Research

Quick Take: Women in Law

Oct 02, 2018

Data and sources for Canada, Europe, and the United States.

CANADA

Nearly Half of Practicing Lawyers in Canada Are Women1

In 2016, there were 43,595 practicing women lawyers and 53,257 practicing men lawyers.2

  • Among new lawyers (practicing for 0-5 years), women are in or close to the majority in many regions:3
Region Percentage Women Percentage Men
British Columbia 49.3% 50.7%
New Brunswick 56.2% 43.8%
Newfoundland and Labrador 55.2% 44.8%
Nova Scotia 52.7% 47.3%
Ontario 51.9% 48.1%
Barreau du Québec 63.2% 36.8%
Chambre des Notaires du Québec 73.9% 26.1%
Yet Significantly Fewer Women Make It to Senior Leadership4

Breakdown of Licence Types for Women and Men, Ontario Lawyers, 2016:5

Percentage Women Percentage Men
Sole Practitioner 14.5% 25.8%
Law Firm Partner 9.3% 22.3%
Law Firm Associate 19.0% 16.3%
Law Firm Employee 2.9% 2.8%
Legal Clinic 2.1% 0.7%
In House 13.4% 10.5%
Government 18.1% 9.9%
Education 1.8% 0.9%
Other Employment 6.8% 5.8%
Retired/Not Working 12.2% 5.0%
People of Colour and Indigenous Lawyers Remain Underrepresented6

The representation of racialized7 lawyers in Ontario increased from 18.6% in 2015 to 19.3% in 2016, but these numbers do not reflect the general population.8

The Pay Gap Persists at All Job Levels9

Gender differences in pay are especially pronounced in higher wage levels:10

  • 8% of women in-house counsels earn $180,000–$200,000 CAD, compared to 13% of men.11
  • 15% of women in-house counsels earn $200,000 CAD or more, compared to 26% of men.12

Among all types of law firms, Canadian women earned 93% of men’s salaries across all stages of their careers in 2012.13

  • In the largest private firms, women earned 91% of men’s salaries.14

EUROPE

There Are More Women Law Graduates Than Men in All EU Member States15

At the doctoral level, however, there are more men graduates in the majority of EU member states.16

  • Across the EU, women were, on average, 44.6% of doctoral graduates in 2015, compared to 51.3% in 2014 and 50.5% in 2013.17

Women Remain Underrepresented Among Practicing Lawyers in the European Union18Although women are half of all lawyers in France, a French woman has never served as a permanent judge on several international courts, including the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and the European Court of Justice.19

In Germany, the percentage of women lawyers rose to 34.4% in 2016, up from 33.9% in 2015.20

In the United Kingdom, women were 48% of all lawyers in law firms in 2017.21

  • Women made up 33% of partners at all firms, but just 29% of partners at the largest firms.22
  • Only 18% of partners at the top ten UK law firms are women.23
  • Women lawyers have the greatest representation at mid-sized firms (54%).24
  • 3% of lawyers identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) in 2017.25
  • 2% of solicitors and 1% of partners reported a gender identity different than that assigned at birth.26​​
  • 2% of lawyers in the largest firms reported being disabled in 2017.27
In the United Kingdom, the Gender Wage Gap for Lawyers at the Associate Level Is Narrowing28

In the United Kingdom in 2016, women lawyers at the associate level still earned 6.3% less than men based on median annual salaries, compared with 16.9% in 2000.29

  • At every career level, three times as many men (34%) as women (12%) are in the highest salary bracket.30
  • Men received, on average, 40% more of a bonus than women.31
Women Report Sexual Harassment Is Prevalent in UK Law Firms32

In one survey, 42% of women working in UK law firms said they were sexually harassed at work.33

UNITED STATES

Almost Half of All Law School Graduates Are Women34

Women have been approximately half of law school graduates for the past 20 years.35

  • In 2016, the number of women law students was higher than the number of men law students for the first time.36
  • The gender gap starts at admissions: men who apply to law school are more likely to be admitted than women.37
    • This is especially true at higher-ranking schools where there are still fewer women than men students.38

Minority students’ JD enrollment has been slowly increasing since the 1970s.39

  • In 2016, people of color received 31.7% of total degrees.40
Women Are Almost Half of All Associates, but Partners Continue to Be Predominantly White Men41
  • Women made up 45.5% of associates in 2017, up slightly from 2016 but still below 2009 levels.42
  • However, few women (22.7%) are partners among major law firms in the US, compared to 77.3% of men.43
Women of Color Remain Underrepresented at Law Firms44

