Female success stories, Facebook's newest lawyer and Trump's favourite firm - the best of Legal Week last week
The best news, features and analysis from Legal Week during the past seven days
March 14, 2017 at 10:11 AM
3 minute read
When it comes to keeping women in law, role models matter. However, stats compiled by Legal Week last week for a series of articles to coincide with International Women's Day highlight just how hard it is for women to find such role models in their firms.
While more than 50% of most firms' trainee intakes are female, this balance has tailed off markedly by partnership and, as a consequence, when it comes to leadership positions at either a firmwide or practice level.
Our main feature found only one in six practice leadership roles within the UK's top 15 law firms are held by women. This falls to just 13% when looking at the core corporate, finance and disputes practices.
But the lack of female law firm leaders isn't just the result of the dwindling numbers still working in private practice by the point at which they should be going for such roles. From a lack of self-belief, to not being open about career aspirations, we've compiled a list of what's holding women back, with some top tips for success from those who've made it.
There is no quick-fix solution to the problem, but a number of high profile female lawyers from firms including Hogan Lovells, CMS and BLP gave us their insight on how to change things for future generations of women – click on the links below for more:
- 'I was the only female in an intake of 100 trainees' – CMS UK's Penelope Warne on why City culture needs to change
- Hogan Lovells diversity chair Ruth Grant on role models, bias and the best and worst parts of leadership
- Making female law firm leaders 'normal' – Reed Smith's Tamara Box on the impact of role models
- Stephenson Harwood's Sharon White on the push for more women leaders in law
- 'The days of a one-track path to partnership are over' – BLP's Lisa Mayhew on why women should not rush into career decisions
- 'The fact you are a woman should not be an obstacle' – Dechert's Miriam Gonzalez on male allies and management hopes
- 'There are enough ambitious men around' – female practice heads on making it to the top
And here's the best of the rest of Legal Week last week:
- Irwin Mitchell pays out thousands to shareholders in first dividend for a year
- DLA Piper launches firmwide crowdsourcing project to develop innovative new ideas
- The secretive firm and its very famous client: Trump ties thrust Jones Day into the spotlight
- Latham magic circle hires continue as Linklaters financial partner joins in London
- Facebook recruits Olswang partner as EMEA head of regulatory and litigation
- Freshfields targets Toronto for new support hub after opting against Vancouver
- Ropes to split from 100-strong team as firm pulls out of patent prosecution work
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