Below is an article from the January newsletter of the National Association of Women Judges that shares a resource to help us better understand the law firm landscape for women:

Lean In and McKinsey & Company partnered to produce Women in Law Firms 2017. 

The report focuses on women in law firms in North America. Out of the project's 222 participants, 23 are law firms that employ more than 16,000 attorneys. The firms provided the project with their talent-pipeline, programs and policies data. Additionally, more than 2,500 of their attorneys answered an experience survey. All of the information shared across the various sources allowed the project to highlight challenges law firms face to advance women relative to the rest of the broader corporate world.

The report summarizes research into three key areas: (1) gender diversity in law firms' talent pipeline, (2) differences in men and women's expectations and experiences, and (3) firms' diversity policies and programs.

It concludes with priorities to improve gender diversity:

• culturally acceptable flexible work programs that encourage attorneys to take advantage of them;
• developing senior level connections to strengthen coaching partnerships that can accelerate careers and build retention and recruitment; and
• make diversity a priority that demands accountability for progress.

We thank NAWJ Resource Board member Tom Leighton of Thomson Reuters for sharing this report with us. Click here to learn more about the Women in Law Firms 2017 report.