While the percentage of lawyers of color in law firms in 2016 was the highest it has been in a decade at 16%, partners and management continue to be predominantly White.45

Women of color hold an overall larger share of positions in law firms than do men of color, but they are still less likely to be partners than men of color or white women.46

  • Black women are only 0.6% of equity partners and only 1.6% of all lawyers.47
  • Latinas are just 2.4% of associates.48
  • Asian American women make up 6.6% of associates.49
Law Firm Demographic Data50
 Associates Equity Partners Non-equity Partners Of Counsel All Lawyers
All Women 45.8% 19.8% 30.2% 39.8% 35.0%
Women of Color 13.4% 2.5% 4.6% 6.8% 8.1%
Openly LGBTQ 3.3% 1.8% 1.7% 2.3% 2.5%
Individuals with Disabilities 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.6% 0.4%
Women of Color Are Overrepresented in Departures51

In 2016, Black women attorneys were the most likely to leave their firms at 18.4%, followed by Asian American women (14.4%), Latinas (12.4%), and White women (11.6%).52

The Number of Women General Counsels at Fortune 500 Companies Has Steadily Grown Since 199953

In 2017, there were 132 women serving as general counsel at Fortune 500 companies, holding 26.4% of those top roles.54

  • Women of color continue to lag in advancement and representation. 108 of these general counsels were White women, compared to 24 women of color.55

In 2017, the three industries with the most women general counsels in the Fortune 1000 were finance (147), technology (104), and energy (103).56

While The Number of Women Lawyers Is Rising, the Gender Wage Gap in Law Is Persistent in the United States57

In the United States in 2017, women lawyers’ weekly salary as a percentage of men lawyers’ salary was 83.3%, a gap that widened from 89.7% in 2015.58

  • Median weekly earnings for women were $1,753 USD while men earned $2,105 USD a week in 2017.59
  • A 2016 survey of US and global big firms found that men partners earned 44% more than do women partners. Women partners earned an average of $659,000 USD while men partners earned an average of $949,000 USD.60
Most Women Lawyers In United States Law Firms Say Sexual Harassment Is a Problem in the Workplace61

Women lawyers in US firms report losing career opportunities after rejecting unwanted sexual advances.62

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Working Mother, The 2018 Working Mother 60 Best Law Firms for Women (July 31, 2018).

Vault and MCAA, 2017 Vault/MCAA Law Firm Diversity Survey Report (2017).

National Association of Women Lawyers, 2017 National Association of Women Lawyers 

Survey on Promotion and Retention of Women in Law Firms (2017).

National Association for Law Placement, Diversity Through Infographics: From Law School to Partnership (2016).

American Bar Association, A Current Glance at Women in the Law (2018).

 

How to cite this product: Catalyst, Quick Take: Women in Law (October 2, 2018).

 

