Women Criminal Defense Attorneys: More Action, Less Statistics
It seems that recently there have been an even greater focus on studies and statistics that tell us what we already know about the challenges women face in law. But I can’t help but wonder if this focus can actually become a distraction.
I recently had a friend tell me that initiatives and committees focused on promoting women take women away from what should be their real focus; getting business and making it rain. And the more I read these dismal statistics the more I am beginning to think she is on to something. That being said, I still believe there is value in facing the current status of women in law; the cold hard facts so to speak. And I am mindful that not all women have the opportunity to develop and learn the necessary skill set to get business. Finally I also know there are many factors that contribute to these sad statistics but I do think that we need more action and less statistics. But of course I feel compelled to share them nonetheless:
A recent Harvard Law School Study reveals that women lawyers work more hours than men. HLS conducted a survey of graduates of the classes of 1975, 1985, 1995 and 2000 entitled “The Women and Men of Harvard Law School” The study evaluated many differences between male and female lawyers including satisfaction, compensation, and leadership. In all the graduating classes studied, women outpaced mean in the number of hours worked while the class of 2000 women worked eight hours more per week than their male counterparts. The ABA Journal summarized the other findings from the study here.
The New York Times reported the findings from a recent study which revealed that some men “fake” 80 hour work weeks. In fact many news sites commented on the new study by Boston University professor Erin Reid that found that 31 percent men and only 11 percent women managed to pass as workaholics without the need to demand more flexible work environments. The takeaway being that men are doing a better job at “faking it to make it” than women are.
An American Lawyer Special Report about Big Law Failing Women which evaluates the status of women in big law and even contemplates the need for quotas. The articles include some pretty alarming statistics such as:
A $250,000 pay gap between comparable men and women Big Law partners
8% female equity partners among Am Law 200 firms
2181 is the year to expect gender parity among Big Law partners at the current rate of growth
Only 15% of Am Law 200 firms with three or more women on the compensation committee
Only 1 female named partner out of 258 named partners among Am Law 100 firms
19 firms that hired associates from the On Ramp program that gives women who have taken a break from firms a chance to return.
So read them and weep or…let’s throw these statistics on their head by starting to concentrate on increasing our businesses and consequently our power in the field. And if you have trouble in that department find another woman in the field you can trust and ask for help. We are all in this together!