up 59.7% of new lawyers in New Brunswick and 55.0% in Nova Scotia (data not available for 1995).1
- Areas where women were less than 50% of new lawyers in 2006 included Alberta (49.1%), Newfoundland (45.6%), Northwest Territories (35.8%) and Nunavut (30.5%).1
- Not as many women have been participating for a significant length of time: 11.6% of women in Ontario and 9.6% in British Columbia have been members of the Federation of Law Societies for 26 years or more.1
Flexibility in Canadian Law Firms
- Catalyst conducted a nationwide survey of lawyers working in law firms across Canada and presented its findings in a series of reports. Some highlights include:
- Of the women lawyers in the study, 28% reported participating in a flexible work arrangement, compared to 21% of men.3
- 69% of lawyers expressed that they would like to use a flexible work arrangement, and 86% of those who had already used one stated they would like to use another.3
- 50% of lawyers said they felt their firms were doing "poorly" or "very poorly" in their provision of flexible work arrangements.3
- Women associates expressed they found it the most difficult to manage the demands of work and personal/family life, at 75%.4
- 69% of women partners said the same, followed by 66% of men associates, and 46% of men partners.4
- The average cost to a law firm when an associate leaves--potentially because of work-life tension--is $315,000. This includes both investment costs (i.e. upfront and annual investment in the recruitment, training and development of an associate) and separation costs.5
* The Federation collects information from 10 provinces and 3 territories, with Quebec reporting separate numbers for notarial professions (Chambres des Notaires du Quebec) and lawyers (Barreau du Quebec).
† 2006 data for Barreau du Quebec not available.
SOURCES
1 Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2006 Law Societies Statistics.
2 Catalyst Research (2007).
3 Catalyst, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Creating Opportunities for Better Balance (2005).
4 Catalyst, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Lawyers State Their Case on Job Flexibility (2006).
5 Catalyst, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Building the Business Case for Flexibility (2005).
UPDATED May 13, 2009