  1. Federation of Law Societies of Canada, “Membership,” 2016 Statistical Report of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada (2016).
  2. Federation of Law Societies of Canada, “Membership,” 2016 Statistical Report of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada (2016).
  3. Federation of Law Societies of Canada, “Membership,” 2016 Statistical Report of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada (2016).
  4. Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity by the Numbers: The Legal Profession (November 30, 2016): p. 10.
  5. The Law Society of Upper Canada, “Table 6a: Type of Licence by Gender by Age for Ontario Lawyers, 2016,” Statistical Snapshot of Lawyers in Ontario from the Lawyer Annual Report (LAR) 2016 (2017): p. 10.
  6. Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity by the Numbers: The Legal Profession (November 30, 2016): p. 10.
  7. Racialized is defined as “persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.” Government of Canada, “Snapshot of Racialized Poverty in Canada.”
  8. The Law Society of Ontario, “Table 1: Representation of Indigenous and Racialized Persons for Ontario Lawyers, 2015, Compared to the Ontario Population, 2011,” Statistical Snapshot of Lawyers in Ontario from the Lawyer Annual Report (LAR) 2015 (2016): p. 1; The Law Society of Ontario, “Table 1: Representation of Indigenous and Racialized Persons for Ontario Lawyers, 2016, Compared to the Ontario Population,” Statistical Snapshot of Lawyers in Ontario from the Lawyer Annual Report (LAR) 2016 (2017): p. 2.
  9. The Counsel Network, In-House Counsel Compensation & Career Survey Report 2018 (2018): p. 5.
  10. The Counsel Network, In-House Counsel Compensation & Career Survey Report 2018 (2018): p. 5.
  11. The Counsel Network, In-House Counsel Compensation & Career Survey Report 2018 (2018): p. 5.
  12. The Counsel Network, In-House Counsel Compensation & Career Survey Report 2018 (2018): p. 5.
  13. Ronit Dinovitzer, Law and Beyond: A National Study of Canadian Law Graduates (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada/University of Toronto, 2015): p. 7.
  14. Ronit Dinovitzer, Law and Beyond: A National Study of Canadian Law Graduates (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada/University of Toronto, 2015): p. 7.
  15. Yvonne Galligan, Renate Haupfleisch, Lisa Irvine, Katja Korolkova, Monika Natter, Ulrike Schultz, and Sally Wheeler, Mapping the Representation of Women and Men in Legal Professions Across the EU (European Parliament, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, August 2017): p. 73.
  16. Yvonne Galligan, Renate Haupfleisch, Lisa Irvine, Katja Korolkova, Monika Natter, Ulrike Schultz, and Sally Wheeler, Mapping the Representation of Women and Men in Legal Professions Across the EU (European Parliament, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, August 2017): p. 73.
  17. Yvonne Galligan, Renate Haupfleisch, Lisa Irvine, Katja Korolkova, Monika Natter, Ulrike Schultz, and Sally Wheeler, Mapping the Representation of Women and Men in Legal Professions Across the EU (European Parliament, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, August 2017): p. 72.
  18. Yvonne Galligan, Renate Haupfleisch, Lisa Irvine, Katja Korolkova, Monika Natter, Ulrike Schultz, and Sally Wheeler, Mapping the Representation of Women and Men in Legal Professions Across the EU (European Parliament, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, August 2017): p. 62.
  19. Nienke Grossman, “Shattering the Glass Ceiling in International Adjudication,” University of Baltimore Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2016-04 (April 18, 2016): p. 31.
  20. “Large Membership Statistics for 01.01.2017,” Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer press release (in German), June 7, 2017.
  21. Solicitors Regulation Authority, “How Diverse Are Law Firms?”
  22. Solicitors Regulation Authority, “How Diverse Are Law Firms?”
  23. David Snell, Kate Wolstenholme, Leon Hutchinson, Carol Mynott, Tony Hodgson and Alyson Reeves, Time for Change: PwC Law Firms’ Survey 2017 (PwC, 2017): p. 22.
  24. Solicitors Regulation Authority, “How Diverse Are Law Firms?”
  25. Solicitors Regulation Authority, “How Diverse Are Law Firms?”
  26. Solicitors Regulation Authority, “How Diverse Are Law Firms?”
  27. Solicitors Regulation Authority, “How Diverse Are Law Firms?”
  28. The Law Society, Private Practice Solicitors’ Salaries 2016: PC Holder Survey 2016 (September 2017): p. 4.
  29. The Law Society, Private Practice Solicitors’ Salaries 2016: PC Holder Survey 2016 (September 2017): p. 4.
  30. The Law Society, Private Practice Solicitors’ Salaries 2016: PC Holder Survey 2016 (September 2017): p. 6.
