Female junior partners already face challenges in building a book of business. And the stress around striking up new client relationships is likely to be intensified for mothers of children who are being educated virtually this fall. 

But if these women must struggle to balance parenting with the responsibilities of the job, the new era of remote work also presents certain opportunities for women who might have previously been hamstrung by traditional modes of client interactions.

"There are a lot of silver linings and time savings that can be employed right now," said Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan partner Maaren Shah, whose second child arrived just at the start of the pandemic. "With the lack of need to do business development via in person meetings, and the lack of commutes, there are found hours in the day that you can use to do different types of marketing at home."