Can Data And Analytics Help Close The Biglaw Gender Gap?

When ATL launched the Law Firm Gender Diversity Index last year, probably the most discouraging finding from the data is that hiring more women attorneys is insufficient to close the gender gap in law firms. Firms’ increased hiring of women simply is not translating to more women in partnership or in leadership roles.

We are publishing a new report, taking a deeper look into the Index’s data and attempting to identify actions that firms can take to address and begin alleviating the gender disparities that continue to permeate the law firm landscape.

Law firms can take cues from their corporate counterparts when trying to determine how to begin tackling these serious issues. While initiatives like the Mansfield Rule and corporate incentive programs are a step in the right direction, a continuing hindrance in adequately addressing the gender gap has been the lack of meaningful data. Only data can give us an accurate measure of where the shortfalls lie and which areas need the most improvement.

While we hope the Index will begin filling those holes, the rapidly emerging and increasingly powerful field of legal analytics holds promise that we will identify not just how many women are being hired and promoted, but whether or not those women are being given the same meaningful roles and experiences that their male counterparts receive. Data and analytics will go a long way toward finally making real progress in closing the gender gap.

Download Your Free Copy Of The Report Here.