  31. The Law Society, Private Practice Solicitors’ Salaries 2016: PC Holder Survey 2016 (September 2017): p. 18.
  32. Barney Thompson, “Women Lawyers Say Sexual Harassment is Fact of Life at UK Law Firms,” Financial Times, March 7, 2018.
  33. Barney Thompson, “Women Lawyers Say Sexual Harassment is Fact of Life at UK Law Firms,” Financial Times, March 7, 2018.
  34. Elizabeth Olsen, “‘A Bleak Picture’ for Women Trying to Rise in Law Firms,” The New York Times, July 24, 2017.
  35. “NALP Diversity Infographic: Women,” National Association for Law Placement, 2016.
  36. Stephanie Francis Ward, “Women Outnumber Men in Law Schools for First Time, Newly Updated Data Show,” ABA Journal, December 19, 2016.
  37. Deborah Jones Merritt and Kyle McEntee, “The Leaky Pipeline for Women Entering the Legal Profession,” November 2016 Research Summary (2016).
  38. Deborah Jones Merritt and Kyle McEntee, “The Leaky Pipeline for Women Entering the Legal Profession,” November 2016 Research Summary (2016).
  39. American Bar Association, “First-Year & Total JD Minority.”
  40. American Bar Association, “2016 Annual Questionnaire: Degrees Awarded for ABA-Approved Law Schools.”
  41. National Association for Law Placement, Inc. (NALP), 2017 Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms (December 2017): p. 3, 5.
  42. National Association for Law Placement, Inc. (NALP), 2017 Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms (December 2017): p. 5.
  43. National Association for Law Placement, Inc. (NALP), 2017 Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms (December 2017): p. 5.
  44. Vault and MCAA, 2017 Vault/MCAA Law Firm Diversity Survey Report (2017): p. 5.
  45. Vault and MCAA, 2017 Vault/MCAA Law Firm Diversity Survey Report (2017): p. 7.
  46. Vault and MCAA, 2017 Vault/MCAA Law Firm Diversity Survey Report (2017): p. 26.
  47. Vault and MCAA, 2017 Vault/MCAA Law Firm Diversity Survey Report (2017): p. 37.
  48. Vault and MCAA, 2017 Vault/MCAA Law Firm Diversity Survey Report (2017): p. 37.
  49. Vault and MCAA, 2017 Vault/MCAA Law Firm Diversity Survey Report (2017): p. 37.
  50. Vault and MCAA, 2017 Vault/MCAA Law Firm Diversity Survey Report (2017): p. 6, 43.
  51. Vault and MCAA, 2017 Vault/MCAA Law Firm Diversity Survey Report (2017): p. 5.
  52. Figures represent the percentage of attrition by group, based respondents’ overall law firm population. Vault and MCAA, 2017 Vault/MCAA Law Firm Diversity Survey Report (2017): p. 12.
  53. MCAA, “MCAA’s 18th Annual General Counsel Survey: Breaking Through the Concrete Ceiling One Woman at a Time,” Diversity & the Bar (Winter 2017): p. 9.
  54. MCAA, “MCAA’s 18th Annual General Counsel Survey: Breaking Through the Concrete Ceiling One Woman at a Time,” Diversity & the Bar (Winter 2017): p. 9.
  55. MCAA, “MCAA’s 18th Annual General Counsel Survey: Breaking Through the Concrete Ceiling One Woman at a Time,” Diversity & the Bar (Winter 2017): p. 22.
  56. MCAA, “MCAA’s 18th Annual General Counsel Survey: Breaking Through the Concrete Ceiling One Woman at a Time,” Diversity & the Bar (Winter 2017): p. 20.
  57. Jennifer Cheeseman Day, “Number of Women Lawyers at Record High But Men Still Highest Earners: More Than 1 in 3 Lawyers Are Women,” United States Census Bureau, September 18, 2018; Xaquín G.V., “Can We Talk About The Gender Pay Gap?” The Washington Post, October 26, 2017; Lauren Stiller Rikleen, “Solving the Law Firm Gender Gap Problem,” Harvard Business Review, August 20, 2013.
  58. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Table 39: Median Weekly Earnings of Full-Time Wage and Salary Workers by Detailed Occupation and Sex, 2017,” Current Population Survey, Household Data Annual Averages (2018); Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Table 39: Median Weekly Earnings of Full-Time Wage and Salary Workers by Detailed Occupation and Sex, 2015,” Household Data Annual Averages (2016).
  59. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Table 39: Median Weekly Earnings of Full-Time Wage and Salary Workers by Detailed Occupation and Sex, 2017,” Current Population Survey, Household Data Annual Averages (2018)
  60. Jeffrey A. Lowe, 2016 Partner Compensation Survey (Major, Lindsey & Africa, 2016): p. 9.
  61. Commission on Women in the Profession, Resolution 302: Report to the House of Delegates (American Bar Association, 2018).
  62. Commission on Women in the Profession, Resolution 302: Report to the House of Delegates (American Bar Association, 2018); Joan C. Williams, Marina Multhaup, Su Li, and Rachel Korn, You Can’t Change What You Can’t See: Interrupting Racial & Gender Bias in the Legal Profession: Executive Summary (American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession and MCAA, 2018): p. 9-10.