Impatient with limited prospects for advancement at large law firms, more female attorneys are taking a new approach to parity—they're starting from scratch and creating firms of their own.

These lawyers aren't just changing their surroundings. Many of them are also making more money. And with the ability to market their firms as women-owned and the freedom to establish their own compensation systems, they're looking to challenge entrenched gender imbalances in the legal profession.

“I think a lot of us are starting to create an old-girls' network and refer business,” said Nicole Galli, founder of national network Women Owned Law, which she started in Philadelphia less than a year ago. “I think we are inspiring other women to go out on their own and take ownership.”