The Glass Ceiling Report: 'Slow Progress' For Women In The Legal Profession

The future is female, and perhaps Biglaw would be best served with more women-led firms.

(Image via Getty)

Despite the fact that in the new #MeToo era, women across the country are taking charge and leading movements for gender equality and equal pay, women continue to be underrepresented in private practice, especially when it comes to attaining leadership roles. In fact, in the last year at the average law firm, from associate to equity partner, women’s representation has increased by no more than a percentage point, a statistic that’s been depressingly static for years.

There are now more women in law school than ever before, but men still lead the pack when it comes to private practice, making up about two-thirds of attorneys in this sector of the legal profession with gender-discrimination suits being filed by women at breakneck speeds. What’s more (but more accurately, less) is that within those private practice firms, only 21.5 percent of equity partners are women.

How can progress for women in the law be made when the odds seem to be against them in private practice? Some law firms are leading the way, and thanks to Law360’s annual Glass Ceiling Report, we now know which ones are the best for women.

Law360 surveyed more than 300 U.S. firms, or vereins with a U.S. component, about the demographics of their lawyer workforce as of December 31, 2018. Firms were then grouped into tiers based on U.S. attorney headcount, and ranked by the percentage of female nonpartners and female partners at the firm.

In the biggest of Biglaw category, those with 600+ attorneys, the top 5 firms are:

1. Littler
2. Jackson Lewis
2. Ogletree Deakins
2. Akerman
4. Baker McKenzie
4. Faegre

For Biglaw firms with slightly smaller headcount, 300-599 attorneys, the top 5 are:

1. Fragomen
2. Quarles & Brady
3. Davis Wright Tremaine
4. Shook Hardy
5. Fisher Phillips

You can check out Law360 (sub. req.) for rankings of smaller law firms.

How can women in private practice ensure they’ll have a say when it comes to the direction of their firms? According to Law360’s data (coupled with disheartening caveats, of course), having a woman in charge will be of great service to them:

Our data shows that firms helmed by women have slightly higher rates of women overall and in the partnership ranks.

Still, only about 14% of the firms that gave us complete data on their demographics reported that they have a woman in charge.

And even at these firms, women represent just under 30% of partners. Of all the law firms surveyed this year, women made up 24.8% of partners in 2018.

Firms that are paving the way to a more equitable profession should be applauded for their efforts, but there is still much more work to be done. The future is female, and perhaps Biglaw would be best served with more women-led firms.

The 2019 Law360 Glass Ceiling Report [Law360 (sub. req.)]
The Best Law Firms For Female Attorneys [Law360 (sub. req.)]


Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.