Women Criminal Defense Attorneys: Can Women Be Partners… and Parents?

The New York Times recently highlighted a woman-led law firm that lets partners be parents. The Gellar Law Group has created an environment where lawyers can both commit to practicing law and caring for their children. The article cited an M.I.T. Workplace Center report from 2007 which found that by far the most important reason women gave for deserting the partnership track was “the difficulty of combining law firm work and caring for children in a system that requires long hours under high pressure with little or inconsistent support for flexible work arrangements.” So has the Gellar Law Group, with their focus on flexibility, found the answer to this dilemma?

In many ways I think the answer is yes. It is certainly a critical step in the right direction. The old brick and mortar law firm mentality needs to change before we will see a significant rise in the number of women staying in the field and reaching positions of power in law. Like it or not, women still largely bear the burden of child rearing and ultimately this has a devastating effect on our ability to compete on a level playing field with men who don’t equally share in child rearing. Carving out flexible work environments is a significant step in leveling the playing field.

There are so many aspects of the practice of law that are changing. Today technology allows a lawyer to expand their practice beyond the walls of their office. And in spite of the fact there are obvious pros and cons to being available to clients 24/7, the reality is that this same technology allows lawyers in general more freedom to actively participate in their children’s lives and still practice law full time. So while there seems to me to be a greater effort to provide flexible work environments for all lawyers, in my opinion, the real beneficiaries of this shift will ultimately be women.